McCain spoke of the death of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who was assassinated in 1968, while McCain was a prisoner of war in Vietnam.
"In our circumstances at the time, good news from America was hard to come by," he said. "But the bad news was a different matter, and each new report of violence, rioting and other tribulations in America was delivered to us without delay. The enemy had correctly calculated that the news of Dr. King's death would deeply wound morale, and leave us worried and afraid for our country. . . . If they had been the more reflective kind, our enemies would have understood that the cause of Dr. King was bigger than any one man, and could not be stopped by force of violence."
To the surprise and delight of those in the convention hall, McCain took questions, which ranged from judicial appointments to faith-based initiatives. His liveliest exchange was with a woman who identified herself as a Head Start employee who earns $17,000 a year.
"What are you going to do now as a senator [to] get the funding that is needed so Head Start workers and families can get the funds that are needed to educate the poor?" she asked. (Head Start is a federally funded early education program targeting poor children from 3 to 5 years old.)
"I will be glad to fully fund those programs," McCain said. "But there has to be monitoring, a measurable success . . . a return on taxpayers' dollars."
There is monitoring, she replied. "I cannot afford my housing; I cannot afford gas, and food and healthcare for my children," she added.
McCain ended the exchange with an attempt to win her over, calling her "a great, outstanding teacher" and "a great American also."
St. Elmore Sutton, a retired Southern California Edison worker from Prentiss, Miss., said he thought McCain had sounded the right notes.
"Who knows," Sutton said. "He might have picked up a few votes."
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robin.abcarian@latimes.com
