Convention Coverage: Day One

I am home.  Where, surprisingly, I am more connected to the outside world than I am inside the walls of the Holy Xcel Center. 

Kinda wierd, eh? 

Before the convention commenced, I tried to remedy the wifi problem by heading over to the Roy Wilkins auditorium, and the press filing center, run by the Death Star, but, alas, by the time I got over there, well, it was time for the convention to open.  Sigh. 

Anyway, as you might have read, today was getting down to brass tacks day at the Republican National Convention 2008.  They did business.  The business of paying a lot of attention to the Gulf states---Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida---the first thing the chairman, Mike Duncan, did was to direct people to pull out their phones and to text aid to the hurricane victims.  All over the convention, you could see people flipping their phones open and dialing like mad.  It was all about, "Helping our fellow Amercians."  For about ten minutes or so, then it was all about taking care of business.  Motions for this, motions for that, motions to temporarily adjourn so the committees could get their work done.  I could barely hear any of it, from the nosebleed seats, where I, and other bloggers, aka "Special Press" have been seated during the convention, and all I could see were the screaming delegates, and the jumbotrons.  Yes, my devoted Cake Eater readers, "special press" is seated behind the stage.   If you're looking at the stage during the convention coverage, and the camera person happens to pan up, up, up, up, to the right, to the very top, that is where I shall be. 

After that, it was time to head outside and see what I could see.  I ran into some lovely ladies from Alaska, one who actually knows Sarah Palin and comes from the same neck of the woods she does.  I chatted with them for a time and will post the interview I conducted with them separately.  I wandered around a bit, talked with some very young looking St. Paul cops, at a window on the upper concourse, and asked them if there had been a big problem with the loads of protestors I'd seen file by earlier.  One said, "Not too much violence.  We haven't gassed anyone yet.  But they've gassed us."  Okaaaay, then.  Good to know.  

The main concourse of the X is where all of the major news outlets have set up shop.  Fox, CNN, NBC, BBCAmerica (I actually saw Matt Frei, the anchor for BBCNews America, walking down the concourse and, rather cheekily for me, I thought, said, "Hey, Matt Frei."  He looked up, waved, looked like he wanted to stop and say hello, but I kept walking.  My bad.  I should chat with the nice man with the Obama bias next time.)  PJTV---Pajamas Tee Vee---has also set up shop on this concourse, and were acting like the big boys, with tee vee lighting, cameras and all the folding directors chairs they could possibly fill with bloggery pundits.  Apparently, they're launching at the convention.  I saw Lileks, of course, fiddling with his iPhone, along with Roger Simon and some other guy whose name is eluding me---AND I KNOW WHAT HIS NAME IS, GAH, BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER!  FRIGGING CHEMO BRAIN!---who were setting up for some on-the-spot punditry.  Oh, how far away has blogging come, I suppose, when they're actually acting like the major media networks.  With prime space, no less! 

By this time, however, it was time for the gavel to pound down again, and then it was more procedural stuff courtesy of the rules committee, the platform committee, and the committee on arrangements.  Then, with barely a warning, and a bit early, according to the schedule, Laura Bush came out and the place went NUTS.  She did quite nicely, even though I could barely hear her, and when she stuttered a bit, as she introduced video of the Gulf state governors, some Euroweenie journalists, who were sitting directly in front of me, laughed uproariously.  Assholes.  

After the video finished rolling, Cindy McCain came out, to much applause, and joined Mrs. Bush at the podium.  And, God love her, I just don't know what was up with that outfit she was wearing.  She looked like even more of an uptight Purtian than she already does.  Bless.  She intructed everyone to go to CauseGreater.com to see where to donate to Hurricane Relief.  She and Laura left the stage, and thought it looked very much like a "sorority sisters UNITE" moment.  After that, a delegate from North Dakota moved to adjourn for the day---and that was that.  Curiously enough, I went to the loo right before the closing benediction (bad timing, sorry) and, surprisingly, I could hear better in there than I could outside, on the concourse.  They have loudspeakers in there so that the hockey fans who usually populate the place don't need to miss a single exciting second!

All of the assembled delegates, guests, media and the like flew out of the X, like bats out of hell.  There was important drinking to be done, one delegate mentioned to a friend, as I passed, it was good that they could get to it early, right?  Okedokey.  I walked around a bit, trying to get to where the husband said he would meet me, and I was walking past the PJTV booth again, and low and behold, who should be pacing nearby but Martini Boy himself.  Now, usually when I meet someone I admire, I run the other way, lest I make an ass out of myself.  But this time?  Nope.  I yipped, "Vodkapundit," he turned, and I went over and introduced myself, and then he proceeded to chat with me.  He said he'd been reading me for years.  Wow.  I hope that's true, and if it's not, I don't want to know.  After a few minutes he had to go on the Pajamas Tee Vee Network.  I don't know what the hell got into me, but it was nice to actually meet him amd chat with him.  And, yes, ladies, he really is that handsome. 

There's something else, I promised.  I don't know what it could be.  Oh, yes, pictures.  We've got pictures.  Loads and loads of pictures.  As it was the only technologically-related thing I could do for most of the day.  You can catch them after the jump

The CNN Grill on West 7th.  Behind the security gates.  Well protected from anyone who might actually want them to, you know, serve up a burger or something food related.

One seriously honking jumbotron, kitty corner from the CNN "Grill"

A massive and, seemingly, never ending line of metal detectors.  I got right through.  I commented that it was easier than getting through the airport, which I don't think endeared me to the TSA agent who screened my bag.  Whoops.

The view from the nosebleed seats. 

We actually did have a fairly good view of the protesters. 

Blah, blah, blah.  Supposedly they were predicting a showing of some 50,000 people.  I don't think there were actually THAT many of them out there.  And, they made very little of a dent on the people inside the hall, who were so far removed from them that, when they actually did pass by the window, they asked, "What's going on out there?"  You can find more on what happened here. The husband, who was monitoring the news from home, texted me and said there were about ten thousand people, but all the problems were caused by about two hundred anarchists.  Go figure.

They'll be gone tomorrow.  They have to work.  And their kids have their first day of school.  I expect that'll be that.  Although, I hope not.  I need some whacko action!

And, when it was all over, everyone fled for the buses. 

For my money, it would be nice if all days at political conventions were as shortlived as today was.  The timing was just right, if you ask me.  Just enough time for business to be conducted, and very few blowhards. 

We'll just have to see what tomorrow is like. 

Also, here's a link to the RNC's press release from The Four Gulf Coast Governors.