RNC 2008

In no particular order... 

• The sheer size of the mainstream media is amazing, particularly when you get them all together, in one particular spot, and can witness their gargantuan proportion, up close and personal. I'm not talking about just one news organization, I'm talking about all of the various worldwide news organizations who sent just one or two or thirty or three hundred people to one convention to provide coverage. There were, reportedly, over 12,000 media-related people at the RNC. Twelve-freakin'-thousand. That's three times the reported number of Republican delegates. It makes it quite easy, at times, to see why they let their personal biases dictate what they report. It's easier than actually having to fight the crowds to find out what's going on. 
•  I'm still very curious as to why, precisely, there was no wi-fi at the X. I suspect the fact that Qwest was running the communications has something to do with it. If you wanted wi-fi access in the arena, reportedly, it cost $800. I suspect that the RNC looked into Wifi, but was told it was going to cost and arm and a leg and just decided that if the bloggers needed to post, they could run over to the Press Filing Center in Roy Wilkins Auditorium, like the "real media." In other words, I'm pretty sure it came down to cost, and the RNC decided to be cheap. And, after all, I'm assuming that most bloggers were like me and just assumed there would be wi-fi. I doubt anyone demanded it be available beforehand, because, let's face facts, if you can get free wi-fi at the local Caribou, why wouldn't they have facilities for credentialed bloggers at a convention, that they want us to cover? The fact that we never mentioned it, and they never brought it up, just worked in the RNC's favor. The Special Press liaison, when I spoke with him on the opening day, had "just found out about it." The fact that he'd just arrive in town the day before, again, worked in the RNC's favor, even if it didn't help the Special Press liaison, David Hauptmann, in having to deal with a mass of pissed off bloggers.

   Or it could have been a more interesting scenario. This is pure speculation on my part, but the lack of wi-fi could have been because this was McCain's Showcase Showdown, and since a good chunk of the right half of the blogosphere has been incredibly critical and dismissive of him---until he put Sarah Palin on the ticket, that is---the RNC just decided that limiting blogger access would be the right thing to do, in case everything went to hell in a handbasket and the bloggers went negative. After all, the easiest way to control the blogs is to control the thing they need most to operate: access to the internet. By not shelling out for wi-fi, they effectively cut down on posting, that's for certain. If, ultimately, the second scenario is true---I'm not saying it is---well, thanks to all the McCain naysayers throughout the right half of the blogosphere! Cheers!

• A friend who was there would like me to point out that the music selections needed to be better. Because, as he put it, people were dancing to it, and the people who were dancing were not the type of people who should have ever been caught on camera dancing. I thought they should have been better, too, but I'm not such a party pooper that I'd hand out dancing licenses.

I think that's it, my devoted Cake Eater readers.

Well, it was a little interesting getting into St. Paul tonight.  This would be why.  Our deal this week, is that the husband and I take the 10th St. exit into St. Paul off I-94, head over to Cedar, go south on Cedar, turn onto Kellogg, he drops me off at the Crowne Plaza, and then he turns onto Wabasha, creating a nice little rectangular action, and takes it right up to the interstate.  Well, not so this evening after he dropped me off. 

The police pretty much kept closing down exits along 1-94.  The fifth street exit in St. Paul has been closed all week, but you could still get into downtown from 10th.  Well, they closed that off tonight.  We got in on 7th Street, and got to our designated dropoff spot.  On his way out, he tried Wabasha, but the police had closed it off.  Ultimately, he wound up going west, trying to get back toward 10th, but that was blocked off, and ended up having to turn around in some staff parking lot at the hospital, because he and an entire line of cars behind him couldn't go anywhere.  He turned around and came back to the intersection, and wound up going back into downtown on Cedar, the opposite direction of where I-94 is.  Finally, he went east on 5th all the way to a spot where he could get on 94 E, and then at next available exit got onto 94 West.   We figured they were closing exits for added security for McCain's speech, just to restrict access into downtown, and that it was planned to be this way the entire time.  We really didn't get the idea that there was a problem occuring with the protesters until we saw plenty of police along Cedar, putting on their riot gear.  Good times.  But once again, it didn't make a dent on the people in the X.  They had no idea.  

While the husband was diligently trying to get the hell out of St. Paul, I was working my way over to my appointed spot.  No press center this evening.  Didn't feel like it.  I heard Pawlenty speak, and I have to tell you, I wasn't impressed.  Very Milquetoast, and that's the way he's always struck me.  McCain chose right on his VP.  I have no idea how Bill Frist got to be a senator, let alone the majority leader because, well, the man may be good on tee vee, but he sucks as a public speaker.  Bleh.  That whole doctor business must have sealed the deal, even though he didn't do squat about health care.  The crowd went wild for Sam Brownback.  No, I don't have any idea why they would, either, but apparently the base, which the delegates represent, dig him.

I thought Cindy McCain did rather well with her speech.  She may look like an uptight puritan (I'm sorry, but mentally I keep seeing her in a Puritan getup, with black dress and black cap.  I don't know why, but that's what I get whenever I see her. I think it's the blond hair.) but I'm getting the idea that perhaps she's not.  I don't know.  But I doubt John McCain would have had any presidential aspirations were it not for his wife.  That chick is a force to be reckoned with.  It's just been my experience, and I do have some experience with this, but you generally don't screw with your Budweiser distributor, otherwise they'll cut you off.  The husband, once upon a time, used to work for this one particular restaurant in Des Moines, which was always robbing Peter to pay Paul, and even though the local Bud distributor was a regular at this restaurant, his was one of the few bills they always paid on time.  I would suspect that the daughter of a Budweiser distributor would have learned from the best how to wield power effectively.  

As far as McCain's speech is concerned, well, if you were wondering why, all of a sudden, people started chanting "USA" in spots where it didn't seem appropriate to do so...know that some Code Pink protesters managed to squeak in (how I don't know.  the proctors wouldn't let me sit in the section they were at.  INSIDE JOB!) and started disrupting things.  They were to the left of the stage, and I managed to get one spectacularly crappy picture, from where I was sitting, which I shall post anyway.  The Secret Service had to literally pick them up and take them out, and they didn't go quietly.  Hence all the USA stuff.  McCain was good natured about the disruption, saying, "Please don't be diverted by the ground noise and the static."   

I thought his speech was quite good.  No, it was not as hot as Palin's speech last night, but it wasn't designed to be.  It was a Presidential speech---it was meant to show the world, and the independents that he's no joke.  I mean, let's face it: he may be running for president, but this was his prime time debut.  People who haven't been paying attention to the campaign now have a good idea of what the man is about.  Considering the msm is in the tank for Obama, that's all they're likely to get, unless they go looking for him.  I think it shows a lot of character on McCain's part that he was willing to let Palin have her moment in the sun, and not to go looking to overshadow that.  Yes, tonight was his night, but everybody was still talking about how she did the night before.  I heard one lady in the elevator recall to some friends a conversation she'd obviously had with Rudy Giuliani: "Yes, Mayor, you did a great job, but let's talk about Sarah!"  People were energized tonight, because of last night, not because McCain was their nominee.  They were there to support the ticket, but there's no doubt that they're giving their full-hearted support is because McCain was smart enough to put Palin on the ticket.  McCain is there to appeal to the independents and swing voters, Palin's meant to appeal to the base, even though it appears she's appealing to some of the disaffected Hillary supporters, no matter what kind of misogynistic spin the Obama camp puts on it.  

And now let's get to the pictures!

That's Bill Frist talking.  I believe.  It's not like you can tell. 

Celebrity Spotting!  Linus Van Pelt!

Ok, see the guy on the far left, with the brown hair, the red tie and who's half cut-off?  That's Brett Baier of Fox News Channel.. He was moving speedily into the X, and by the time I got my camera out and ready to go, well, he'd passed me by.  

See, even in the X, with the Republican National Convention going on behind them, people were still watching football. 

McCain!  I have to say, I wasn't wild about that stage.  Looked more like a runway at a fashion show, replete with color-coded edges, than something the future President of the United States should have been delivering a speech from. 

Ok, as promised, here's the spectacularly bad shot of the Code Pink protesters having their bony asses dragged out by the Secret Service.  Yeah, I know.  I can't decipher it, either.  But that's what was happening when I took it, so they must be in there somewhere!

Here's one for the road: this is outside the X, at the Rice Park Entrance.  This is local hero, Herb Brooks.  HERBIE!  The 'do you believe in miracles?' coach of the 1980 Gold Medal Winning Olympic Hockey Team.   This should give you a clue as to what is highly valued around here. 

And thus endeth the Republican National Convention.  I'll have some mroe observations tomorrow, but for now, I'm tired and I'm off to bed. 

Last night, as I was making my way from the press filing center to my designated spot, I saw Jason Lewis, who is a local radio personality, and with whom the local readers will be familiar.  Man, was he looking chunky!  Also, I saw Normy Boy, who was with his wife, who was dressed like, I am sad to say, a hooker.  Holy hell, does she need to get some clothes that don't make her look like a street walker.  But she was there, so that should appease all of those people who actually think they have a functioning marriage, which I don't think they do.  Christie Todd Whitman, who was in the midst of an intense conversation with someone I assume was a female staffer, whipped right by me, as did the ex-Wonkette, Ana Marie Cox.  Bleh.  She's of medium height, but was sensibly enough, wearing running shoes, which cannot be said about most women at this convention. 

If you're thinking there aren't any Hollywood types here, think again: I saw Joe Pantoliano, better known as the nutcase Ralphie on The Sopranos and Cypher in The Matrix., on the main concourse, about to enter one of the media booths.   He was walking around with a flat cap on backwards, per usual, and was carrying a silver-handled cane, which I'm not sure was for effect, or because he actually needed it.  He was desperately trying to get away from someone who came up to him with the line, "Hey, I'm so and so, and I sent you a screenplay..."  

And, finally, as I was waiting for the elevator to get up to my designated spot, the doors opened and, once again, I saw John Boehner, House Minorty Leader in the back of it---and, again, he was looking uncomfortable.  Twice in one day.  Impressive, eh?  Anyway, they wouldn't let me on the elevator while he was on it, and when the apologetic operator came back down to get me, she asked me who he was.  I told her.  She shrugged and gave me a "whatever" sort of look.  She couldn't have honestly cared less. 

I have two observations to make.  First, I seriously hope the Crackberry people had a promotional party here, because everyone and their mother has one.  And I'm not kidding.  Even the people running around with "guest" badges have their little fists clenched tightly around their little bit of connection to the outside world.  It's crazy.   These people are addicted, I swear to God.  I've seen some iPhones, but nothing compared to the number of Crackberries running around.  Second, there are a lot of news producers running around.  A lot of them happen to be female.  They're all dressed to the nines and are wearing four-inch stillettos.  And they all have the calves of an Everest sherpa.  Honestly, I don't know how they do it.  They run around all day, in those shoes, and they never looked tired, and they never take off their shoes to rub their feet.  Gah.  Hell, I wore nice shoes the first day, and, as a result, one foot was bleeding.  I took them off, and walked around barefoot for the rest of the day, shoes in hand, like I'd just walked off the beach.  They'd rather die, I suspect, than be barefoot.  This crowd is a podiatrist's dream, I tell you.   

This morning I listened in on a conference call with Rick Davis, McCain's campaign manager, and Mark Salter, McCain's speechwriter, who both gave a rough sketch of what tonight will be like. 

Here are the highlights.

• Davis talked about how they really wanted to recreate the enthusiasm of last night's convention. The schedule hasn't been formalized, but the rough draft has in the 7pm CST hour the nomination of Sarah Palin for Vice President. Rick explained that the way the rules of the Republican Party work, the nomination for Prez has to happen before they nominate the VP, even though she technically gave her acceptance speech last night. After that, they'll focus on the theme of the evening, "Peace," with Governor Pawlenty speaking, as well as Senator Mel Martinez, and Former Senator Bill Frist. They said there were some other speakers for that hour, but didn't list them out. In the first half of the 8pmCST hour, the focus will start to switch toward McCain, and Senator Sam Brownback will speak about "Country First," as will "McCain's good friend," Senator Lindsay Graham. I can't wait to see what sort of a reception he gets. At 8:30 CST, the progression toward talking more about McCain continues, as Tom Ridge will be speaking, and Cindy McCain, as well. She will NOT be introducing her husband, but will rather be talking about her causes, and what she's done around the world. At 9pm CST, there will be an introduction of McCain by video and then he will speak.
• Mark Salter then came on and gave the highpoints McCain's speech will contain the where, how and why of McCain's beliefs, he'll contrast the differences between Obama and himself, preparedness to lead is next on the agenda, then reform, bipartisan appeal, and then there will be something along the lines of suggesting a massive overhaul of the way the political system currently works in. So, meat and potatoes. Should be interesting to see how they put it together.
• There is a new stage, as has already been reported a few times this morning. It's been built out about thirty feet into the audience, so McCain can pace back and forth, and as Davis answered in one question, "It's not town-hall-ish", but rather that "{it's}a unique ability to be around the people he likes to be with. He's comfortable around people."
• Someone asked Davis if this was a more flexible way to run a convention, and he laughed and replied, "Definitely." He then went on to detail out that they had forty videos produced, but have only aired a handful of them. But it wasn't only Monday's switcheroo that was goofing the schedule, according to Davis. Twenty minute speeches last night, and the night before, clocked out at 43-45 minutes because of the audience reaction.

And that was the end of that.

Ok, so I got home a little bit ago, where there is magnificent wifi, and am chiming in.  I don't know what else to say but, WOW, did Sarah Palin knock it out of the park.  BOOM.  Out of the park.  Across the street.  Knocking out a street lamp. Rudy had the crowd warmed up nicely, but within two sentences of her speech, they were eating out of the palm of her hand.  If Rudy's speech was a rare steak, hers was tartare.  It was brilliant, and the crowd loved it.  And I mean LOVED it.  You can get the sense of the crowd's reaction on tee vee, but to be there was something else entirely.  The roar traveled upwards, to the nosebleed seats where I was, like a tsunami, and it kept traveling back down and up again, the waves of sound endlessly reverberating.  It was amazing.  I wanted to be there tonight to feel that, because I knew it was coming, and I was right.   

I particularly enjoyed the Hockey Mom segment.  And it showed she can speak off the cuff, if needs be---that joke was not in the released text portion. 

If her speech last Friday scared the Chosen One, the Kos Kids, the MSM, and Andrew Sullivan into claiming that Bristol Palin was the one who actually gave birth to little Trig, and her momma was just covering for her (and keep on with this crap, even though it's medically impossible), among other things, and have vowed to destroy a seventeen-year-old girl because they believe it's necessary to avoid a war with Iran and for universal healthcare, well, tomorrow, Sarah will be accused of being her own grandpa.  Or something else.  Who knows what they'll come up with, but they'll come up with something.  They have to knock her out of the race, otherwise they'll lose. 

And they know it.  

Good thing she's a tough chick, and seems like she can handle the pressure. 

I was on my way out of the X, on the main concourse, right behind the stage, when an even bigger roar came out of nowhere.  I had to run to the edge to see what was happening, and, courtesy of a tee vee monitor, I was able to see that John McCain had just appeared on stage.  If Sarah had some crowd sound going on, McCain bested her.  It was surprising.  For someone who has been bashed about by his party for months on end, it was nice to see that they've finally accepted him as their nominee for President.  I don't know that the reception would have been as warm had he not chosen Sarah Palin as his running mate. 

Anyway, here are some pictures for your enjoyment.  Sorry about the quality of some of them.  There's only so much I can do with my camera.  I love it, but it's not like it's got a telephoto lens on it. 

I moved over one section tonight, and could actually see the stage.  Still no wifi, though. 

RU-DY! RU-DY! RU-DY!  For this speech alone, McCain had better give him a really good cabinet level post.  McCain owes him.  Big time.

The woman of the hour.  As I was walking to the designated pick-up spot the husband and I had decided upon earlier, a gentleman who was talking on his cell phone passed me, and I overheard a bit of his conversation.  "She turned on her GIRL POWER!  That's what I'm talking about!"  He was absolutely right.

The crowd from the main concourse as McCain came out.  Everyone was on their feet.  We'll see how he does tomorrow.  He's got a really tough act to follow. 

Outside the entrance to RiverCentre a while ago.

Charming, eh?  He was yelling fake security instructions like "prepare for a cavity search" and things along that line.

A few protesters down was this guy.  Very sincere, very nice.  Just looking for publicity for his cause. 

Also, I walked around the MSNBC setup in Rice Park, and I tried to take pictures of Chris Matthews, but he looks so much like an albino under the tee vee lights that it was just setting the exposure on my camera completely off.  Ugh.  Probably just as well.

I'm in the press center now, and I'm making my way forward, into the X, as soon as the country music is over with.  Ugh.

One of the good things about being credentialed is that the RNC has my email address, and they're not afraid to use it.  A little while ago, excerpts from Sarah Palin's speech tonight to the RNC arrived in my box...and here's what we've got.

On her experience as a public servant:

"I had the privilege of living most of my life in a small town. I was just your average hockey mom, and signed up for the PTA because I wanted to make my kids’ public education better. When I ran for city council, I didn’t need focus groups and voter profiles because I knew those voters, and knew their families, too. Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown. And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves. I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a ‘community organizer,’ except that you have actual responsibilities."

On why she is going to Washington, D.C.:

"I’m not a member of the permanent political establishment. And I’ve learned quickly, these past few days, that if you’re not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone. But here’s a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I’m not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I’m going to Washington to serve the people of this country."

On energy policies that the McCain-Palin administration will implement:

"Our opponents say, again and again, that drilling will not solve all of America’s energy problems - as if we all didn’t know that already. But the fact that drilling won’t solve every problem is no excuse to do nothing at all. Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we’re going to lay more pipelines...build more nuclear plants...create jobs with clean coal...and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal, and other alternative sources. We need American energy resources, brought to you by American ingenuity, and produced by American workers."

On John McCain:

"Here’s how I look at the choice Americans face in this election. In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change."

We'll see how she does with the delivery, but so far as I can tell, she's got a winner here.

Rick Moran has a good piece up about how the RNC is disrespecting bloggers with the crappy accomodations/lack of wifi situation.

What’s the problem with the Republican party and bloggers?

Here on what is passing for “Bloggers Row,” there is plenty of grumbling about the accommodations supplied by our hosts. Some descriptives are not printable.  Most reflect a huge disappointment with the way the GOP has shunted most of the bloggers off to the side, far from the action, dispersed throughout a gigantic “Press Filing Center” where the working media comes to hook up to the net and file their stories.{...}

The dungeon that the GOP has put bloggers in this time around would be familiar to Torqumada and his buddies who made the Spanish Inquisition such a great party. And the labyrinth one has to navigate to find the darn place would tax the abilities of a carrier pigeon.  I honestly felt like leaving a trail of breadcrumbs when I went out for a quick smoke. Not that it would do any good. The food on our level is so bad that I have no doubt some ravenously hungry media type would have preferred the breadcrumbs to the greasy, tasteless crud they were serving at the kiosks. If I wanted the same stuff they serve at a hockey game, I would go to the Libertarian convention down the way.

Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs found herself having to sit on the floor to blog. She wrote the RNC and got a nice little note back apologizing for the fact that they don’t take bloggers very seriously. They were contrite that they could “only work with the resources” they were given and said they would try to bring some people by to interview. Pamela is still waiting.{...}

Go read the whole thing. 

Just for the record, up in the nosebleed section 222, there is no food.  You can't even buy a bottle of water.  But you can buy a load of Republican swag.  Take that for what it's worth. 

All I really know is that It's a hassle to get over to St. Paul.  It's a hassle to get inside the X.  It's a hassle to get set up, and then to find out the entire reason you're there---to provide instantaneous coverage----is non-existent.  That you've, basically, been thwarted because the one thing that makes the blogosphere run---the internet---isn't readily available.   The RNC wanted us bloggers at the convention to provide coverage, yet they deny us the one thing we really need?  I don't claim to know what's going on with that, but it's a massive mistake, and I'm telling you right now, that every time the special press liasion drops yet another email into my box, listing out this or that speech, I'm not feeling very quid-pro-quoish. 

Am I being ungrateful, considering they had to do a doubletake on my entrance to the show in the first place?  I don't think so.  They need me, and other bloggers, as much as we need them.  We're not asking for much: just the opportunity to do what we came there for, and for that, we need the internet. 

I traveled over to St. Paul again this morning, for yet another blogger brunch at the Crowne Plaza, yet this time, we didn't know who the speaker was to be beforehand.  Originally, we were supposed to get Bobby Jindal, but alas, Gustav ruined that.  We were told yesterday that they were trying to get Joe Scarborough, but they didn't know if that was going to work out, and alas it didn't.  MSNBC wanted him to stay on set, and so he did as his evil masters told him.  But we did get someone very interesting instead...Eric Schmidt, the CEO and Chairman of Google, which sponsored the event.

I recorded the entire thing, and the transcript is below the jump.  If you've at all harbored unclean thoughts about Google's political views, and that maybe those same views altered how they treat right wing blogs, and other publications, I would recommend reading what Schmidt has to say in reply.  Believe me, he got it from all angles, and I have to say it was pretty brave of him to show up in the first place.  He received not one free pass because he and his company paid for the eggs and juice.  have your cake and read more too!

Ah, to spot the people on tee vee without their makeup on.  Good times.

I am currently blogging from the lobby of the Crowne-Plaza in St. Paul, and because I AM AN IDIOT and screwed up my times for these little RedState brunches (I was lucky that Fred was running late yesterday.), I have some time to kill. 

I have, within the last half hour, seen:

John Boehner, House Minority Leader.  He was stuck in the back of an elevator and looked extremely uncomfortable.

I actually got in the elevator and rode up to the 22nd floor, only realizing that I couldn't get into the ballroom when the elevator refused to go that far.  Whoops.  Anyway, guess who was standing right next to me?  Alan Colmes.  With a pair of blue-lensed sunglasses and a big honkin' cup of Starbucks in his hand.  He looked tired, and I had to wonder, once again, what exactly is his purpose in life.  I often wonder this whenever I get stuck watching Hannity and Colmes, because, well, it really never seems like he actually does anything, and whatever he does actually do, well, his heart obviously isn't in it.  That's just my impression, anyway.  I could be wrong.  Some woman from the Texas delegation, who was getting off as he was getting on, saw him, said his name loudly, and then told him "I always pray for you, Alan."  Everyone laughed, but he was very classy and thanked her, and said he appreciated it, even though it was meant jokinginly.    

I meandered my way over to the Starbucks stand, and as I was walking back over to the main part of the lobby, I saw Mort Kondracke slinging his bag over his shoulder, squaring his shoulders and heading off to another day of punditry at the Fox booth.

We'll see who else shows up while I'm hanging out here, drinking my coffee.