Cindy McCain

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. 

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 jumphave your cake and read more too!