Closing the Convention

Now that the last streamers and balloons have fallen from the Xcel Center--and I think I'm still trying to get the confetti out of my hair--I want to reflect a little bit on what I experienced.

This was my first convention, so I really can't compare it to other conventions, but my bottom-line reaction to the convention is that it was a lot of fun. It was similar to attending the Super Bowl three days in a row, but it is even better than that because your favorite team wins every night and everybody else is cheering for the same team.

Most of my California friends support Obama, so it is also encouraging to be around with so many McCain supporters. I also met several other McCain supporters living in the Bay Area. Yes, there are Republicans in the California Bay Area. The convention has really infused me with even more excitement for a McCain adminstration, and I'm looking forward to getting back to California and working hard over the next 60 days to get him and Sarah Palin elected.

McCain's speech was in a word, presidential. He did not give a rah-rah speech like Palin did the previous night, but he looked to inspire Americans and quietly but forcefully explain why he should be president and what he will do when elected.

Before the speech, many television pundits said that McCain needed to talk about his domestic policy. On Thursday night, McCain did just that. He will cut wasteful spending, keep taxes low, work on retraining people to take advantage of opportunities in this new economy, give people a choice in education, make it easier for Americans to find good health care health care insurance, and achieve energy independence.

It was very exciting at the end of the speech when McCain was saying he would fight for us and encouraging us to stand up and get involved. The crowd was going absolutely wild. We were cheering and clapping so loudly that I really could not hear a word of what he was saying at the end. How cool is that!

During McCain's speech, a question kept running through my mind. Why have I supported McCain as president since the primaries? The basic reason, which was reinforced by seeing McCain give his speech, is that I trust McCain to do what is best for America. I believe that trust is justified by McCain's long public career. I may not agree with McCain on every single issue, but I trust McCain's judgement. I just cannot say the same thing about Obama.

When the speech ended, the balloons and confetti started falling, the music started playing (check out the "Raising McCain" song by John Rich), and people started dancing. The McCain and Palin families came out on stage, and the Xcel center seemed to get even louder. Palin and McCain both walked out to the crowd and shook hands. About 10 high school students made their way to the center of the hall right in front of the podium and held up a couple of big signs saying "Students For McCain." Balloons started popping making the convention sound like a big popcorn machine.

Eventually, we began to exit the Xcel Center energized to stand up, fight, and win the election for John McCain.

Notes from the Convention, Day 2

Now that Hurrican Gustav has passed, the number one topic of conversation in the convention halls is Sarah Palin, and there is really an excitement and buzz about her. People are really looking forward to her speech tonight, and we're all anticipating great remarks. When she comes out on the stage, the hall is absolutely going to go wild. And all the media reports over the past couple of days about Palin and her family are just increasing the support and fervor for Palin as the next vice president. If there is one thing that we conventioneers know how to do it is to give long standing ovations (see our ovation for Laura Bush on Monday or our impromtu ovation for Bush 41 on Tuesday evening), and I except we'll give an incredibly long standing ovation for Palin tonight.

If any of you reading this blog are from Texas, you should be really proud of your delegation. The Texas delegation really knows how to act at a convention. First, they all wear the same outfit--usually a polo shirt with a cowboy hat--so they are really noticeable. The California alternates sit behind the Texas delegation and in front of the Texas alternates, so it's kind of like Texas surround sound. It's a fun sight to see 40 cowboy hats being waved in unison. Anyways, the Texas delegation also leads cheers. Last night during some of the breaks the delegation would yell "McCain!" and the alternates would respond with "Palin!" They're also encouraging people to stand up and wave their signs, and they even tried to get the wave going. It's a lot of fun--part political pagentry and part sporting event.

On Monday night, I went to a Daddy Yankee concert which was partly hosted by the Republicans. A couple of weeks ago, the Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee endorsed John McCain, and it was arranged that Daddy Yankee would perform in Minneapolis. The club was packed, mostly with local Minneosta Hispanics, who obviously knew his music. But sprinked among the crowd were a lot of white Republicans who like myself were at best semi-familiar with his music. Anyways, we all had a fun time, but who would have ever thought that Republicans would have a post-Convention party at a Daddy Yankee concert?