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.

I Think I Need a Third Hand

When I was in high school and college, my two sisters refused to sit me with at baseball games because they hated my cheering. I would cheer really, really loudly in a very throaty and raucous yell. Since that time, I have mellowed and don't cheer as loudly at baseball games. But Wednesday night, at the Republican Convention, I resurrected that voice and cheered as loudly as I ever have at any sporting event! What an awesome night! Michael Steele, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Rudy Guiliani, and especially Sarah Palin all gave excellent and rousing speeches. What I really didn't know what to do was what I should do with my hands. Seriously, should I clap or wave my sign? I tried to do both simultaneously, but I think I really could use a third hand.

OK, enough about me. On the last blog, I mentioned the Texas delegation. Some other delegations that I noticed were Pennsylvania waving thier yellow "terrible" towels, Florida waving their orange towels, American Samoa in their flowery shirts, and Michigan wearing some very cool hockey sweaters with the number 08 on the back. It was the Michigan delegation that cheered the loudest at Hockey Mom comments. The Maryland delegation also started a good back-and-forth chant for Michael Steele.

And now a cheat sheet to some of the the impromtu chants that started up in the crowd in case you could not understand them on TV.

How should you respond to questions about Obama's legislative record? "Zero! Zero!" with the forefinger making a circle with the thumb. The Obama-Biden ticket is big on talk. The McCain-Palin ticket is big on results.

How do you respond to questions about how to make the U.S. energy independent and bring down gas prices? "Drill, baby, drill! Drill, baby, drill!" We're not advocating only drilling for oil, but drilling for oil needs to be part of the solution along with nuclear power, clean coal, wind, solar, and other sources of energy.

How do you respond to the role of many media outlets in this campaign? "Booooooooooo!" and turn around to look at the television booths in the rafters with thumbs down. We Republican delegates are proud to stand up against the Washington insider, the old boys club and liberal media establishment who are attacking Sarah Palin because she is not one of them and not of Washington.

And of course, chants of "Sarah! Sarah!" and "John McCain!" are always appropriate.

I cannot wait for John McCain's speech to close out the convention. I'm planning to wear a "Stanford 4 McCain" T-shirt. Look for the Cardinal red.