Observations of a GOP Convention Delegate

As an alternate at-large delegate, I’ve have had such a packed schedule I’ve just gotten a chance to communicate on e-mail to you. When I turn on the television I see the protest actions which have resulted in injuries and arrests. If they’ve been in a group (on Sunday especially) they shouted at us to go home. If they’ve been by themselves on in a small group, they go silent and don’t know what to say to us. On the flight here Sunday, one of my seat mates was coming to protest. He said his name was Luke and he was from Peoria. I said I was an alternate delegate and after mumbling a few words about the war, he listened to music on headphones the rest of the trip.

Each day, as we go from our hotel (which is secured for the Illinois delegation and Chicago press) to a bus taking us to Madison Square Garden, the police line the sides of the hotel and sidewalks and escort us across the street to the waiting bus. The police who accompany the protestors are in riot gear, but “our” police men and women have normal uniforms and holstered weapons with chains of white plastic handcuffs. They line the streets wherever we go, and we delegates thank them over and over again.

On Monday at Madison Square Garden, we had morning and evening sessions. Although it is within waking distance from the hotel, we must take shuttles which drop us off in an area blocked off from any other traffic. The streets which our shuttle travels is blocked off from any traffic except other buses and taxis. Where we exit the bus, huge concrete blocks have been built into the sidewalks. The blocks are so close that they only allow about two people to walk between them, and would not allow a crowd or any vehicle or even a bicycle.

We then walk through a maze of railings and blocked-off sidewalks and come out across the street from the Garden. The huge digital marquee welcomes us and there is a small band playing closer to the Garden entrance. Lined up on the plaza and going up the steps of the Garden are volunteers from the New York Republican host committee who applaud us. They keep thanking us for coming-- over and over again. We all wave at them and thank them for all they have done.

I must go now. The Republican Women’s Federation is hosting a luncheon for the first lady and I must get ready for that. How surreal is that: I’m having lunch with Laura Bush!!!!!!!

more firsthand stuff from Irvana at the convention:

Voting delegates sit on the floor of the convention hall with their respective state signs. Alternate delegates (like yours truly) have assigned seats in the stadium-seating areas ringing the convention floor and stage. All the alternate Illinois delegates must sit in Section 217. We receive new credentials (plastic cards with magnetic strips) for each session which must be scanned when we enter Madison Square Garden. Security will not allow us in any section not on the credentials card.

When we arrived for opening session on Monday morning, CNN had built a studio smack in front of section 217. It is like a small stage which floats over the convention floor. It has railings and seating for people like Larry King and Wolf Blitzer to interview people, and a small camera crew.

My seat was in row A, the row directly behind the studio. It was filled with a garbage bag leaking coffee, boxes, lumber—4x4s— and a ladder with CNN painted on the side. Cables roped around themselves on the floor. I could not sit in my seat, and if I did, all I could see were the backs of sound equipment. Being the pushy woman that I am, I asked that it be cleaned up. Nothing on the convention floor seating chart showed the CNN studio at that location. All the other networks are in the skybox levels. The guys working there said the RNC told them to build there. There’s a joke that if you’re a flyover state (like Illinois), you get bad seats. But I don’t think that’s what happened -- it was a classic “failure to communicate.”

Returning for the evening session EVERYTHING WAS CLEANED UP. Even the cables were taped to the concrete wall of the seating area. So I moved to the end of the row and I got to watch all the activity. One of the anchors Jeff Greenberg (?) told me that we actually had a better vantage point than anyone else at the convention. He said a lot of famous Republicans were lined up to be interviewed at that studio. And he was right. If one sits to the edge of the rows in the section, you have a great view of the stage, the floor, and a viewing screen. And you get to say “hi” to famous Republicans.

Since then I had my seat changed by the Illinois Republican staffers up from the fist row, so I’m not behind the sound equipment. But CNN is a magnet!!! That night, the staff gave all the alternates CNN Bags with a plastic voucher to eat on Monday night at the CNN Diner near the convention center. The people who are working in that CNN studio work very hard and I feel sorry for anyone with vertigo.

I have seen and taken pictures of the following people – Andy Card (White House chief of staff); Bob and Liddy Dole; David and Julie Eisenhower; NY mayor Bloomberg and Rudi Guiliani.

Plus there doesn’t seem to be enough seating for media. They hang out in our section, because they see empty seats (which have been vacated by Illinoisans for seats at the edge of the rows). Once in them, they realize it is impossible to see anything, but at least they get to sit.

Last night I got in a conversation with a young journalist from Radio France. I told him we had a French Sister City. He ask if he could interview me for a broadcast that will be aired on Thursday in France. All he wanted to do was argue with me about the Republican Party. And he thinks that John McCain should be the running mate of John Kerry because it would show a bipartisan face to the world. He and the protestors seem to think they will embarrass the Republicans into not choosing George W. Bush as a candidate. Can you image that? What naiveté!!!! And NOT knowledgeable about American history. Maybe that’s why a strained relationship between us and France exist. The French are getting a warped view.

He covered Arnold Schwarzenegger’s victory in California. He was critical that we are having people like Arnold, because he’s a movie star and a good speaker. I think he wants Republicans to have boring speakers so he can report that we are just a bunch of fuddy-duddies. He seemed sincere, but mostly he wanted to argue with me. I did my best to correct the factual history information he didn’t know. I just hope the quotes he uses of mine don’t cause an international incident.

So – wonder what will happen tonight?

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