Country First at the RNC

Another full day has come to an end. Our day began with a luncheon sponsored by the Harvard Institute of Politics. The luncheon featured guest speakers from a variety of occupations and focused upon the various aspects of youth voting and its effect upon the current presidential race. The panel was moderated by Trey Grayson, Kentucky’s current Secretary of State and Harvard graduate. Statistics from a recent study conducted by the IOP give a great deal of insight into youth voting in relation to the current presidential race. Obama seems to have a hold upon the American youth, but it interesting that 31% of those in the study trust John McCain to be Commander in Chief of the military compared to 28% for Obama. The full results for the study can be found at http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Research-Publications/Polling/IOP-Youth-Polling-Update/IOP-Youth-Polling-Update.

After finishing up at the Hyatt we headed for the Children’s Museum in downtown St. Paul for a panel discussion entitled “The Future of the Arts and Arts Education in America.” The panel included Debbie Allen from “So You Think You Can Dance,” John Rich of country duo Big and Rich, and various other arts advocates. It was moderated by Mike Huckabee. The panelists offered a great deal of opinions about the importance of the arts in the American states. I agreed with a great deal of their opinions but also felt that many of the speakers went a little overboard. For instance, Allen stated that she became upset when one of her students was reprimanded for missing a math class to attend a dance instruction. Though, I feel that the arts are an important part of any student’s curriculum, I do not think that they should be elevated to a level of importance higher than subjects such as math, history, and English.

Huckabee covered by the media after the panel for the arts

After entering the Xcel Center, I immediately realized that this was to be a very different night than the previous one. Excitement hung in the air like a fog. The Republicans were ready for their convention to truly commence, and it did with a bang. Every delgate held a sign the stated Country First on one side and Service on the reverse. Though George W. was forced to speak to his party by satellite, the ever-gracious words of Laura invigorated the crowd and prepared them for the two excellent speeches that were to follow. During this part of the night I was on the floor among the throngs of delegates and media. Few words can describe the enthusiasm for the conservative cause I experienced. In my opinion, Fred Thompson’s emotion filled speech owned the night. Humor marked the first of his address, but soon Thompson’s oratory skill displayed his great respect for John McCain. His focus on McCain’s POW experience touched a great deal of the audience. Lieberman’s speech was a monumental moment for the RNC. His call for all Americans, Republican, Democrat, and Independent, to unite and elect McCain will surely help our cause. What a night…….

My view of the stadium from the floor

JMC