Convention Countdown: 3 Days to Go and a VP!

What an exciting day.  Obama and the Democrats have had their big night and by all accounts it was as expected:  a lot of smoke and mirrors (literally), a well delivered speech laying out pie in the sky promises, and the “crowning” (not my words but an ABC reporter’s) of their nominee.  But the celebration seems to be shortlived as McCain is set to announce his VP, in yet another historic move. 

As I am writing this, Fox News is reporting that they have confirmed that the VP will be Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska.  I am thrilled to have both a woman and pro-lifer on the ticket.  Just this morning someone asked me who I thought it might be and I said that based on the conference calls I have particpated on and the tidbits I get from within the campaign, I thought it would be a surprise.  When I said it may very well be a woman and Palin, people thought I was crazy.  Wednesday evening, during one of our weekly delegate conference calls, we heard about the platform committee’s work and got a clear understanding of what will be the cornerstone issues.  After the call, in discussing it with fellow delegates, the tea leaf reading was that the VP may very well not be Romney or Pawlenty.  All of the work of the last couple of days has been about reading tea leaves but now we can move forward on defining the Party and  getting our message out to voters.

So what is in the Platform?  Well one of the most prominent issues is the Supreme Court and appointments to the federal bench generally.  This is probably the one area in which the President alone has the greatest effect on our lives.  It is clear that Senator McCain is pro-life and the courts are the most important battlegrounds for that issue.    To emphasize those values, Palin as VP would underscore McCain’s committment to upholding the value of every human life.  But I am politicizing and what is more important is to relay that it seems like the Platform Committee work is well underway.  Look for a big discussion on the courts and a heavy handed look at Joe Biden’s failure as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee to get qualified, intelligent judges appointed and his politicizing of appointments.  Remember he led the attack on Robert Bork the most qualified man never to be appointed.  I have also been actively helping out the Catholic Working Group from the campaign which is McCain’s organized effort not only to reach out to Catholic voters, but to address and consider those issues that Catholics and other religious folks are most concerned about.  It has been a great opportunity to meet Josh Lynch, the director and to see the great events they are sponsoring.  In addition to a Mass, there will also be talks including a very timely one by Archbishop Chaput who has written a book “Render Unto Ceaser”, which addresses the faith/political life dichotomy.  You may remember Chaput who recently criticized Sen. Biden who is being touted by the Democrats as the Catholic candidate.  Based on the responses to McCain’s strong convictions expressed at the Saddleback debate and with Biden, a Catholic, as VP nominee, this group will be working hard during the campaign.  Look for more information on these efforts in the weeks to come.

In speaking with fellow delegates, it is clear that we are an excited and energized group.  I am amazed at how many first time delegates, like me, there are.  I think this speaks volumes about the process and the direction of the state party.  Having fresh new faces active in a party brings a lot.  I am also amazed at how many veterans are continuing to serve their country by becoming delegates.  It not only shows the confidence that our military personnel have in McCain as the next commander-in-chief, but how important our national security and defense is as an issue.  Terrorism is not going away and to think that we can keep at bay through negotiation and law enforcement is not sufficient. 

If the pundits are right and that the Democratic convention, but for a few highlighted speeches, was slow, lackluster and not an exposition of the ideas of the party, I think we will see the opposite from Minneapolis/St. Paul.  The “vibe” I get (and yes, I can generate my own enthusiasm) is that people are excited to get out there and showcase the new and bright talent of the Republican Party, to show that it is not a party mired in old stereotypes and worn out ideas but has a fresh, optimistic and innovative look towards the future.  Yeah, I am a little corny, but am psyched to be part of that.

Convention Countdown: One Week to Go

It is one week before delegates arrive in Minnesota for the Convention.  The last month has been a series of weekly conference calls, either with the national campaign or the local delegation officials.  Much of these calls deal with logistics:  hotel information, transportation, meal and briefing schedules and, yes, what to wear.  It may sound superficial, but because the event is televised and there will be lots of media looking for stories and interviews,  you should assume you will be caught on camera or interviewed by some news outlet.  I have to say, as someone who does not dress up for work everyday, this is helpful information – how formal? how business like? what level of casual?  It has also given me a small license to shop which, as my sister says, is a “shopportunity”.  But these calls are also a good way to feel the pulse of the campaign and how it changes from week to week.  One of the early calls suggested that one way to get the Republicans into the media spotlight is to offer our individual stories as delegates.  It is clear that when looking at my fellow delegates, the Republican party is a diverse and interesting group of people, many of whom are a far cry from the “country-club, business owning, white, higher income” stereotype.  So, in one sense, this blog is a way to get “my story” out there, let people know that Republicans represent normal people who spend most of their time doing normal everyday things for and with their families.  Another clear direction is that we are encouraged to speak about the kind of person McCain is and about his family and accomplishments, but disparaging other candidates is not supported by the campaign.  This has been McCain’s consistent strategy from the primaries into the general election:  this is about issues and the differences on these issues, it is not about slinging mud.

One of the overwhelming parts is the inundation of invitations to events:  not just food related, but real substantive presentations.  My first invite was to an event sponsored by a No Tax Organization, but then the next was to a movie premiere.  Since I am a huge movie buff, I responded with an immediate yes to see “An American Carol”, a satire poking fun at Michael Moore and Hollywood liberals.  I hope there is free popcorn.  But since then, there are invites to discussions on many hotbutton issues, from taxes to the Supreme Court.  The Federalist Society (of which I have been a member) is hosting a truly bi-partisan debate on the future of the Supreme Court between Ted Olsen (former Solicitor General under Bush) and Lawrence Tribe (liberal Harvard Law Professor and litigator).  And these events are just the extra-curriculars,  things to attend apart from the actual delegation meetings and daily briefings and the actual Convention itself.  My sense is that food is the real draw, but I will let you know how things taste.  I guess I could have a special food critic section to this as well.

Because the names of the delegates have been given to the press, I, like many of my co-delegates, have had requests for interviews.  I have had the opportunity to speak to the NY TImes/CBS News, our local Daily Herald and have requests for a couple of national talk shows.  It really is exciting.  Some of the interviews are about who I am, how I got to be a delegate and what are my views on the state of the war, the economy and who might the VP pick be.  But others are less open and more specific, like responding to poll-like questions.  The problem with those poll-question interviews is that the answers they are looking for are supposed to be black and white.  What I have learned is that there is no pure yes or not answer to something like:  Will McCain continue the policies of George Bush?  Well, on some things, yes, in principle, but maybe no in terms of manner.  I also find it important to distinguish my own personal views and hopes from that of the campaign and McCain himself.  Making those distinctions and keeping those views separate is probably the hardest part.   But the questions themselves are incredibly insightful into the media strategy for covering the campaign, and to some extent, revealing where the liberal bias is and what direction it is taking the coverage.   

And finally, there is my participation on the Permanent Organization Committee.  During the Convention, I will be meeting with RNC officials along with two delegates (one man and one woman) from each state to nominate those party members that will serve the party in an official capacity.  It is important because those whom we choose will be responsible for the party’s and the convention’s organization.  The most famous committees are probably the Rules and Platform Committees and they have already been working hard.  I am looking forward to seeing up close the inner workings of the party and getting to know delegates from other states.