We were asked to arrive early for the final day of the convention for “security reasons.” Since I arrived so early, I had an opportunity to wander the floor and mingle with other delegations. I met numerous political reporters, including Carl Cameron, Bill Hemmer and Megan Kelly of Fox News and Joe Scarborough of MSNBC. I watched Katie Couric and Brian Williams deliver the news in their booths. I met and had a nice conversation with former congressman Tom Delay and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. The convention kicked off at 6 with a jazz band and a parade of speakers, including numerous people running for Congress around country. We also heard from Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and Senator Mel Martinez of Florida. Just before Cindy McCain’s speech, Senator Lindsey Graham really got the crowd fired up with a rousing oration touting Senator McCain’s experience and judgment. Cindy McCain next took the stage and spoke glowingly about her husband without a podium. The reconfigured stage gave the Virginia delegation a better view than in the previous nights. Mrs. McCain told the story of the adoption of her two daughters from Bangladesh. For someone who is not a public speaker by trade, she did a very nice job with her speech. The convention then went dark as we saw a moving video tribute that introduced Senator McCain. As he took the stage, the convention exploded with loud applause and cheers. We were given placards by the whips and everyone was happily waving them, which made it difficult to see the man of the hour. Finally, Senator McCain politely gave us the cue to quiet down and he began his speech. He is not known as a gifted orator, but he delivered the best speech I’ve ever heard him give. At one point, he was interrupted by a protestor who somehow made it into the arena. The guy was trying to unfurl a large banner in the upper deck, but was quickly “escorted” out by security personnel. After the incident, the crowd began chanting USA, USA! Senator McCain didn’t miss a beat and, while the protestor was screaming something untelligible, Senator McCain ad-libed “The American people want us to stop shouting at each other.” The crowd loved it. When Senator McCain chronicled his time as a prisoner of war, many in the crowd were moved to tears. When he wrapped up his speech, he was joined on the stage by first his family and then Governor Palin and her family. The convention was then awash in balloons as thousands fell down upon us from the ceiling. It was exhilirating! As the music continued to play, Senator McCain and Governor Palin jumped into the crowd and began greeting the delegates. They really seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Following the convention, several us went to a party honoring former President Ronald Reagan at a club called “Aqua.” The theme of the night was, not surprisingly, the 1980s. There was a very good cover band who played nothing but music from the 1980s. Everyone had a great time and we were out until the wee hours of the morning.

The convention was a great experience. The people of Minnesota should be proud of themselves. Everyone was nice, polite and helpful. There were plenty of volunteers and everything ran smoothly. Now the real work begins: electing John McCain and Sarah Palin!

Bryan