Republican convention takes a more conventional turn

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By ASHLEY KING
For the Herald
Wednesday, September 3, 2008 12:08 PM CDT

ST. PAUL, Minn. — With the passing of Hurricane Gustav, the events of the Republican National Convention are now on schedule again. Everyone at the convention is relieved that the storm was not as strong as forecasters initially expected.

On Tuesday morning at breakfast, Karl Rove treated the Wisconsin delegation to a speech. Rove is a political consultant and a contributor for Fox News, Newsweek, and the Wall Street Journal. He is a master of political campaigns and has a keen knowledge of the political climate nationwide.

Rove noted that Wisconsin is one of the key swing states in the United States. He said John McCain had a unique opportunity to win our state because Wisconsin voters are independent thinkers, and McCain’s maverick style will likely appeal to them.

The “Country First” theme continued to be prominent as night two of the convention kicked off. Throughout the night videos of past Republican presidents — including Teddy Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush — were shown on the large television screen behind the podium.

The message of the videos was the same: In all of their historic accomplishments, these leaders put their country’s interest before their own.

Many of the state delegations wear specific articles of clothing, making them easy to spot on the convention floor. The Montana delegation has denim vests with their state name printed on the back. The Alaska delegation wears hard hats promoting increased oil drilling in their state.

And the Texas delegation sports straw cowboy hats. During breaks between speakers, the delegates will tip their hats to the alternates, who return the gesture.

Former President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara attended the convention Tuesday evening. They were greeted to a standing ovation lasting several minutes and chants of “Forty-one, forty-one.”

Sen. Fred Thompson gave a rousing speech in support of John McCain. The former presidential candidate praised McCain’s running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, for her successful reforms in Alaska. He called her “a breath of fresh air” in the race for president.

Thompson went on to tell the story of John McCain, from his military heroism to his leadership in the Senate. He called it a story of courage and character.

Perhaps the most interesting speech of the night was that of Sen. Joe Lieberman. In a crowd of several thousand Republicans, Lieberman, a Democrat, definitely stood out. Convention guests were eager to hear what he had to say and gave him a warm welcome.

Lieberman noted McCain’s record of independence and bi-partisanship. He called Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin two mavericks who have the ability to shake up Washington. He believes that their ticket is the real ticket for change in this election.

The most compelling part of his speech came at the end when Lieberman spoke directly to Democrats and Independents who were watching his speech on television. He encouraged them to vote for the person who they believe is best for our country and not for the political party they happen to belong to.

After all, isn’t that what America is all about?

Ashley King of Chippewa Falls is writing about her experiences at the Republican National Convention this week for The Chippewa Herald.

King, a student at UW-Eau Claire, is secretary of the 7th Congressional District Republican Party and chairwoman of John McCain’s campaign in Chippewa County. She is an alternate delegate to the convention.