LCRC Convention Blog

Senator McCain and Governor Palin Come To Virginia Fresh From Great Convention

2008-09-08T09:46:00.000-07:00

McCain/Palin in Fairfax on Wednesday @ 10 am

Friends:

John McCain and Sarah Palin will be coming to Fairfax High School on Wednesday at 10am. Doors open at 8am. Please see the media advisory below to get tickets.    WEAR RED TO KEEP VIRGINIA RED.

JOHN MCCAIN AND SARAH PALIN TO VISIT VIRGINIA ON WEDNESDAY

For Immediate Release    Contact: Press Office
Monday, September 8, 2008   703-297-8900

ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign announced that John McCain and Sarah Palin will campaign in Virginia on Wednesday, September 10th. John McCain and Sarah Palin will hold a campaign rally in Fairfax at Fairfax High School.

Virginia Campaign Co-Chair, Attorney General Bob McDonnell said, "Virginians are ecstatic to have the next President and Vice President of the United States bring their message of reform and leadership to Virginia. The campaign rally in Fairfax is not far from Washington D.C. and I can guarantee that the big spenders in Washington will be able to hear the McCain-Palin message on Wednesday that change is coming their way. John McCain and Sarah Palin are proven leaders with a strong record of reform who will go to Washington, shake up the status quo and make government work better for hard-working American families."

Voters can obtain tickets by going to the McCain Virginia website at Virginia.JohnMcCain.com or by visiting one of the Virginia Victory offices on Monday, September 8th from 12:00 p.m. EDT to 9:00 p.m. EDT and Tuesday, September 9th from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. EDT.

MCCAIN-PALIN CAMPAIGN RALLY INFORMATION

WHO: John McCain and Sarah Palin

WHAT: McCain-Palin Campaign Rally

WHEN: Wednesday, September 10, 2008
            Doors open at 8:00 a.m. EDT
            McCain-Palin Rally beings at 10:00 a.m. EDT

WHERE: Fairfax High School
              3501 Rebel Run
              Fairfax, VA 22030

McCain-Palin Rally Ticket Distribution Sites

Virginia Victory 2008 State Headquarters
1235 S. Clark Street, First Floor
Arlington, VA 22202
(703) 955-4255

Chesapeake Regional Victory Headquarters
124 Battlefield Blvd, South
Chesapeake, VA 23322
(757) 482-1111

Fairfax Regional Victory Headquarters
4246 Chain Bridge Road
Fairfax, VA 22030
(703) 766-4467

Fredericksburg Regional Victory Headquarters
150 Riverside Parkway, Suite 213
Fredericksburg, VA 22406
(540) 479-1888

Harrisonburg Regional Victory Headquarters
182 Neff Avenue, Suites 13 and 14
Harrisonburg, VA 22801
(540) 910-2681

Loudoun Regional Victory Headquarters
46950 Community Plaza Unit #201A
Sterling, VA 20164
(703) 340-0702

Prince William GOP Headquarters
4431 Prince William Parkway
Woodbridge, VA 22192
(703) 680-7388

Richmond Regional Victory Headquarters
2819 N. Parham Road, Suite 210
Richmond, VA 23294
(804) 221-2175

Roanoke Regional Victory Headquarters
3904 Franklin Road SW, Suite E
Roanoke, VA 24104
(540) 725-7445

Virginia Beach Regional Victory Headquarters
512 S. Independence Blvd. Suite 200
Virginia Beach, VA 23452
(757) 305-9175

Yorktown Wittman for Congress Headquarters
632 Hampton Hwy.
Yorktown, VA 23693
(703) 220-4074

Paid for and authorized by the Loudoun County Republican Committee.

This message contains information which may be confidential and privileged. Unless you are the addressee (or authorized to receive for the addressee), you may not use, copy or disclose to anyone the message or any information contained in the message. If you have received the message in error, please advise the sender by reply e-mail and delete all copies of the message. Thank you very much.

Convention Epilogue

2008-09-08T04:42:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in my last post, the assembled delegations went nuts for a 18 minute-long demonstration after Senator McCain wrapped up his acceptance address with a rapid fire call for a renewed commitment to patriotism and confidence in our nation. Senator McCain was joined by his family, Governor Palin, and her family at the elevated platform in the middle of the Floor and bid their farewells to a Convention that started on a somber, "strictly business" note in light of Hurricane Gustav and ended with tremendous demostration of enthusiasm and unity. Despite Senator McCain's almost non-partisan acceptance speech, the Convention delegates clearly appreciated the honesty and candor in his words and are highly excited about working as hard as they can to elect the McCain-Palin Ticket.

And then the balloons came down.

In order to give you a good feeling of what we in the Virginia Delegation on the Floor felt like when those thousands of ballons came down, go to:

http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2008/09/04/andrea-mitchell-attacked-by-balloons-republican%20convention/

and watch MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell being brutally attacked by the RNC's army of balloons. In my opinion, this was the highlight of MSNBC's reporting on the Convention. Without Tim Russert's steady hand on the journalistic tiller, MSNBC's political coverage has really gone downhill. But, I think you will enjoy this MSNBC video.

After Andrea Mitchell was rescued from her balloon attack, the Convention was gavelled back to order one final time and I am proud to note that a Virginian made the concluding motion. Delegate Chris Saxman (R-Staunton) and the Chairman of our Virginians for McCain Campaign made the motion to adjourn our Convention sine die.

You can watch Delegate Saxman's Convention-closing motion along with Attorney General Bob McDonnell's casting of the Virginia Delegation's votes at:

http://virginia.johnmccain.com/content/sitecontentmain.aspx?guid=9fec5b1c-d434-4263-b279-7f7698f543e9

Attorney General McDonnell and Delegate Saxman did a great job for the Commonweath of Virginia and both are rising stars in our Party. They both display a perpetually sunny disposition, reminescent of Ronald Reagan, and are outstanding leaders. With guys like them waiting in the wings for higher leadership roles, I have few doubts about a resurgence of our Virginia Republican Party. We hope to have both of them come up to Loudoun County this fall.

As we all filed out of the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, RPV 10th District Chairman Jim Rich, RPV 5th District Chairman Tucker Watkins and I all discussed whether there would be a good "bounce" for the McCain-Palin Ticket in the polls. As he is about most things Republican, Tucker offered an enthusiastic "Yes" and predicted a solid bounce that would place the McCain-Palin ticket 3-4 points ahead of the Obama-Biden ticket in a few days once things settle down. I would tend to agree. Republican conventions are generally unifying events and serve to exite our base and bring in independent voters. John McCain's leadership on the ticket as augmented by the terrific excitment generated by Sarah Palin's outstanding performance this week, will most likely bring even more independent voters to the Republican tickets than usual. So, I too look for a bounce in the polls.

While I caution our grassroots activists to spend too much time checking out the polls, I know that politically-interested folks are attracted to them. A great site that I would recommend to any persons interested in the polls is: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/. This website condenses the polls and does a good job showing trend data.

I will now sign off. It has been a real pleasure to report to you from the 2008 Republican National Convention and I would like to thank LCRC Chairman Glen Caroline and LCRC Communications Director for making this happen.

In the words used by General Lee at Appamattox, I bid you all a fond and affectionate farewell.

Day # 4 - Fifth Report

2008-09-05T17:20:00.000-07:00

After his introduction by Cindy McCain, John McCain walked out to the middle of the convention floor tonight and opened up his soul to the assembled Republicans.

He started by answering a question that some media (ie: MSNBC) keeps asking, namely, why does McCain repeatedly talk about his Viet Nam War experience and POW experience so much? Keith Olberman on MSNBC compared McCain to a bothersome neighbor who brags about his Italian vacation too much. Tonight, McCain told us, in very direct terms, that his POW experience was a crucible that reforged his strength and military service into an intense amalgamation of patriotism and character. He wanted us to know the details because they tell us why he fights so tenaciously for what he finds to be right, just, and in the best defense of American interests.
His maverick "Country First" reputation and his willingness to challenge his own Party flows directly from this crucible experience and McCain just wanted us to know where it came from.

Later in his speech Senator McCain told us about his commitment to bipartisanship and achieving real reform by reaching across the aisle. His very real consideration of Joe Lieberman as his Vice Presidential pick provides some evidence of this just as the tip of an iceberg hints at the mass below. I cannot ever recall either a Democratic or Republican Presidential nominee telling a convention assembly of his Party's national leaders that he reserves the right to oppose them and their initiatives IF he finds that the best interests of America are not being served. As you could imagine, this received a restrained applause from the Floor, but probably received hearty cheers in millions of American living rooms where folks are sick of partisan rancor.

Vintage McCain.

He wrapped up his speech with a rapid fire Churchillian call for renewed patriotism and service.

And then the Floor went nuts.

Randy Minchew
Virginia Delegation
2008 Republican National Convention

Day # 4 - Fourth Report

2008-09-05T09:51:00.000-07:00

The RNC made a big investment into upgrading its web-based technology and I would encourage you to visit www.gopconvention2008.com and states.gopconvention.com/Virginia to replay videos and learn more about what I have tried to cover this week.

Cindy McCain addressed the Convention and told us about her family and her husband. Candidate spousal speeches are a uniquely American tradition. The reason behind this is because Americans view the family and the marital compact as the fundamental building blocks of our society. Thus, we want to hear about Michelle Obama's and Cindy McCain's views about the candidates, even though we are never really surprised when we hear intensely glowing commentary.

Cindy McCain is an human relief activist and would be even if her husband was not in politics. Her story about rescuing a young orphan girl from Bangladesh who suffered from a severe life-threatening cleft palate and who had recently lost her entire family in a cyclone was gripping. Mrs. McCain joked that it is pretty hard to ever turn down a face-to-face request delivered by Mother Teresa. This young girl was adopted by Senator and Mrs. McCain and is now their beautiful daughter Bridget.

As you could see from the television broadcast and RNC's video feed, Bridget McCain is presenting a world-class smile tonight.

Want to help more kids smile in the world? Go to: www.OperationSmile.org

Now, John McCain is taking the floor and the sound is deafening.

Day # 4 - Third Report

2008-09-05T08:57:00.000-07:00

Part of the real joy of delegate service involves non-Floor activities and I have been striving to give you a flavor of these activities.

Earlier today, our Virginia Delegation was treated by Minneapolis-based Target Corporation to an outstanding lunch. Target runs a great chain of retail stores throughout our nation and a good portion of our family's disposable income supports the Leesburg Target store

My table featured a great group: Congressman Tom Davis of Virginia's 11th District, Virginia Beach GOP Chairman Kenny Golden, and Ambassador Samuel Assefa from Ethiopia. Tom Davis, who we will really miss in the House next term, is one of our Party's leading political analysts. He has an incredibly asute analytical mind, can recite political demographics from all 50 states, and can give you blow-by-blow historical reports of every Presidential Election. Don't believe me? Call him up without warning and ask him about the Hayes-Tilden race of 1876 and be prepared for an impromptu seminar.

Ambassador Assefa was a warm and engaging gentlemen, educated at Williams College, Princeton, and Swarthmore, but very much a man of Ethiopia. Ethiopia is an ancient nation, mentioned in both Homer's Iliad and Odyessy, and has a rich history from neolithic human settlements 5.9 million years ago to Haile Selassie I, who urged the League of Nations to help his country against the Italian Fascist invasion in 1935 and who is still revered today by the Rastafarians, as Jah Rastafari or God incarnate.
Ambassador Assefa is a student of American politics and goes to every national party convention. He is fascinated by John McCain and wanted to know how a man who had challenged his own party on so many things over many years could actually be receiving his party's nomination tonight. He told me that McCain's story simply could not have occurred anywhere else in the world.

We live in an amazing nation and sometimes it takes a foreign national such as Alexis de Tocqueville or Ambassador Assefa to help us realize how special this place is we call America.

Day # 4 - Second Report

2008-09-05T07:54:00.001-07:00

After yesterday's breathtaking day, many delegates are bracing themselves for a bit of a let down. I think these are fears that will not be realized. Tonight's warmup lineup of speakers (featuring Senators Sam Brownback and Lindsey Graham, Former Pa. Gov. And Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, and Cindy McCain) may wind up being less exhilarating than last night's array of speakers, but they all serve highly important roles in setting up Senator McCain's acceptance address. In particular, Senator Graham will focus on McCain's courage in supporting the Surge and elevated funding of the Iraq War in order to get the job done when polling data was showing considerable distaste for this US military exercise.

When McCain uttered his well-known but completely unscripted statement that he would rather win a war and lose an election than win an election and lose a war, many Republican pollsters and strategists shuddered.

But, that quote tells us volumes about the kind of man John McCain is.

Randy Minchew
Virginia Delegation
2008 Republican National Convention

Day # 4 - First Report

2008-09-04T17:15:00.001-07:00

If there is a downside in having a historic, powerful, and inspiring Vice Presidential candidate acceptance speech delivered on Day # 3, it is that it raises the bar for the Presidential candidate acceptance speech on Day # 4. John McCain could not be prouder of Sarah Palin's speech last night, but tonight, the pressure is on him to deliver.

Undoubtedly, many will compare his speech tonight to Barack Obama's superb speech delivered at the "Barackopolis" neo-greek temple in Denver last week and to Sarah Palin's equally superb speech last night. But, John McCain has risen to every challenge he has ever met in life and constantly demonstrated his strength, fortitude, and determination in those endevors.

Tonight will be no exception to that McCain tradition.

Randy Minchew
Virginia Delegation
2008 Republican National Convention

Media attention for this blog!

2008-09-04T17:04:00.000-07:00

Randy's amazing analysis has been noticed by the MSM - check out this article in this week's Purcellville Gazette - on newsstands and online:

Loudoun Delegation on the floor

2008-09-04T15:55:00.001-07:00

Everyone's favorite blogger Randy Minchew and Loudoun's own David Ramadan on the convention floor.

Day # 3 - A Retrospective on the Palin Address

2008-09-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

I decided to hold off on posting this bit of analysis until the morning after Governor Palin's address.
Like almost every other delegate on the floor last night, I was caught up on the euphoria and excitment around her masterful address.

So, I decided to sleep on it and write this by light of day after a few cups of the great coffee they serve out here in Minnesota.

My views did not change. Last night, Governor Sarah Palin connected with America last night with a sincerity and power that I have not seen since "The Great Communicator", Ronald Reagan. Her performance also imbued those conservatives who have been uneasy with John McCain with a "we can trust this guy's judgment" feeling.

Governor Mike Huckabee, who also gave a masterful speech last night, wrote an e-mail to the RNC delegates last night that sums up my feelings perfectly. So, in order to avoid a "Biden Problem", I give him full attribution here.

Governor Huckabee observed:

"Governor Palin's speech was a home run. It's clear to me that Governor Palin has what it takes to lead. She's tough, funny, and a great speaker. Her line about Hockey Moms and Pit Bulls had the entire audience laughing. But, behind her jokes and toughness is a genuine sincerty. Sarah understands well what it's like to work hard for your dreams. She understand the choices American families are making every day. You can't fake that kind of sincerity and it can't be taught. And, it may be the quality Americans admire most in their leaders"

Agreed. Americans really detest phonies of both major parties. We get massive doses of insincerity from so many of our elected leaders and candidates, from John Edwards to Larry Craig, that we yearn for leaders who really are what they appear to be. It is more important to us for our leaders to have this character element than knowing who the current leaders are in the former Soviet republics in the Caucasus.

We residents of the Lower 48 found out last night what Alaskans have known for a long time, that Sarah Palin is the Real Deal and does not need to take a break from the Washington cocktail circuit and huddle with sociologists in order to develop an empathy with American families.

Political leadership in our nation is based on trust rather than on power. Trust stems directly from sincerity.

Randy Minchew
Virginia Delegation
2008 Republican National Convention

Day # 3 - Sixth Report

2008-09-03T20:32:00.000-07:00

Governor Palin just completed her acceptance address and I think the ball has been hit out of the park.

Now, on to the roll call of states that you can all watch on C-SPAN. The roll call will be done in alphabetical order.

Randy Minchew
Virginia Delegation
2008 Republican National Convention

Day #3 - Fifth Report

2008-09-03T19:26:00.000-07:00

Rudy on a roll: "Barack Obama has changed his mind so many times on so many things, I just can't keep track of his current views. I sure hope Joe Biden got that VP offer in writing".

Randy Minchew
Virginia Delegation
2008 Republican National Convention

Day # 3 -Fourth Report

2008-09-03T19:16:00.001-07:00

Mayor Rudy Guiliani: "Elected Chief Executives do not have the option of voting 'Present' as Senator Obama has done over 180 times in his two years in office. We agree with Senator Biden: Barack Obama simply lacks the experience to be President of the United States".

Randy Minchew
Virginia Delegation
2008 Republican National Convention

Day #3 - Third Report

2008-09-03T18:40:00.000-07:00

Governor Mike Huckabee: "I am really sick about hearing about Governor Palin's 'lack of experience'. She got more votes running for Mayor of Wasila, Alaska than Joe Biden got running for President of the United States."

Randy Minchew
Virginia Delegation
2008 Republican National Convention

Day # 3- Second Report

2008-09-03T17:33:00.000-07:00

Since I suspect that Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska does not read this blog, I will state in writing what we all feel in our hearts right now as Day # 3 of our Convention is gavelled to order by Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

Governor Palin's speech tonight needs to be strong, very strong. It is a bit unfair to put such high performance pressure on a first-time Convention speaker, but that's the reality of the situation.

With her daughter's unplanned pregnancy and every aspect of her and her family's life now being intensely investigated by every liberal media source and the DNC's finest opposition research talent, the national high-intensity spotlight will be focused squarely on Governor Palin tonight.

Some are surprised that there have been no "lowered expectations" rumors floated by RNC surrogates to reduce the pressure upon Governor Palin. So, she will be given the ball in about three hours for unassisted open field running.

Keep Sarah Palin in your prayers tonight.

Prediction: America will hear a great, strong, and inspirational speech tonight from the first woman to be nominated for national office by the Grand Old Party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan.

Randy Minchew
Virginia Delegation
2008 Republican National Convention

Day # 3- First Report

2008-09-03T16:45:00.000-07:00

As a general rule, Hollywood professionals are not kind to conservatives or Republicans in general. There are some notable exception, such as Ronald Reagan, Charlton Heston, Pat Boone, and Jon Voight. This morning's Virginia Delegation breakfast was "Hollywood Day" and we heard from Academy Award winning actor Jon Voight, who spoke in glowing term's of tonight's prime speaker, Gov. Sarah Palin, and from Kevin Farley, the brother of Saturday Night Live's late comic genius, Chris Farley. Kevin told us about his new move "An American Carol", a rare patriotic and hip movie that all Republicans should see. It features Kevin Farley playing a comic role that pokes some good-natured fun at noted uberliberal filmmaker,Michael Moore. I attach a photograph of Kevin Farley with our Virginia McCain Campaign Chairman Delegate Chris Saxman (R-Staunton).

Day #2 Even more pictures

2008-09-03T03:37:00.001-07:00

Attorney General (and Virginia Delegation Chairman) Bob McDonnell, David Schmidt, and Randy Minchew celebrate the adjournment of Day #2

Day # 2 - Final Report

2008-09-03T00:48:00.000-07:00

I freely confess to being a bit of a lexicographer and, like the late William Safire, really love a well-structure and well-delivered bit of good American political prose. The best examples, that will probably never be equalled, may be found in Patrick Henry's 1775 Address to the Virginia Convention of Delegates ("I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death"), Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address ("With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right . . ."), and Lincoln's First Inaugural Address ("The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot's grave to every living hearth and hearthstone all over this broad land . . ."),

But, here in the 21st Century, our best American political speeches contain short, pithy sentences that can be easily be placed into the blogosphere.

So, I close today's report with this bit of Lieberman, delivered today: "America needs a President that that our allies can trust and our enemies will fear".

These words described Ronald Reagan and they describe John McCain.

Randy Minchew
Virginia Delegation
2008 Republican National Convention

Day # 2 - Fourth Report

2008-09-02T20:10:00.001-07:00

Al Gore's 2000 running mate, a man who probably still believes he was elected a Democratic Vice President 8 years ago, may be stealing the show tonight with his candor, political courage, and strong call forJohn McCain's election. I can only imagine what Al Gore's response will be tomorrow or what kind of punitive reprisal Majority Leader Harry Reid will take against this gutsy Senator from Connecticut, but tonight, Joe Lieberman is receiving a standing ovation from the floor of the Republican National Convention.

Randy Minchew
Virginia Delegation
2008 Republican National Convention

Day #2 - Third Report

2008-09-02T19:53:00.000-07:00

Senator Joe Lieberman: "Eloquence is is no substitute for experience and that's why I'm supporting John McCain for President".

Randy Minchew
Virginia Delegation
2008 Republican National Convention

More Day #2 Pictures

2008-09-02T18:13:00.001-07:00

This tells us something about how the RNC views how the Electoral College Map

Day # 2 - Second Report

2008-09-02T17:06:00.001-07:00

Our Convention started this evening remembering all of the great Republican men and women we have lost since our last convention in 2004. One stands out, Gerald R. Ford of Grands Rapids, Michigan, America's Eagle Scout President.

His reputation for honesty was so great that many people believed the Warren Commission Report (and its controversial "single bullet theory") simply because it had Jerry Ford's name on it.

Randy Minchew
Virginia Delegation
2008 Republican National Convention

Day # 2 - Pictures

2008-09-02T16:48:00.000-07:00

Day #2 begins. This is my friend Chuck Smith, Chairman of the Virginia Beach Republican Committee and one of our Party's rising stars. Chuck has a prime seat next to our Virginia placard.

McCain/Palin Video

2008-09-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

Day # 2 - First Report

2008-09-02T12:52:00.000-07:00

Today's Session will not be gavelled to order until 6:20 pm CDT tonight, so today is a day when many groups and associations hold seminars, meetings, and strategy sessions. After our Virginia Delegation Breakfast, I went over to a debate sponsored by the Federalist Society for Law & Public Policy on "The Future of the United States Supreme Court & the 2008 Election" between Former Solicitor General Ted Olson and Professor Laurence Tribe. As a member of the Bar of that Court, I follow the Supreme Court very closely.

The obvious point of inquiry at this session was an analysis into the kind of nominees that either Senator McCain or Senator Obama would appoint. As concerns Senator Obama, this question is easier to answer. As a Harvard-trained lawyer (and President of the Law Review I might add) and a fan of judicial activism, Senator Obama would likely appoint nominees who do not feel constrained by "framer's intent" and who would seek to improve American society through judicial pronouncements, such as the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Earl Warren believed it did.

Senator McCain would likely appoint nominees who do not support "legislation from the bench" and who favor a more strict construction of the Constitution and federal laws. I would add one important caveat, however. Senator McCain's "maverick" reputation is no gimmick and he would probably not premise his judicial picks upon any kind of strict dogmatic litmus test.

This evening's session "John McCain: Courage and Service" will focus on defining John McCain and will detail the fundamental aspects of his life's work. Senator Joe Lieberman, Al Gore's 2000 running mate and perhaps the Democrats' least-liked public official (second only to President Bush and perhaps Supervisor Delgaudio) will speak on his longstanding bipartisan relationship with Senator McCain. Former Senator Fred Thompson, a favorite of many folks in our Virginia Delegation, will also speak. Batting cleanup by simulcast will be President Bush.

Before I sign off this posting, I feel compelled to address a point that is topical interest in the media, namely, the unplanned pregnancy of Governor Palin's unmarried 17-year old daughter. I find it amazing that the pregnancy of a young woman in Juneau, Alaska was deemed by the editors of the New York Times to be more newsworthy than Hurricaine Gustav, two wars in the Middle East, and the Republican Convention. Governor Palin and her husband did not shy away from this story, however. They boldly noted their daughter's unequivocal decision to keep the baby and of the joint decision of their daughter and her boyfriend to be wed and stated:

"Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had planned. As she now faces the responsibility of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love"

According to members of the Alaska delegation, Miss. Palin's pregnancy has been known to her parents and their family priest, Rev. David Pepper, for some time. Moreover, the news of this Palin family pregnancy was given to Senator McCain's staff immediately once the vetting process of Governor Palin began. Senator McCain quickly determined that the same gifts and leadership attributes he saw in great abundance in Governor Palin were undimmed by the news of her daughter's unplanned pregnancy.

My informal polling of the Virginia Delegation revealed unanimous support for the Palin pick and this support appears to be pretty much unanimous on the floor. One Washington state delegate observered: "It just makes her seem more real and Americans like leaders who are genuine".

It should be noted that the first words out of the Palin's mouth was unconditional love and parential support for their daughter, not some kind of "We apologize for our daughter's conduct" or "We acknowledge the political sensitivty of this" or "Please respect us as we deal with this tragic news" stuff.

Day # 1 - Final Report

2008-09-01T17:20:00.001-07:00

The Convention recessed Day # 1 at 5:30 pm after videos speeches were given by the four Republican Gulf State Governor who gave reports from their states. Laura Bush and Cindy McCain gave short addresses urging all delegates to support their citizens in these affected states with prayers and monetary support.

We are all glad that Gustav has been downgraded.

It appears for now that Day # 2 will be a full convention day.

Now, let's all hope those levees hold.

In sum, politics took a back seat today and the RNC did a great job in focusing attention to more important national concerns.

Randy Minchew
Virginia Delegation
2008 Republican National Convention

From the floor

2008-09-01T16:12:00.001-07:00

The Virginia delegation in front of a huge video screen with Old Glory waving.

Day #1 - Second Report

2008-09-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

Well, we are now on the floor and, to our great surprise, our Virginia Delegation was provided a prime seating location, just behind the New Mexico Delegation, about 30 feet from the main stage. From your TV view, you will see our Virginia Delegation on the upper left side of the screen.

Now, this prime seating position means one of two things: either our Virginia Delegation is being rewarded or we are being told implicitly that we are officially a "swing state" and need to work even harder to keep Virginia's 44-year tradition of voting Republican intact.

The Xcel Energy Center, where our Convention is being held, is a wonderful place and the folks here in the Twin Cities are incredibly friendly and cordial. I will now sign off as former NC State and Minnesota Timberwolves basketball star Thurl Bailey gives our invocation.

Delegate David Schmidt (R Va.) on the floor overseeing the prime Virginia seating 20 feet from the stage.

Day # 1 - First Report

2008-09-01T04:52:00.000-07:00

As many of you have heard, the arrival of Hurricane Gustav onto our Gulf Coast, currently about 20 miles out of Port Fourchan, southwest of New Orleans as of 6:00 am CDT, has prompted a few changes to our Convention. Neither President Bush nor Vice President Cheney will attend or speak at today's Day # 1 Session. Senator McCain and Governor Palin are in the Gulf Coast region and are in communication with FEMA, President Bush, and Louisiana's great Governor, Bobby Jindal, concerning emergency preparedness and coordination of federal, state, and local assistance programs. Senator McCain himself advised all of us that "This is a time to do away with party politics and act like Americans". As a result, Day # 1 will be much abbreviated. The Convention will be gavelled to order at 3:00 CDT and will adopt the Credentials Committee Report and our 2008 Platform and then adjourn around 5:00 pm. Our Virginia Delegation will then move on to some kind of service project to support our fellow citizens in the Gulf Coast Region. Our friends with the Louisiana delegation will help us coordinate this.

More later from the Floor.

Picture: Prime seating position (front and to left of stage) given to Virginia Delegation.

RE:

2008-08-29T11:33:00.001-07:00

On Governor Palin,

The more one studies Governor Palin, the more one will like her

Here is a campaign photograph of our next Vice-President, Alaska-style.

Governor Palin attended Wasilla High School where she played point guard on the state champion basketball team. Her nickname was "Sarah Barracuda". She is also a lifetime NRA member and enjoys hunting, fishing, and snowmobiling. Her pro-life credentials are impeccable and her approval rating among the citizens of her state is over 80%.

2008-08-29T10:49:00.001-07:00

Dear Fellow Republicans,

While I come from a antiquated technology background of repairing 8-track tapes and working on small block V-8's, I am looking forward to using the LCRC's new "live blogging" website so that I can give you reports live from the floor of the Republican National Convention. David Schmidt, Tim Phillips and I will have the honor of serving as your Loudoun delegation out there.

You have all probably heard the news that Senator McCain has chosen Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. I like this pick.

At a time when both parties are stressing that change is needed in the way that Washington does business, Senator Obama has chosen a 29-year Washington insider who has carried the water of the banking lobby in the Senate for decades while Senator McCain has chosen a Governor who had the guts to tell Washington that her state did not need or want a "Bridge to Nowhere" earmark paid for by American taxpayers. Governor Palin has the record of reform and bipartisanship that others can only speak of. Her experience in shaking up the status quo is exactly what is needed in Washington today.

To Victory.

Randy

J. Randall Minchew

10th District Chairman

Virginians for McCain Steering Committee