Here's a shot of the Arizona Delegates:
The crowd was very receptive and excited, chanting whenever a speaker gave a pause in their speech. There were more people dressed to impress, and some new signs that read “I Love Cindy” out in the crowd.
I know if I had a friend at a major national event, I’d be impressed if they called me and let me hear the ongoings over their phone. So I kept texting people, asking them if they wanted me to call them. Nobody seemed to be that much into it. Well, okay, I’ll just keep texting.
Of course everyone was waiting to see McCain. Funny how inspiring this 5’6” guy has suddenly become.
The presenters leading up to his appearance gave details of his life, and at one point I texted Sergi that his story always gets me choked up. He endured torture for five years and kept alive merely with a spirit that most Americans will never have for their country. Could I stay afloat in such a circumstance? Don’t know. He’s likely a much stronger person than I.
Tom Ridge spoke to the audience, as a close friend and a colleague of McCain’s. He said when he first saw McCain, he was pointed out to him then just as he is with most people now, “Hey, THAT’S John McCain!”
Cindy McCain spoke and I have to admit she has the same bad habits in public speaking that I have. I’m not letting you know what those habits are, just know that I’m working on it. We’ll get better, in time.
When John came out, the crowd once again came unglued. I thought it was a nice touch, with the podium coming up out of the stage for him. Viewers at home didn’t see that part. I have a video of it.
His speech made a lot of promises and the consensus was a huge hope that he’d actually follow thru with them all. We’ll have to see how that goes.
The balloon drop was a much anticipated, and I was glad to be where I was when it happened! I had a great view of everything, and managed to get a lot of photos of the confetti and balloons as they started dropping. The music made it feel like a rock concert, and everyone just had a great time bouncing the balloons and dancing around.
Here's the balloon drop from Buster's perspective on the floor:
And here it is from my perspective in the balcony:
Buster and I met outside and immediately began negotiating with the souvenir salesmen for some presents to take home. Steve’s dad is a big-time Republican and I wanted to be sure to get him something from the convention.
We also got some more pictures of protesters and the “Free Hugs” people. If you ever go to YouTube and look up the Free Hugs thing, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
Buster was interviewed by a newspaper guy from San Francisco, and it turns out the guy was really familiar with Havasu.
We need to remember to find out why Buster was in the Atlanta newspaper this week. The people from the Georgia delegation had to get more photos of him because they were doing some sort of story and it had to do with his bolo tie. Here is a picture of a reporter from California interviewing THE MAN after we left the Convention Center:
We packed our boxes of souvenirs (yep, got a few) and labeled them for Fed Ex on Friday, and said goodnight to everyone. We had a 4:00am shuttle to take us to the airport, so we attempted to get a few hours sleep before then.
Upon leaving in the morning we met up with Lou who is a delegate from Tucson. He managed to stay up ALL NIGHT in the hotel lobby talking with other people from the Convention. Trooper.
Now that I am home I plan to organize everything from the Convention--newspaper articles, pictures, stories, etc, so I can have something to show around the family.
It was a great experience, and I am humbled as well as proud that I was able to take part in it.
