Dennis Roddy | 10 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2
After a business-only first daym, Pennsylvania's delegation, like the other 49 in the hall, was ready for a bit more partisan tang, something denied them by Hurricane Gustav.
The Republicans had set up a Hurricane watch center in the hallways outside the arena, but the urgency was off and some folks used the computers there to check their e-mails.
Adrienne Mitford, a physical therapist from Harrisburg, thought Mr. McCain made the right call in toning down Monday's session, but she was ready last night for a little more volume as the political opera played out.
"Today we were able to turn it back up. We're here and it's exciting," she said. "To be here and wave our signs and wave our flags - it's just really exciting to be a part of it."
"I think we're gonna yell loud, but the key is we have a very strong ticket that's going to do well in Pennsylvania. Sarah Palin is a real shot in the arm," said Lawrence Tabas, the state party's general counsel and also a delegate from Montgomery County.
Delegates waited for speeches by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and, in particular, by former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge.
The former governor has twice now been an also-ran in the vice presidential vetting.
"Tom's a close friend of John McCain and he wants John McCain to win," said Robert Asher, the Republican National Committeeman and an ally of Mr. Ridge.
There was little talk of the latest bump in the McCain road to the presidency - the attention focused on Bristol Palin, the 17-year-old daughter of McCain running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. On Monday, after a series of blog reports, the family revealed that Miss Palin was pregnant, would deliver the child and planned to marry its father.
"I think that's going to be if anything a positive. It's just one more incident that just shows it's a middle American family, they live the same as all of the rest of us do and they know how to deal with the same problems that everyone else in the country lives with," said Joyce Haas, a delegate from Centre County.
Not all thoughts were about politics in the Pennsylvania section at the Xcel Center last night.
Megan Martin, a state committee staff member, was in one of the seats holding a rag doll named Tessa.
It belonged to the homesick Ms. Martin's daughter, Abby.
"I've been taking pictures and e-mailing them home," said Ms. Martin, showing an assortment of snaps on her iPhone: Tessa in the airplane to Minneapolis; Tessa in the airport terminal; Tessa in front of the convention stage.
"I'm really excited to hear Gov. Palin tomorrow," said Ms. Martin. "She's a mom, too.
Posted
Sep 02 2008, 11:11 PM
by
Dennis Roddy