Delegate Reports from the RNC -- Aug. 25-26

Sat. Aug. 25.

My flight arrived after 6pm in Tampa, with a fair number of CA delegates onboard. The man next to me on the flight was a tech contractor supporting ABC coverage -- had lived in SLC & worked w. Mitt at the olympics. I complained that I'd heard only 1 hr of network coverage each day. A PBS (KCRW) news producer noticed my Mitt & Ann button, and delegate literature & Mitt biography I was reading & stopped in the aisle to talk to me about the delegation & learn our plans to come & talk w. us (look out!). Hearing I work aerospace, he thought the space program was doing great -- probably thinking of the Mars landing. I informed him I'd just survived an 8% layoff, bigger cuts loom w. the sequestration hanging over our heads, the manned spaceflight program is in the tank, etc.

Weather fine so far, and after checking in at the TradeWinds hotel on St.Pete Beach (very nice!), went out to the CA delegation welcome event on the beach, w. buffet, live band, fireworks, & mingling w. the likes of Pete Wilson, Darrel Issa, etc. Saw signs in the lobby that LDS services will be here at the hotel, so I don't have to take a taxi to the Gulfport Branch several miles away -- maybe they're coming here. I met another LDS RM (Spain) at my table, and a woman at the table marvelled that a Republican Women ldr. (orig. from Mexico) here also is LDS. 

Looks like Isaac's closest approch (~100 miles?) will be Mon. eve., so they're cancelling the convention sessions Mon. eve. Hopefully we still get breakfast here at our hotel that day w. Chris Christy & Hugh Hewitt. And rescheduled Ann Romney for Tues. We'll see if the big all-delegations event tomorrow (Sun.) eve. at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg is still on -- local news showed them starting to take down the tents around the indoor field already in advance of the storm. Didn't want to take them down or lose them in 50 mph driving rain. 

Your cub reporter in Tampa,

Mark.

PS(I'll hopefully upload some pictures & maybe put some stuff on Facebook or my blog. Below is a link to the platform fresh off the press. I saw them working it in committee on C-SPAN yesterday (delayed from Tues.))

Aug. 26

The usual poor night's sleep the first night of travel, not helped by increasing noise of wind outside as the hurricane approaches & loud, periodic air conditioning.  Grabbed some quick breakfast then found the conference room with the LDS prelude music emanating just moments before the 9am start, with about 50-60 present -- pretty much Calif. delegates & their guests.  A leader (later learned the stk public affairs rep.) immediately asked if I'd give the benediction.  The St. Petersburg stk. president conducted, and his teenage daughter & wife spoke, followed by the PA rep, then stk. pres. -- all excellent.  The PA rep. mentioned potential serious problems w. temple marriages if government regulations require open access to all for anyone marrying.  

The stk. pres. is a doctor, and knew my cousin's son-in-law, also a dr. in Tampa. Looks like Isaac's closest approch (~100 miles?) will be Mon. eve., so they're cancelling the convention sessions Mon. eve. Hopefully we still get breakfast here at our hotel that day w. Chris Christy & Hugh Hewitt. And rescheduled Ann Romney for Tues. We'll see if the big all-delegations event tomorrow (Sun.) eve. at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg is still on -- local news showed them starting to take down the tents around the indoor field already in advance of the storm. Didn't want to take them down or lose them in 50 mph driving rain. 

Immediately after my benediction & brief chat w. stk. pres., I was approached by a guy in casual dress w. notepad -- reporter from the Sacramento Bee.  He asked about my mention of service in the prayer (e.g., ours for our nation this week), if I was a leader (no -- the local leaders asked me, a visitor, on short notice -- he seemed amazed), and what Romney being Mormon meant to me as delegate -- I said I agreed w. his principles & values regardless of his religion -- of course of more interest, but he's somewhat typical of service the Church promotes, with his record as church leader, governor, olympics, etc., and there are already many LDS in government.  The reporter said he heard the CA delegation was 30% LDS -- I was surprised at that.

I spoke w. several members after the mtg.  One couple was from Palo Alto, and I asked if they knew my cousin, Doug Harwood -- they did, in fact he (Boyd Smith) was a cousin of Doug's wife, Suzanne.  And it so happens I had arranged to get together w. Doug's adopted daughter Carolyn & family, who live in Tampa, this afternoon.  Also saw someone who'd been on a singles trip to Australia, NZ & Fiji w. me in 2003. 

Our credentials (tamper-proof ID) weren't ready yesterday, so got them today, along w. 2 huge goody bags of stuff from all kinds of donors -- shirts, Romney's ""No Apologies," "Politically Incorrect Guide to the Presidents," a delegate medal, a political Barbie doll (which niece wants that?), all kinds of snacks & candies, electric hand fans, sunscreen, sunglasses, big Romney buttons & cap, etc.  Also someone placed a package of convention- &  election-related publications on our doorsteps -- National Review, Congressional Quarterly, The Hill, Human Events, Politico, Weekly Standard, etc. -- some light reading while we're hunkered down in our rooms all day tomorrow.

Off-and-on sprinkles starting mid-day, and the wind steadily increasing.  Carolyn's family (w. 4 kids) came -- I hadn't seen them since before they moved to Florida 11 yrs ago, so we caught up, had an indoor picnic then walked out on the beach when the rain let up.  All the resort beach furniture had been removed in preparation for the storm, and sandbags were being placed strategically around the resort.  I'm on the 3rd floor, so should be fine.

The delegation then loaded onto buses to go to a huge convention welcome at Tropicana (indoor) field in St. Petersburg, taking detours around closed-off roads preparing for potential evacuations.  We were told we couldn't bring umbrellas or jackets, so were at the mercy of the weather, which was merciful -- still only sprinkles.  There were thousands of delegates/guests, w. many dozens of buffet service tables & hundreds of tables for us to sit at in small groups on the astroturf field.  All the while various performers on elevated stages & on a big screen.  A lot of social/political energy in that room, and a lot of good people.  I read more of Romney's biography waiting for buses to fill & leave.  An older woman who'd clearly had one too many drink sat by me, relentlessly bemoaned the state of the nation, and about drove me nuts repeatedly asking where I was from (I guess alcohol does that).

The updates today were that the breakfast speech by Chris Christie is still on at 7:30 tomorrow morning (so I need to get to bed).  They set up a podium on the lobby stairway for him, and people were taking pictures of themselves at it.  But no real sessions tomorrow (only a perfunctory 10 minute formality) -- everything will be redistributed to the Tues-Thurs. sessions, which will now start at 7:00 (was 7:30), and maybe go a bit later.  I just saw on Fox News that gov. Jindal will not attend, but remain to oversee hurricane efforts, w. the storm now headed right for New Orleans.  But it's an unusually large storm, and will definitely affect us, w. 50mph driving rain (several inches) expected.

Maybe some pictures tomorrow.

Your cub reporter in Tampa, Mark.