Wednesday, July 20, 2016
The Eagle Has Landed
We just witnessed the Trump plane fly past all the media next to Lake Erie. He has landed and presumably is about to fly over in his helicopter. Mike Pence and the Trump children are here waiting to greet him. They just played the Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want."
Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.
Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.
Trump Helicopter Watch
More evidence that this is not your typical political convention. We were at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and learned Donald Trump is flying in next door at the Science Center in about a half an hour. We've scurried over, given up our souvenirs to security and are now waiting for the man in a crowd of a few hundred, mostly media. They are playing an opera aria. We are on the look out for the helicopter with Trump emblazoned on it to make a grand touch down. You've got to admit, he is quite the showman!
Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.
Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.
Mike Lee
At the Federalist Society Lunch. He avoided discussing any plots to derail the Convention and instead focused on protecting the Constitution.
Donald Trump Officially Nominated
 |
| McConnell and Bevin announce Kentucky's vote |
Yesterday, Donald Trump was officially nominated after a roll call vote of all the states. Kentucky was represented by Governor Matt Bevin and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. While Monday's rules vote may have been contentious, Kentucky Bourbon was unanimously approved when Bevin declared Kentucky "the state that produces all the bourbon that is fit to drink in the world." Here was Bevin's full statement:
Mr. Chairman, from the Commonwealth of Kentucky, home of Churchill Downs and American Pharaoh; the source of Bluegrass music and the home of Bill Monroe; an auto manufacturing state with the largest Toyota manufacturing plant, the maker of the Ford Super Duty and the Chevy Corvette; from the state that produces all of the bourbon that is fit to drink in the world; from a state where our citizens still respect God, the Constitution, our military and our police officers, it is our honor to cast 17 votes for the next president of United States of America, Mr. Donald J. Trump.Convention Chair Paul Ryan allowed New York to vote out of order, allowing it to push Trump over 1,237 into the nomination. Donald Trump Jr. announced his state's vote.
 |
| The Trump children entering the arena to vote for their father |
 |
| The band played "New York, New York" as soon as Trump earned enough votes to become the nominee |
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Majority Leader Offers The Best Reason To Vote for Trump
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell drew his biggest response from the crowd when he reaffirmed his pledge to deny any hearing for President Obama's Supreme Court nominee. On a night when an earlier speaker suggested that Hillary and Ruth Bader Gunsburg both go into retirement (to put it nicely), the Supreme Court was a topic on many delegates' minds. McConnell forcefully delivered exactly what they wanted to hear. The decision of who will replace Justice Scalia -- and perhaps others on the high court -- is the top reason why the choice between Trump and Hillary is a no brainier.
Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.
Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.
Start Spreading the News
if you can make it there, you'll make it anywhere. This election year especially. New York will be the home state of the next president. Their delegates just put Trump over. Next week their Democratic counterparts will do the same for Hillary.
Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.
Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.
Judging by Applause, Bourbon Edges Out Trump for the Nomination
Governor Matt Bevin just announced the delegate votes from Kentucky. "The state that produces all the bourbon fit to drink" got the most votes from the other convention delegates.
Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.
Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.
Ohio Delegation is Shunted to an Obscure Corner
Paul Ryan announced that the New York delegation may vote out of order. In other words, they will be casting their votes presumably to put Trump over top. The New Yorkers also have the best seats in the house -- immediately in front of the podium. Normally the host state would be there but Ohio went for Kasich, who isn't even showing up for the convention. Very bad form for the Ohio governor!
Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.
Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.
Senator Sessions Gets a Second Chance
No one is ignoring Senator Sessions tonight. He now is taking advantage of his second chance at the podium. He just nominated Trump, and he's drawing cheers. No distractions from his message this time. "A movement has started . . . Together we will make America great again!" Time to roll with the changes. Time to roll with Trump.
Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.
Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.
Roll With the Changes
The convention band opened today's session with a cover of "Roll With the Changes,". How fitting. I wonder if REO Speedwagon is represented by the same lawyers as Queen, who have already sent a cease and desist letter to the Trump campaign protesting last night's use of "We are the Champions." As if Freddie Mercury at this point really cares.
By the way the best dancers by far on the convention floor last night were the Georgians. The Kentucky delegates better step it up!
Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.
By the way the best dancers by far on the convention floor last night were the Georgians. The Kentucky delegates better step it up!
Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.
We are all Federalists; we are all Republicans
What would Thomas Jefferson do? If he were attending the Republican National Convention, I should add. The group named after the party of his arch nemesis gathered at the Hilton Garden Inn for a luncheon featuring US Senator Mike Lee, who of course cited to Hamilton at the convention -- the constitutional one, that is. The Federalist Society lunch produced a most refreshing talk by Senator Lee about the need to reinvigorate federalism and separation of powers. He showed no signs of fatigue or discouragement from having lost the floor fight yesterday in opposition to the Trump nomination. No one at the lunch asked him about it. The questions, from an audience of mostly lawyers, asked questions more about the constitution than public policy. But Senator Lee offered an intriguing infusion of the two when he advocated for members of Congress to voluntarily cabin their lawmaking according to traditional views of constitutional powers rather than as liberally interpreted by the Supreme Court in recent decades. Senator Lee is clearly a talented constitutional law scholar, not to mention a lawmaker who presents himself as modest with a great sense of self deprecating humor. Let's hope that Trump, should he get elected, lets bygones be bygones. Trump would do well to have Lee on his side, putting his constitutional mind to work on initiatives both Federalists and Republicans of the Trump variety can support.
Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.
Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.
The Remarkable First Day
It was a day that began rather unremarkably, like this column. First came finding the place. Thanks to an app called Waze, we navigated around all of the many streets cordoned off for what we were affectionately calling "Republicanville" by the end of the day.
The crowd cheered when a speaker thanked the Cleveland police for doing such a good job protecting the Convention -- applause that was well deserved. But after a silent protester was escorted out of the building for unfurling a sign supporting Syrian refugees, it was clear that more than just our safety was being secured.
I am too harsh. This is, after all, a convention to celebrate and promote the Republican nominee. It's the winner's victory lap, and he should be entitled to a unanimous -- in perception at least -- cheering crowd. That's what party conventions are for.
And that's why there was little sympathy for last minute efforts to derail the Trump nomination.
In any event, it seemed hypocritical for those claiming to speak in the name of the people to be advocating that party insiders use the rules to snatch victory from the candidate who received millions more votes than any of his competitors.
The mainstream media kept political opinions to themselves except when we were standing in line for the shuttle. We learned from a Buffalo television reporter that Trump may in fact have enough support from upstate and renegade Manhattanites to carry New York. But then again, that's the kind of thing I imagine any smart political reporter in an habitual blue state would say to retain viewer interest.
We met a Clevelander who'd also made the climb up the steep hill from the riverfront, home to our cheap parking space ($10, in contrast to the $50-$80 parking closer to the arena). She confirmed that the city this week is nothing like normal Cleveland. It sounded like this young woman is a lone Republican in a neighborhood of Democratic wolves. She said she had supported Rand Paul, but when he dropped out, she crossed over to vote for Bernie because she hated Hillary so much.
Maybe hating Hillary so much will win this election. That certainly was the theme for many of the speakers last night. A Gold Star mother seethed in contempt for what she said were Hillary's lies to her about the circumstances of her son's death. In a night when a former fashion model would be the keynote speaker, debate raged over whether Hillary would look better wearing pantsuits in orange or black stripes.
The Benghazi rescuers spoke way too long. I never thought an account of rescuing Americans from the embassy could become boring, but by the end of their speech, I noticed a sea of cell phones receiving more attention. They weren't taking pictures of the speakers either.
Senator Jeff Sessions also was a victim of delegate distraction. Someone walked into the arena in the middle of his speech. Not sure who it was because the focus of attention was below the balcony where we were sitting. Was it Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Gollum? Whoever it was, more people were interested in taking his photograph than paying attention to Senator Sessions. We ran into the senator afterwards on his way back to the hotel. He first ignored us, then waved an acknowledgment without turning around. He clearly was not happy with the way his speech had been received.
More content was Senator Tom Cotton, who did a much better job delivering his first convention speech than had that other Arkansan when he first appeared on a national stage. There is no need for Senator Cotton to play the saxophone on the Tonight Show; he did a commendable job. He was spotted smiling, holding his wife's hand, strolling down the hallway afterwards.
The speakers who really were on fire were Rudy Giuliani and the Milwaukee police chief. They both gave stirring talks focusing on why blue lives matter.
Notwithstanding the meandering speeches by the Benghazi rescuers, most of the evening was tightly produced and effective. I had been dubious about the speaker line-up, which was light on professional politicians and heavy on ordinary folk. I was wrong. The large number of persons of color and accent on that podium support Trump's claim that he has constructed a sufficiently broad tent for victory.
The speaker with the most striking accent -- both in appearance and speech -- was, of course, Melania. It is hard to say the candidate is anti-immigrant when his number one fan is a naturalized citizen. It will be hard to say the candidate is anti-Semitic when his daughter Ivanka -- who converted to Judaism -- will introduce him Thursday night.
Melania's speech writer should be fired if he/she plagiarized Michelle Obama's speech, as is being reported. But despite this mar, Melania did a superb job humanizing her husband and bringing a little of, dare we say, Jackie Kennedy-like glamour to the stage. He won't like for us to say this, but she really upstaged her husband, who made cameo appearances before and after her speech. (For a host of reasons, they could have done without Queen's "We Are the Champions" as background music.)
The only former GOP presidential candidate in attendance was former Senator Bob Dole, who Melania rightly singled out for a standing ovation. None of the famous Bush family was there. The only sighting of 41 and 43 was in a joint photograph in the hallway, along with pictures of other Republican presidents from the past. I spotted only one photograph of Abraham Lincoln, one of Ronald Reagan, several of Richard Nixon. Go figure.
But this convention isn't about the past or politicians, at least not in the usual sense. This convention is going exactly how I had expected, and that was what made the first day so remarkable.
Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.
The crowd cheered when a speaker thanked the Cleveland police for doing such a good job protecting the Convention -- applause that was well deserved. But after a silent protester was escorted out of the building for unfurling a sign supporting Syrian refugees, it was clear that more than just our safety was being secured.
I am too harsh. This is, after all, a convention to celebrate and promote the Republican nominee. It's the winner's victory lap, and he should be entitled to a unanimous -- in perception at least -- cheering crowd. That's what party conventions are for.
And that's why there was little sympathy for last minute efforts to derail the Trump nomination.
In any event, it seemed hypocritical for those claiming to speak in the name of the people to be advocating that party insiders use the rules to snatch victory from the candidate who received millions more votes than any of his competitors.
The mainstream media kept political opinions to themselves except when we were standing in line for the shuttle. We learned from a Buffalo television reporter that Trump may in fact have enough support from upstate and renegade Manhattanites to carry New York. But then again, that's the kind of thing I imagine any smart political reporter in an habitual blue state would say to retain viewer interest.
We met a Clevelander who'd also made the climb up the steep hill from the riverfront, home to our cheap parking space ($10, in contrast to the $50-$80 parking closer to the arena). She confirmed that the city this week is nothing like normal Cleveland. It sounded like this young woman is a lone Republican in a neighborhood of Democratic wolves. She said she had supported Rand Paul, but when he dropped out, she crossed over to vote for Bernie because she hated Hillary so much.
Maybe hating Hillary so much will win this election. That certainly was the theme for many of the speakers last night. A Gold Star mother seethed in contempt for what she said were Hillary's lies to her about the circumstances of her son's death. In a night when a former fashion model would be the keynote speaker, debate raged over whether Hillary would look better wearing pantsuits in orange or black stripes.
The Benghazi rescuers spoke way too long. I never thought an account of rescuing Americans from the embassy could become boring, but by the end of their speech, I noticed a sea of cell phones receiving more attention. They weren't taking pictures of the speakers either.
Senator Jeff Sessions also was a victim of delegate distraction. Someone walked into the arena in the middle of his speech. Not sure who it was because the focus of attention was below the balcony where we were sitting. Was it Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Gollum? Whoever it was, more people were interested in taking his photograph than paying attention to Senator Sessions. We ran into the senator afterwards on his way back to the hotel. He first ignored us, then waved an acknowledgment without turning around. He clearly was not happy with the way his speech had been received.
More content was Senator Tom Cotton, who did a much better job delivering his first convention speech than had that other Arkansan when he first appeared on a national stage. There is no need for Senator Cotton to play the saxophone on the Tonight Show; he did a commendable job. He was spotted smiling, holding his wife's hand, strolling down the hallway afterwards.
The speakers who really were on fire were Rudy Giuliani and the Milwaukee police chief. They both gave stirring talks focusing on why blue lives matter.
Notwithstanding the meandering speeches by the Benghazi rescuers, most of the evening was tightly produced and effective. I had been dubious about the speaker line-up, which was light on professional politicians and heavy on ordinary folk. I was wrong. The large number of persons of color and accent on that podium support Trump's claim that he has constructed a sufficiently broad tent for victory.
The speaker with the most striking accent -- both in appearance and speech -- was, of course, Melania. It is hard to say the candidate is anti-immigrant when his number one fan is a naturalized citizen. It will be hard to say the candidate is anti-Semitic when his daughter Ivanka -- who converted to Judaism -- will introduce him Thursday night.
Melania's speech writer should be fired if he/she plagiarized Michelle Obama's speech, as is being reported. But despite this mar, Melania did a superb job humanizing her husband and bringing a little of, dare we say, Jackie Kennedy-like glamour to the stage. He won't like for us to say this, but she really upstaged her husband, who made cameo appearances before and after her speech. (For a host of reasons, they could have done without Queen's "We Are the Champions" as background music.)
The only former GOP presidential candidate in attendance was former Senator Bob Dole, who Melania rightly singled out for a standing ovation. None of the famous Bush family was there. The only sighting of 41 and 43 was in a joint photograph in the hallway, along with pictures of other Republican presidents from the past. I spotted only one photograph of Abraham Lincoln, one of Ronald Reagan, several of Richard Nixon. Go figure.
But this convention isn't about the past or politicians, at least not in the usual sense. This convention is going exactly how I had expected, and that was what made the first day so remarkable.
Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.
Day One of Convention Shatters Expectations
Leading up to the convention, many doubted Donald Trump's ability to assemble an all star convention speaker lineup. If tonight is any indication, that could not be further from the truth.
Tonight's speakers made us laugh, made our hearts mourn for unnecessary death and suffering caused by Obama and Clinton's failed leadership, made us frustrated at the damage our country has suffered over the last eight years, but most importantly made us hopeful for the change that is ahead.
I was particularly moved by Mary Ann Mendoza, Sabine Durden, and Jamiel Shaw's stories of their children who were killed by illegal immigrants. In all three circumstances, the killers were felons who did not face appropriate punishment for their crimes or deportation, which would have prevented the death of three innocent men. Pat Smith spoke of her son's death in Benghazi in an emotional speech in which one could not help but empathize with the pain she felt, especially with Hillary Clinton lying to her face about the cause of her son's death. We've heard a lot about Benghazi since the attack in 2012, but tonight really showed the consequences in a way in which any American could relate.
Darryl Glenn, Republican nominee for Senate from Colorado, delivered an impressive performance. Glenn, an African American, began by attacking Obama as a divider, a contributor not remedy for recent racial tensions. Later, in a moment of comic relief, Glenn spoke of Hillary's love of pantsuits; he suggested that perhaps she'd look good in an orange one!
In one of the best performances of the night, Rudy Giuliani energetically spoke directly about the night's theme -- Make America Safe Again -- and laid out the need for a leader dedicated to supporting the police who protect us at home and our military who protects us abroad. He also spoke of his personal relationship with Trump. "You deserve to know this about your next president. He’s been great a great father, father-in-law, grandfather, and friend to me, my wife Judith, and my family for now almost 30 years." Giuliani continued, "I know him personally, and this is a very good and decent man. And he will be a great president!"
In one of the best performances of the night, Rudy Giuliani energetically spoke directly about the night's theme -- Make America Safe Again -- and laid out the need for a leader dedicated to supporting the police who protect us at home and our military who protects us abroad. He also spoke of his personal relationship with Trump. "You deserve to know this about your next president. He’s been great a great father, father-in-law, grandfather, and friend to me, my wife Judith, and my family for now almost 30 years." Giuliani continued, "I know him personally, and this is a very good and decent man. And he will be a great president!"
 |
| Giuliani in an unusually energetic speech |
In a dramatic climax, Donald Trump unexpectedly took the stage to introduce his wife, Melania, who eloquently spoke of her experience immigrating to America and attempted to show voters her husband's human side. She said: "Yes, Donald thinks big, which is especially important when considering the presidency of the United States. No room for small thinking. No room for small results. Donald gets things done." She followed up, saying: "If you want someone to fight for you and your country, I can assure you, he is the 'guy'. He will never, ever, give up. And, most importantly, he will never, ever, let you down."
Unfortunately, Melania's speech has been overshadowed by accusations of plagiarism which the Trump campaign has denied. Any resemblance to Michelle Obama's 2008 speech must almost certainly be coincidental, as it would be absurd to plagiarize in such a high profile speech. It's really a shame because Melania's speech was so excellent, and many will miss her incredible story in light of these accusations.
 |
| Donald Trump unexpectedly emerging to introduce his wife, Melania |
 |
| Melania was confident and poised |
Unfortunately, Melania's speech has been overshadowed by accusations of plagiarism which the Trump campaign has denied. Any resemblance to Michelle Obama's 2008 speech must almost certainly be coincidental, as it would be absurd to plagiarize in such a high profile speech. It's really a shame because Melania's speech was so excellent, and many will miss her incredible story in light of these accusations.
Monday, July 18, 2016
Unofficial Delegate Photo
This was taken at the same time as the official photo. Look for the Kentucky delegation on the right side.
Never Trump has formally fizzled; now say cheese!
Contrary to what Politico is reporting, the convention floor has been rather tame during the so-called revolt against Trump. A delegate from California has just offered a resolution that the secretary of the convention publish its report from the rules committee. This should effectively cut off the never Trump effort. They are moving on to taking the official photograph of all the convention delegates. We will post the unofficial one taken from our vantage point soon.
Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.
Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.
Did the protesters get the date wrong?
As I write this, the weather outside is a bit overcast, but not enough to limit the humidity and heat. For such a large city, Cleveland felt a bit empty this morning. As we drove to pick up Secret Service credentials, there was nary another car for most of the trip. Granted, many fellow RNC-goers were probably taking the opportunity to catch up on some sleep after last night's Lynyrd Skynyrd concert. Many of the main streets have barricades, security checkpoints, and and an iron wall (maybe eight feet tall?) encasing the convention perimeter. This writer is grateful for the efforts by local and national law enforcement agencies to keep the convention running safely and smoothly
Nevertheless, the few hours before the official start at 1:00 lacked what I expected would be a staple at this convention -- Where are the protesters?! As we wandered the perimeter, I expected to see crowds of people giving the usual spiel: Trump's a racist, the GOP is racist, they need to condemn him as a racist, etc. etc. Side note: I find it interesting that liberals can simultaneously hold the view that the GOP is completely racist yet still insist that it must condemn the frontrunner to save the "soul of the party". Kind of a chicken and egg argument, but I digress.
Anyways, I finally got a glimpse of the throngs of protesters just behind the great, big, iron wall as we travelled from the Quicken Loans Arena to the Huntington Convention Center to mingle with the rest of the Fourth Estate. Hopefully there will be time to interact with the crowds outside the perimeter.
Today's forecast, cloudy with a chance of crowd control.
Dr. Ben Carson
Just ran into Dr. Ben Carson, who was just as friendly in person as he comes across on TV. He graciously stopped for a photo with my brother Christian and me. 
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)