Reports from Ed Failor, Jr.
Delegate from Iowa.  Vice president of the Muscatine-based Iowans for Tax Relief.  Failor served as a senior advisor to Sen. John McCain's Iowa caucus campaign from Jan.-July 2007 and as senior political advisor to Gov. George Pataki's 21st Century Freedom PAC in the latter half of 2006.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Three things struck me tonight:

1.  Delegates are very excited and charged up to support the McCain/Palin ticket.  The selection of Gov. Palin was brilliant!

If the election is truly about change, who appears to be the agents of change, John McCain the "Maverick" and a true conservative female Governor from the closest place the U.S. has to a remaining frontier, or two U.S. Senators who are about the same liberal agenda?

Game set, match McCain/Palin!

2.  Everyone is a bit in limbo wondering what will be the final Convention schedule.  The party is and should  pay great attention to the hurricane situation and react appropriately.

3.  The people from the Twin Cities are really pleasant.  I've been to convention before and the folks in the Twin Cities are very warm and helpful.  Nice first impression.


Monday, September 1, 2008

I will attempt to chronicle day 2 in the Twin Cities.

Hotel is decent for a La Quinta in Bloomington. Not Indiana, but it seems like it.

Breakfast hosted by Chronic Disease folks. Tommy Thompson spoke. (To be honest, I skipped it)

Instead I went for a bicycle ride workout. Lake Normandale has bike paths. Beautiful morning. Very humid.

Drove myself and a few others to convention. Hate buses. So much of town is closed it was interesting trek. We ended up with a great parking space on edge of security perimeter.

Saw plenty of protesters. One exit ramp off 94 was blocked by folks who had hadcuffed themselves to one another.

I find myself wondering what is going through their heads. They have every right to protest. I just wonder if they ever consider that as they protest our form of government or whatever, that it is the freedoms of this great country that allow them to protest and act inappropriately in many cases?

I am a veteran and was willing to die to guarantee them their right to protest. I don't think they are evil.

I think it is silly they think one like I am evil because I want to drill in ANWAR or fight terrorists in the middle east.

It seems you can't disagree with these folks without being evil. Just odd to me.

Dinner tonight at a fantastic restaurant. Oddly in the Mall of America. Napa Grill. Or Napa Valley Grill.

    Editor's query - To finish the picture, can you add a few sentences on your ExCel Center experience?

ExCel Center was crowded but bareable. No ridiculous lines.

The program was appropriate for the day and situation on the Gulf Coast.

Necessary business was completed.

Laura Bush was great, as always. Cindy McCain is a class act as well. I am glad they stuck to hurricane relief as topic.


Tuesday, September 2, 2008

    Editor's note - Received September 3; i.e. "yesterday" references September 2.

I'm not a breakfast guy, no idea who spoke.  It was sponsored by Qwest.

The ONE Campaign service project was yesterday.  Those folks are doing great things.  Laura Bush and Cindy McCain stopped by the project.  I'm proud of the loving charitable hearts of my fellow Republicans.

Fred Thompson was spectacular.  He made a great case for John McCain.  He is charming and can take shots at Obama without sounding angry.  People were fired up by his speech.

Great party at Aqua.  A 70's cover band played.  They had an outside smoking area with hand-rolled cigars.  Nice event sponsored collectively by a number of associations.


Wednesday, September 3, 2008

    Editor's note - Received September 3; i.e.."yesterday" references September 3.

Yesterday was uneventful. I slept in. I am getting too old to stay up late so often.

Rudy was great last night. He energized the crowd. Was able to draw contrast between the candidates.

Sarah Palin was amazing. She had the crowd like acting like they were at a playoff game. She is articulate and strong. I am thrilled.

Went to ONE Campaign party after. Daughtry played. It was fun.


Thursday, September 4, 2008