Newsgroups: bit.listserv.christia
Date:         Fri, 4 Sep 1992 21:42:06 CST
From:         "William M. Jordan" <IF20159@LATECH.BITNET>
Subject:      GOP Convention: Wed Aug 19

This is another in a series of posts concerning my adventures as an
alternate at the Republican National Convention.  I am not doing this
to try to convert anyone to my side, but to share what this experience
was like from the perspective of one Christian alternate (me).

Since we had no morning sessions, we got to sleep in a little bit.  Our
breakfast/caucus did not meet until 8:00 a.m.  This week in LA is the time
when candidates file for office, so a number of our delegation was interested
in news from back home.  My wife filed for me to run for the Republican
State Central Committee (I had to notarize the filing papers before I left
the state).  In our district (of about 20,000 voters) there are two social
conservatives (I am one of them) and two more traditional Republicans
running for the two seats.  My state is keeping up its reputation for
colorful politics.  In the southwestern part of the state, the incumbent
congressman had his brother file to run against him (one is in each party).
In southeastern LA, the incumbent congressman had his former wife file to
run against him.  The debates in both those races ought to be interesting.

This morning was the first time we had formal speakers at our caucus.  We
had the Secretary of Energy, James Watkins speak to us. Louisiana's economy
is dominated by oil, so what he had to say was very relevant.  We also had
the U.S. Trade Representative, Carla Hills, speak to us.  She had recently
negotiated a free trade agreement with Canada and Mexico.  While free trade
may be unpopular in some of the manufacturing states of the north, it is
popular down here.  New Orleans is one of the world's largest ports, and its
economy is heavily dependent upon foreign trade.

This has been billed as family night at the convention.  There were a number
of speeches, most of them not very memorable.  Pat Robertson was the first
main speaker.  Many of the Christian Coalition delegates were holding up
signs that said: "Knock 'em Flat, Pat."

The Governor of California, Pet Wilson, spoke from California by
satellite.  That use of technology did not take anything away from the
the delegates.  Most of us watch the larg monitors during speeches (rather
than look directly at the podium), for we get a better view on the monitors.
He, and the governor of Massachusetts, are among the new breed of fiscally
conservative, but socially liberal Republicans.  Wilson kept on the topic of
smaller government and got a warm reception.  He did not mention abortion
(which is probably wise for the governor of MA was booed when he proclaimed
his pro-choice views earlier in the week).

There were three speeches that really attracted the attention of the
delegates.  The first one of these was given by Mary Fisher.  She is
HIV positive and spoke of the need to fight AIDS.  She had caught the
virus from her husband (who is now her ex-husband).  This is in contrast
to the Democratic Convention whose HIV positive speaker was also a
homosexual activist.

Mary Fisher's speech got the crowd quiet for two reasons.  The first one
is the seriousness of her topic.  There is a second reason, and that is
that she is well known to many of the party leaders.  She worked for
President Ford in the 1970's.  Her father continues to be a major
 fundraiser for the Republican Party.  During part of her speech, I was
in front of the Presidential box taking pictures of President Ford.  It
is clear that he was  moved to tears a couple of times during her speech.
Her point that we need to have compassion for those with this disease was
well received.  However, there were several things she said during her
speech that upset a  number of the delegates (including me).  She stated
that we are all at risk to this disease, which I do not believe to be true.
My wife and I practice mutual monogamy and to not use intravenous drugs.
Our chances of catching this disease are virtually nil, and to say otherwise
is not factual.

The next major speech was by Marilyn Quayle.  Her speech was very well
received in the convention hall.  While she did not mention Bill Clinton
by name, she made the pont that not everyone in her generation dropped
out, practiced free love, took drugs, or dodged the draft.  As someone
who is in his forties, I get irritated at forty something politicians who
imply that everyone in the late sixties did all of these things, so it was
not wrong for them to have done them either.  As one who entered college in
in 1969, I agree with Marilyn Quayle that everyone did not do those things.

The major highlight of the evening was the speech by Barbara Bush.  She is
much more popular than the President, and she demonstrated why during this
speech.  She seems so much like an ideal grandmother figure, it is hard to
angry with her.  One of the most emotional points of the week for me came
during the short speech by George W., the President's grandson.  By the
time he started reading from his grandfather's letter about his trip to
earthquake ravaged Armenia, I was in tears.  I do not show emotion easily,
and to cry while standing up in a crowded aisle on the packed floor of the
Republican National Convention has got to be one of the most unusual events
of my life.  But I think that it also shows why I am a supporter of the
President.  President Bush is not likely to go down as a great president
who changed the world, such as Franklin Roosevelt or Ronald Reagan.  But
as his grandson's speech demonstrated, I think George Bush is a good and
decent man who has given us his best.  When all the issues are stripped
away, I think good and decent are two adjectives that I hope always apply
to our president.

The brief appearance by President Bush at the end of his wife's speech was
a total surprise to those of us on the convention floor.  I heard the roar
of applause before I could see what was occurring.

Tonight was the night we did one of only two official actions of the
convention.  We renominated President Bush and Vice-President Quayle to be
the Republican candidates for President and Vice-President. Some delegates were
not happy that these formal actions were scheduled for after 11:00 p.m. when
very few people will be watching.  The reason for this delay is because the
party wants to maximize its potential television market.  This led to putting
Barbara Bush and Marilyn Quayle on during prime time and pushing the formal
renominations to a later point.  While the renomination process is an
absolutely necessary part of the convention, it is not exciting to the
public.  I do not think that most of the public is interested in watching
a roll call of the states when they know who is going to win.  However, the
roll call of the states is one of the few times when each state gets to get
on the cameras, and many delegates want to be seen on television back home.
By the time of the roll call vote, some of our delegates were tired and wanted
to go to bed.  As such, I was able to use someone's delegate credentials and
be with our delegation when it finally voted at about 12:40 a.m. central
time.  If any of you watched C-SPAN that late, I was one of the people
crowding around the Louisiana delegation secretary when he announced
Louisiana's vote.  My wife did not stay up to see it happen, but she did
leave the video recorder on so that my 30 seconds of television got
recorded.

There was an interesting sideline that occurred during the time of the
balloting.  There are twin brother pastors form Buffalo by the name of
Schenck who received wide publicity during the Operation Rescue efforts
there this spring.  Some friendly delegate had obtained passes for them
to get onto the floor of the convention.  They carried around a sign that
said something like "exorcise the demon media."  Their sign was taken away
by the security forces earlier in the evening.  During the balloting they
were with the Louisiana delegation.  At that time of the night, they seemed
in good spirits, and were talking to a number of sympathetic people in
our delegation.

By the time I could get back to my hotel room it was 2:00 a.m.  I will have
to get up about 5:00 a.m. in order to get to the Presidential prayer
breakfast downtown.

In Christ, Bill

William M. Jordan            Voice       (318) 257-4304
Mechanical & Industrial      FAX         (318) 257-2562
     Engineering Dept.       Bitnet      IF20159@latech.bitnet
Louisiana Tech University    Internet    jordan@engr.latech.edu
Ruston, LA 71272
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