This is the Way, Step Inside

David Weigel | September 1, 2008

The road inside the MSP (as us locals call it) convention is easier than the one inside the Denver convention. The reasons: more security gates, better organization, and, of course, less of a convention. With no one quite sure what the bill is going to be, until Gustav blows itself out, delegates and reporters walked in early in the afternoon just to get a sense of the logistics and to meet up with each other.

I walked into the main security gate on the west of the stadium as Maurice, see here, held up his Ron Paul signs. How long had he been here? "Since this morning." How many people had talked to him about Paul? "You're the first."

I did not meet any Paul delegates: the Paul agenda, unlike the main RNC agenda, is unaffected by Gustav. (Maybe this is why?) I did stroll through the XCel center gawking at and and talking to Republican delegates,
shuddering Ralph Steadman creations, all varicose veins and spite. Most everyone was in a hurry, although Oklahoma party committeewoman Bunny Chambers had camped out in a nice location handing out "STOP Obama Express" stickers to delegates, who went out of their way to grab them. "Sean Hannity says Stop Obama!" Every three or four people who took one asked: "Is he here?"

The extremely long and wide perimeter made access to today's war protests difficult, but I got through after about 15 minutes of searching.

Comments

|9.1.08 @ 5:14PM|#

Will this be an Atrocity Exhibition?

Tom Walls|9.1.08 @ 5:26PM|#

Perhaps the postponement of RNC activities will allow more interested parties to attend the Paul-a-palooza.

Naga Sadow|9.1.08 @ 6:00PM|#

It looks kinda like the Waco compound with fences.

|9.1.08 @ 6:52PM|#

Note to RNC:
It's actually not too late to nominate somebody other than Queeg.

Just thinkin' out loud, in case anybody's listening.

Andrea S.|9.1.08 @ 7:27PM|#

You'll see the horrors of a faraway place,
Meet the architects of law face to face.
See mass murder on a scale you've never seen,
And all the ones who try hard to succeed.

Jarrett|9.1.08 @ 10:42PM|#

Is that you in the picture, Dave? If so, perhaps you should start eating lunch at Subway. Breakfast and dinner too.

|9.2.08 @ 11:30AM|#

Hi,

I am wondering if Reason will be covering the Ron Paul "shadow" convention. Dr. Paul's advocacy of limited government, a return to the Constitution (as it was intended), and responsible foreign policy, sounds very attractive to me. In further research, I find that these positions are considered "libertarian". I then came across your magazine, which likewise has a strong libertarian bent - a skepticism that government is the solution to all our problems, an understanding of the consequences from interfering in the marketplace that is not touched on by either major party, etc. Your magazine would seem a perfect fit for Dr. Paul. I haven't checked the archives, but I assume he is your preferred candidate, even though he is not one of the main choices (we don't throw out our principles in order to win a popularity contest, right?). I may be searching the site wrong, but I can't find much about his convention. I hope as it kicks into gear we will see many stories on the Reason.com website. Thanks in advance, your friend in Free Minds and Free Markets.