St. Paul Notes (IV)

At the concession stand, first Republican upon learning that all they have left is veggie wraps: "Don't you have any meat sandwiches???"

Second: "You don't have hot dogs?

Third—in a row, that is: "No roast beef?"

Approaching my seat. A lonely stack of Red Cross brochures languishes on a table. Up in the arena, I steal a spot at the (empty) New York Times

The Star Spangled Banner: the first non-Caucasion of the evening. (Remember the old joke—what do you call a black man at a Republican dinner? Answer: "keynote speaker.")

The invocation includes the phrases "pure manners" and "that we might put country first" (echoing the crimson message around the arena perimeter: "Country First * Country First * Country First * Country First * Country First * Country First * Country First * Country First * Country First"

John Boehner drones about McCain's "All of the above energy strategy." (This is supposed to be an advertisement.)

Reagan and W get equally enormous cheers during the sappy video narrated by Robert Duvall.

Minnesota seantor Norm Coleman doesn't get particularly big ovation at all. He speaks of the Bad Old Days in St. Paul: a government "holding gang summits and raising taxes.... Conservative principles restored this city."

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