Yantis Green 

Friday, September 5, 2008

I've come to the conclusion that the whirlwind that is the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., has the world watching. 

     I know because I've seen reporters and camera crews from every corner of the world here.  I did an interview with a crew from Croatia on Wednesday shortly before the session began.  They were asking whit I thought about Gov. Sarah Palin and the questions surrounding her family.  I told the reporter that I was proud to live in a country where our society and our form of government allows for both Sarah Palin and Barrack Obama to be on teh ticket for President and Vice President of the United States, and this kind of scrutiny by both sides is part of the presidential political process.

     I must admit I've lost count of the number of interviews I've done here.  The Texas delegation is so visible and recognizable that reporters gravitate to us. 

     Wednesday's events were designed to build up the energy to a fevered pitch by the time Gov. Palin took the stage.  Wednesday's theme was the emergence of strong, conservative Republican Women.  I couldn't help but be energized and electrified by Palin and the other strong women who addressed the convention before her, especially Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle.

     Like Palin, Lingle was a mayor before she became governor, and her speech echoed the day's theme of being a Washington outsider, a reformer, a governor, and a strong woman. 

     I was surprised by an email from a fellow with a San Angelo connection on Wednesday.  Harry Blanek's email said he grew up in San Angelo at a home on Nasworthy street just off Johnson near Angelo State University.  Turns out, he's a cousin to Kenny Blanek, who owns the Village Cafe in San Angelo and he has a catering business with Charlie Blanek. 

     Harry took a couple of us to lunch on Thursday.  He and his wife live outside Minneapolis. 

     I know it's just about time to head home when I start getting used to running into famous people all day long.  I talked briefly with former U.S. Senator Phil Gramm of Texas after the Palin speech.  I rode the elevator with Fox News anchor Brit Hume.  I stood a few feet away from Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, Attorney General Greg Abbott and U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison as we posed for the offical photo of the Texas Delegation.  I was standing next to the American flag.  That was a very special moment. 

     Radio Talk show host Laura Ingraham walked right by me on her way to the podium as the keynote speaker at the Right to Life reception a couple days ago.  And I sat at a table at dinner Wednesday night nest to Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams and his wife.  Commissioner Williams had just finished nominating John McCain for president on the convention floor.  He was absolutely beaming about the night's events, and we spoke briefly as if we'd known each outehr for a long time. 

     At the Texas delegation breakfast Thursday morning, political pollster Frank Luntz spoke to the delegation and introduced British Ambassador to the U.S. Nigel Sheinwald, who was seated at the table next to me.  I met West Texas Congressman Randy Neugebauer at the same breakfast. 

     Yeah, that doesn't happen every day at home.

     But what I will remember most is spending the better part of four days with newfound friends from home.  fellow delegates and alternates Greg Simmons, Brandon Pinson, Dean Player, Andrew White, Caleb Weatherl, Mike Kaufman and several others joined me as first time voters at the RNC.

     Like me, they're still digesting the significance of taking part in history while the attention of the world was focused, however briefly, on the Republican National Convention.  We plan on keeping in touch and I think we're all ready to get back to Texas and the real world.

     I got the chance to watch some of the TV news coverage on Thursday, and I finally picked up the newspaper outside the hotel room door and read it.  There's a lot of coverage on anarchists and demonstrators, but outside of watching the police clear the street by the hotel a couple nights ago, I haven't seen any of the ruckus.