On the floor of the 2008 Republican National Convention
From: George Mesthos
Series: Memories of WBRU
Length: 05:59
Conservatives often moan about the lack of 'diversity' in college classrooms. I.e. that no conservatives feel safe speaking in them.
The fact that few people in our newsrooms, if anyone, wanted to cover the Republicans during the 2008 race didn't hurt their argument. Station management also would have gladly looked the other way to save a few thousand bucks.
But I, in my wisdom, argued that we had to cover the RNC even if it was in Minnesota during the first week of the school year. For my efforts, I got rewarded with coverage of the event. Solo.
After weeks trying to get a hold of the Rhode Island Republican delegation, I finally found them in a hotel lobby outside of town.
They were a nice enough group of people. Chairman Gio Cicione answered my questions candidly. They were all glad to have media attention from young people.
Each of them had their own reasons for backing the Republican cause. For instance, one woman was Pro-Life because she could have been aborted, but wasn't and there she was. Almost none of them liked George Bush. Sarah Palin, though? She was a babe and better yet, she can shoot. All concerned were convinced that Barack Obama would set the country on the path to ruin, or worse yet, socialism.
Day 1, was light on the negatives though. A hurricane was bearing down on the Gulf and lord knows the Republican Party could ill-afford another torrential snafu. Just when all seemed like sweetness and light a bombshell drops; Palin's 17 year-old daughter Bristol is pregnant.
Day 2, the red meat fest commenced. Giuliani, Romney, Thompson, Lieberman, all exhorted John McCain's heroism and ridiculed Barack Obama's experience as a "Chicago Machine Politician."
Day 3, the mother ship arrives. Palin introduces herself to the lower 48 and opts for an ultimately fruitless campaign against the media
Day 4, John McCain calls for conciliation after two days (not to mention 8 years) of vinegar on partisan wounds.
The balloons dropped and I got the hell out of dodge. SO I could write this piece for our weekly news magazine The Brief.
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Piece Description
Conservatives often moan about the lack of 'diversity' in college classrooms. I.e. that no conservatives feel safe speaking in them.
The fact that few people in our newsrooms, if anyone, wanted to cover the Republicans during the 2008 race didn't hurt their argument. Station management also would have gladly looked the other way to save a few thousand bucks.
But I, in my wisdom, argued that we had to cover the RNC even if it was in Minnesota during the first week of the school year. For my efforts, I got rewarded with coverage of the event. Solo.
After weeks trying to get a hold of the Rhode Island Republican delegation, I finally found them in a hotel lobby outside of town.
They were a nice enough group of people. Chairman Gio Cicione answered my questions candidly. They were all glad to have media attention from young people.
Each of them had their own reasons for backing the Republican cause. For instance, one woman was Pro-Life because she could have been aborted, but wasn't and there she was. Almost none of them liked George Bush. Sarah Palin, though? She was a babe and better yet, she can shoot. All concerned were convinced that Barack Obama would set the country on the path to ruin, or worse yet, socialism.
Day 1, was light on the negatives though. A hurricane was bearing down on the Gulf and lord knows the Republican Party could ill-afford another torrential snafu. Just when all seemed like sweetness and light a bombshell drops; Palin's 17 year-old daughter Bristol is pregnant.
Day 2, the red meat fest commenced. Giuliani, Romney, Thompson, Lieberman, all exhorted John McCain's heroism and ridiculed Barack Obama's experience as a "Chicago Machine Politician."
Day 3, the mother ship arrives. Palin introduces herself to the lower 48 and opts for an ultimately fruitless campaign against the media
Day 4, John McCain calls for conciliation after two days (not to mention 8 years) of vinegar on partisan wounds.
The balloons dropped and I got the hell out of dodge. SO I could write this piece for our weekly news magazine The Brief.
