I took the opportunity to flex my media credentials and pop in at the Republican Party state convention last weekend – it’s been pretty hectic since then so this is the first opportunity I’ve taken to sit down and go through some of the photos. Here you see the entrance to the Civic Center arena – I had to camp out a little bit until the red carpet was clear. There was a LOT of activity that Saturday afternoon.
One of the first things I found photo worthy was the men’s room. That’s a spooky sentence to type – no, I’m not a weirdo, I just found the way that this bathroom was wallpapered to be quite entertaining. It should have been no surprise; the entire Civic Center (including the fences outside!) was so adorned.
Even funnier than the rest of the john was this clever sign tacked onto each hot air hand dryer. If I only got one photo out of the whole adventure, this would be my choice. I love a campaign with a sense of humor!
Drew Wrigley, current Lieutenant Governor, candidate and nominee. His youngest is trying hard to cause a wardrobe malfunction in the background. Kids and animals…you should never share a stage with ’em. 🙂
My friend Kurt, consummate professional and one of my role models in this business, technical director of the video portion of the show. He was joined by a veritable “Who’s Who” of veteran broadcast video talent. My friends Mike, Scott, Dan, and Marty were also part of the crew. The GOP was in good hands that day.
Of course I got some of these eagle-eye photos by climbing around in the catwalks up near the ceiling of the Civic Center. It’s funny, I can dangle around in the rafters of buildings like the FargoDome or our own little Civic Center, over the ledge at the top of the Capitol, or atop heavy equipment while it’s operating…but I cling to an eight foot stepladder with white knuckles. Go figure.
Due to some other photographic commitments I was unable to catch much of this convention, including the keynote speaker and some fireworks over the delegate selection debacle. The party is going through some interesting times as newly-active conservatives like myself begin to join the party and assert themselves. I think it’s a good thing.
The lesson I took away from this convention is that we are EXTREMELY energized. Seriously. The atmosphere was unmistakable. While the Democrats could barely get a small assembly to their convention with their beloved Bill Clinton as speaker, we had the Civic Center bursting at the seams. People were upbeat, energetic, and motivated for November. It was a great sight to behold, and I’m confident that North Dakota conservatives are geared up for a long and successful fight to restore liberty and responsibility to our government.
