Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minneasota

The Republican Party and John McCain are once against revived and rejuvenated for another few months of this historic campaign. A week ago today, the campaign seemed to clearly be in favor of Senator Barack Obama as being our next President of the United States. Throughout the DNC, it appeared as if Republicans truly were out of touch with the average American and too focused on political agendas and partisan bickering to see the problems challenging the lives of Americans and the direction in which they wanted to see the country take.

John McCain began this week with a bang as he announced Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. The country was thrown for a loop as this choice appeared to come from out of the blue with not even a slight indication of Palin even being an option. Not only was the media and the American people searching to find out all they could about Palin they were also engaged with the hurricanes that were hitting the South. With the media busy covering both Palin’s life and the hurricane, it appeared as if the Republican Party was going to have a difficult time energizing their party and accomplishing the goals of the Convention.

Wednesday night of the Convention, it became quite evident that Republicans were able to come together and inspire hope for McCain/Palin supporters as well as the country. The speakers at the RNC followed the DNC by showing compassion and understanding of the problems facing our nation today but Republicans went beyond that by offering solutions to these problems. I, along with many, was energized by Obama about the leadership change that will soon be occurring in our country. I felt that the Obama/Biden ticket was really showing an understanding and a willingness to listen to the American people’s wants and needs. At the same time, I feared that the McCain was falling to the waste side and clinging on to his experiences and qualifications without listening to his constituents.

After leaving the DNC, I was skeptical that McCain would be able to bounce back enough to have a chance in this election. The change came slow and it came wavering as still I am not sure if the media and the voters know what to expect in November. Again it has become evident that this election will be tight and it will continue to be exciting. The debates and the negativity will follow as do all elections. Obama and McCain will continue to run a campaign as they feel fit to when the Presidency. They will determine their own campaign styles but it is the American people who will determine our next leader. One needs to determine who is most qualified to be lead our country and who has the best plan in place to lead America in the years to come. McCain and Obama now must figure out away to not only prepare to fill this elite position but to also become the most electable candidate in order to obtain the vacancy.

DNC vs. RNC

As we arrived in St. Paul, the differences between the Democratic National Conventions (DNC) and the Republican National Conventions (RNC) slowly revealed themselves. Not only can one see a difference in the ideas of both parties but one can also see the differences in their Conventions. These variations come from a variety of characteristics including: location and openness or lack there of to the public.

I believe one of the main reasons for these differences stem from the location in which both parties chose to host their convention. The Democrats location in Denver, Colorado near the 16th Street Mall created an atmosphere that was both welcoming and easily accessible to the public. This created an atmosphere where delegates, politicians and protestors had access to one another allowing for more dialect as well as confrontation. However, St. Paul/ Minneapolis is a much different atmosphere. The RNC is hosted at the Xcel Center in St. Paul which is surrounded by both an interstate and a river. These two barriers as well as the many barricades that engulf the Convention makes it near impossible for the public to have any type of engagement with the conventions and the delegates.

While in Denver, community members and spectators are able to (in many times not easily) participate in activities surrounding the DNC. These include round table discussions, panels, Obama’s acceptance speech and many others. While at the RNC, we have yet to find any online listing of days events and those that are open to the public. It is much more difficult to find an agenda including activities involving the Presidential Elections. This can be quite disappointing for spectators like myself and residents of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Although we are quite disappointed with the St. Paul area, we have heard that there is much more commotion and accessibility within the Minneapolis area.

These locations and accessibilities show a view of beliefs and values that each party have. I compliment the Republicans for choosing a city that is currently rebuilding after the I35 bridge collapsed a year prior to the first day of the RNC. This choice shows the pride and persistence to bounce back after such a devastating occurrence as this was. The DNC’s selection encourages political involvement, demonstration and dialogue. These Conventions are a glimpse into the parties goals for the future and a look into the way they plan on accomplishing their objectives.