From Tampa, Florida -
I have covered twelve different major party conventions since 1988, and each one presents a different set of logistical and security issues; sometimes you get the shaft, sometimes the sun shines on you unexpectedly.
I had a bit of both this weekend in Tampa.
My hotel on the east side of Tampa seems to be home to several dozen personnel from U.S. Customs; it's provided some great stuff to eavesdrop on in the breakfast room as they describe some of their security work for the GOP convention.
Things started off well as I found my way easily to the main hotel where "pre-convention" credentials were being handed out - then I walked a few minutes and was suddenly in the Tampa Convention Center.
Like four years ago in St. Paul, Minnesota, the Republicans have found a very nice facility for a convention. Hopefully it will work out that way when the actual gathering convenes.
But after leaving the convention center with a smile on my face, I came back to find a parking ticket on my windshield.
It didn't seem to matter that the pay parking machine wouldn't work when I parked there. $25 please.
As I drove away from the city center of Tampa, I headed out to one of my delegation hotels. Coming off the freeway, I dug into my pocket for some quarters to pay the exit toll.
Hmmmm. That's not good. The quarters just keep going in and coming out.
Now the rental car company will probably get a ticket for me not paying the toll.
One good thing this year is that three of my delegations - Ohio, Oklahoma and Georgia - are in the same area, about 5-7 minutes apart.
Unfortunately the Florida delegation is located so far away that they need their own area code. They are being punished for having an early primary and are about a 45-60 minute drive away from the convention site.
As one might expect, the delegates are in a good mood, no matter the bad weather and the delays caused by Isaac.
Most of these people are political animals who have been dreaming about being a delegate at a convention for a long time; they know many of the other delegates, and so a good time is being had by all.
It is also nice to see that so many delegates have brought their nieces to Tampa.
Ahem.
I hung out in the lobby at the Georgia and Ohio hotels on both Saturday and Sunday, trolling for delegates, and did quite well - though there is another story about Georgia's GOP in my other blog.
The message was pretty simple - these Republicans feel very confident that they can drive home a message about economic issues, channeling the Ronald Reagan line against Jimmy Carter, of 'are you better than you were four years ago?'
Republicans said that should be a winning argument for them in November.
But back to more important issues, like finding a good meal at a place on the water where they serve cheap beer.
Maybe some of the delegates will even get to the back side of the Tampa airport, where the screaming signs say, "WELCOME GOP DELEGATES."
Yes, those are strip clubs. And there's not just a few of them to choose from on Dale Mabry.
Maybe they will get some extra "economic stimulus" with no convention session on Monday.
Now back to our regular program.
My parking space is a real winner at this convention, in a parking garage that is just a quick walk from the convention center.
I even found my own super-secret-totally-unknown entrance to get in to the building. The Secret Service guy smiled when I asked him how many people had come in his door.
"Not many," he said with a big grin.
Hopefully it will still be open at 5 a.m. when I return.
And just about the time that I figure things out in Tampa, it will be time to go to Charlotte.
