McCain's speech: Passion from The Maverick
Convention Day 4 – I made my way from our delegation section to where the press was standing. There I had a straight view of Sen. McCain as he spoke of the love for his country and how as President he will reform Washington, noting: “I don’t work for special interest. I don’t work for myself. I work for you.”
My eyes welled with pride as he spoke of his service to this county and his time as a POW. His speech touched just about every aspect of the platform that I participated in creating 10 days ago, everything from vetoes of big spending projects, to keeping taxes low, to school choice. His speech delivery was passionate, something you don’t often see from The Maverick. At-large alternate from Calvert County, Kevin Igoe, notes that he did a great job in taking on his own party and notes that he wants to bring change to the Washington crowd. Of his running mate, the senator stated: “I was proud to introduce her to America. But I can’t wait to introduce her to Washington.”
My dad, 84, was a Baltimore City Democrat most of his life. He switched to Republican as I got more involved with politics. Yet, he wanted to vote for a woman as president in his lifetime. He couldn’t understand why the women of this country were not rallying around the New York senator in her bid for president. “Because, Dad,” I told him, “it has to be the right woman. We won't vote for just any woman. It has to be someone we feel comfortable with and be proud of.” Sarah Palin is that woman. This morning, as I repacked my suitcases so I could concentrate on the fun of the evening, I recalled that back in May, Don Murphy mentioned Gov. Palin to me as a person whom he thought would be a great VP. “She’s pro-life, a lifetime NRA member, mother of five children and she fought the big oil companies,” he said. After some Internet research, when folks would ask who I thought should be the VP, I would say Sarah Palin. I hope the folks out in Western Maryland, where I am the McCain regional director, are feeling their needs are being met on the issue of the Second Amendment with McCain’s selection. A good turnout in that region, with high percentage vote for McCain, is imperative. My friends in Western Maryland: Don’t sit this one out. There is too much in the balance.
The evening, of course, ended with the falling of 3,000 balloons and 300 pounds of confetti – some of which were circular imprinted with the faces of John and Cindy McCain.
Oh, yeah. The red phone attached to the chair in front of me did blink: Wednesday night, just before the roll call. The voice on the other end wanted to know the name of the person who would be presenting the vote.
Carmen Amedori, 52, is a resident of Westminster and was a state delegate representing Carroll County from 1998 to 2004, when she was appointed by then-Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. to serve on the Maryland Parole Commission. A native of Baltimore and graduate of Villa Julie College, Amedori worked as a paralegal and journalist while raising two daughters, before entering the world of politics. She was one of the few elected officials in Maryland who supported John McCain when he ran for president in 2000, and was an alternate delegate at that year's convention. Her backing has not wavered, and this year, Amedori is the Western Maryland regional director for McCain. She has also been cleared to be a surrogate — meaning she has the blessing to speak on McCain’s behalf when called upon.
Cheryl Miller, 55, and her husband, Michael, coordinate the Volunteers for Obama office in Anne Arundel County. She is an Annapolis resident and mother of two who runs a home-based event planning business. Despite studying political science at Lycoming College in Pennsylvania, Miller was not particularly involved in politics until this year. She was invited to a fund-raiser last fall, and soon found herself immersed in the Obama campaign, working phone banks and traveling to Ohio and Pennsylvania to door-knock. This will be her first convention.