 "Photo: Photo courtesy of The New York Times")
On Labor Day, while thousands of students were relaxing and having fun, there were thousands of Republicans in Minneapolis for the opening day of the Republican National Convention.
One was Larry Wahl, council member and Butte County chairman of John McCain for President.
The convention received less media coverage than the Democratic National Convention, Wahl said. He thinks the reason is because the Democratic convention started first.
But that does not make the Republican convention any less important, he said. It is an essential part of the election - an election Wahl thinks it is the most significant of his 65 years of life.
"It is a critical time in our history, both on the world scene and on the domestic scene," Wahl said. "McCain's the guy that can bring this country together."
Senior A.J. Kuck, Chico State Republicans president, thinks the producers of the convention are toning it down to reflect the personality of McCain, he said. The convention will allow voters to separate McCain from the media hype surrounding Barack Obama.
Throughout the week, there have been prominent Republicans speaking at the convention, including President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and that was just Monday's schedule.
The speakers vary in political orientations, from more conservative speakers such as former governors Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee and former Sen. Fred Thompson to moderate speakers, such as Sen. Joe Lieberman and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, said Steve Thompson, chairman of the Butte County Republicans.
McCain does not follow party lines as much as his fellow Republicans, which is why he is often considered to be moderate, Thompson said.
"The Republican Party doesn't tell John McCain what to do," Thompson said. "John McCain tells them what to do."
One issue that is important no matter how liberal, moderate or conservative a candidate is, is the economy, he said.
"Whichever candidate can show an aggressive plan for economic recovery will give him a definite boost," Thompson said.
International relations, which include the War on Terror and the war in Iraq, will also be discussed throughout the convention.
Thursday, McCain is scheduled to accept the Republican nomination for president.
Both party conventions will have ended and the two main candidates for president will be official, bringing voters closer to the November election when the next president of the United States will be decided.
"I'm confident that when people watch the convention and see his unparalleled record of leadership and service that they will agree that McCain's the right person to lead our country," Wahl said.
Katherine Jarvis can be reached at kjarvis@theorion.com
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