Local man sees differences between party conventions
By KEN BLACK, TIMES-REPUBLICANBetween rubbing shoulders with former Olympic swimmers and private concerts with Lee Greenwood, Marshalltown resident Dr. Abie Chadderdon has been able to get a little taste of politics at the Republican National Convention this week.
"Certainly, that first day, kind of being shut down by the hurricane, was interesting," he said.
Chadderdon's wife was able to attend a small event with the First Lady.
With the consolidated schedule, Chadderdon's first opportunity to hear any of the major political speeches took place Tuesday when former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., and Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., headlined the evening schedule. Thompson's speech, especially, was met with great enthusiasm, according to Chadderdon.
"Everyone kind of wondered why he didn't do more of that while he was running," he said.
Concerning Lieberman, Chadderdon said, "He was received well. I think people were pleased he was there but to be honest with you there wasn't near as much response as you might think."
Between the attending the Democratic National Convention last week and the Republican National Convention this week, Chadderdon said he has been able to see some stark contrasts.
Overall, the response to speeches has been muted, compared to what Chadderdon experienced at the Democrat's convention. While the doctor said he believes the commitment and excitement was there, he said in some cases it may be a matter of the type of delegates that attended each convention.
"The delegates were much younger in Denver," he said.
The focus on national security and the military is also more evident at Republican event, according to Chadderdon.
"There was a lot of honoring the military and what they do," he reported. "There was a lot more of that than at the Democratic Convention, anyway."
Overall, he said the Republican National Convention seems more organized. He awoke each morning in Denver unsure of what ancillary events he would be attending that day. However, each day in Minneapolis was planned out when he arrived on Monday.
So far, he said the talk of the convention has been about the speech of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, John McCain's running mate, though when Chadderdon spoke to the Times-Republican, she had yet to give it. Still, he said people were looking forward to it with eager anticipation.
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Contact Ken Black at 641-753-6611 or kblack@timesrepublican.com
