RNC buildout, Day 10: Blogger’s Row

posted at 7:15 pm on July 30, 2008 by Ed Morrissey

The Xcel Center and the Republican convention planners invited the local media to tour the venue on Day 10 of the buildout for the convention.  I brought the video camera along to see the differences and to get an idea of how they would arrange the accommodations for New Media as well as the traditional press corps.  As it turns out, they’ve already made quite a bit of headway, and the digs are taking shape already:

Our tour guides today were the convention’s Press Secretary Joanna Burgos and Deputy Press Secretary Melissa Subbotin.  Parts of the tour weren’t terribly well lit, but it was good enough to shoot.  The outlines of the layout are pretty clear, and it looks well thought out.

For those who will be blogging from the convention, Blogger Row appears at about 6:40 in the video.  Bloggers in this area will sit in two tiers, and as you can see, they will all have a clear view of the convention floor.  In 2004, we got positioned adjacent to Radio Row at a few long tables.  That actually helped in landing interviews — a lot of VIPs passed by our table — but it kept us from seeing most of the activity in the main hall at Madison Square Garden.

In fact, we will get better seats than those in Radio Row this time.  The Radio Row denizens may get a better view of the protestors outside, although it’s more likely that they will be quite a ways away from the entrance to the Xcel Center.  Radio Row is the last part of the video tour.

If you want a free trip to St. Paul as a blogger, you can enter a contest at the RNC’s convention blog (via Jazz Shaw).  Sharpen up your video skills and submit your entry to their YouTube channel, and you could win a 3-day, 2-night trip and a day on the campaign trail with John McCain:

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For those who will be blogging from the convention, Blogger Row appears at about 6:40 in the video. Bloggers in this area will sit in two tiers, and as you can see, they will all have a clear view of the convention floor.

It’s good to see that the New Media’s getting good seats. We’ll be expecting a lot out of you, Ed! Make us proud! :-)

Tony737 on July 30, 2008 at 7:23 PM

Ed, are you collecting some stills for a future time lapse sequence?

RushBaby on July 30, 2008 at 7:42 PM

Oh, Nevermind.

I thought the subject was something else; I received a letter from the RNC asking me to go out and start recruiting people to become paying members of the RNC.

I sent the letter back to them, telling them I would feel very uncomfortable trying to convince people to join and send money when the only reason for joining is that the RNC sucks very slightly less than the DNC.

LegendHasIt on July 30, 2008 at 7:43 PM

Wow,just wow,I’ve never seen the behind the scenes
of all the work thats involved into making of a
convention center!

This should be really cool when the RNConvention
starts,live blogging of Hot Air,and the week of
the convention should be awesome!Can’t wait!:)

canopfor on July 30, 2008 at 7:45 PM

Do the Rs have a candidate yet?

tarpon on July 30, 2008 at 7:50 PM

tarpon on July 30, 2008 at 7:50 PM

Yeah, but he’s taking a nap.

lorien1973 on July 30, 2008 at 7:55 PM

I’m sure the men’s room will be well stocked with Depends.

Zorro on July 30, 2008 at 7:56 PM

I want certain bloggers to have a run-in with certain MSM people; Dan Rather, will he somehow get in the building? That would be good.

ParisParamus on July 30, 2008 at 8:10 PM

Couldn’t John McCain’s daughter show her Dad how to use a computer keyboard, to you know leave a comment like this one.

That would be a Kool add to put out, okay I’m John McCain and my daughter Meyghan skooled me, I am ready to text now. I am ready to guest blog, where is all the “Hot Air” not Al Gore’s talking points, the website.

That would be a cuter Youtube Video. No Daddy you don’t need parental blocking software to keep the Huffington Post from popping up, we just won’t bookmark Arriana SMILE.

Dr Evil on July 30, 2008 at 8:51 PM

In comparison to the Democrat Convention Debacle, are the Republicans keeping within budget?

Are they restricting food or allowing food liberty?
Is there a place for smokers?
How “ungreen” are they?

Inquiring minds want to know so they can smile and be satisfied.

Mommynator on July 31, 2008 at 9:16 AM

the subject of my youtube video submission will be “why I’ll vote GOP for the last time on 11/4/08″.

Seriously though, this is a golden opportunity for folks like Michelle M., Ann C. and others true conservative heavy hitters to submit videos with serious hard hitting critiques of the GOP and the open bordes/globalists who’ve hijacked our party. They have the means to do so where as most of us don’t. DD

Think about it.

Darvin Dowdy on July 31, 2008 at 9:54 AM

I hope there will be some buildup on that bloggers’ row area. With that narrow ledge, your cords and coffee will certainly end up on the heads of the delegates below.

eeyore on July 31, 2008 at 10:20 AM