The calm before the storm, literally . Somehow appropriate alongside the air of uncertainty surrounding what this week's RNC will shape up to look like considering Hurricane Gustav , much of St. Paul seemed like a ghost town on Sunday (though there were protests , and much activity leading into the start of the week ).
Above: Click play to listen
Buzz surrounding Monday's march(es) seems to be growing but for the most part the streets were empty on Sunday, almost to a point that you'd peer around for tumbleweeds to roll by -- or whip, rather, because of the gusty, shifty wind that served as a constant reminder of Gustav.
We ran into our first visible activist as we were getting credentialed and scouting downtown, and though we were on a tight schedule, we found some wind shelter in the form of a parking garage enclave and I chatted with he and Gloria (recording and instantly uploading our conversation to Utterz via my iPhone).
Jim, a St. Paul (New Brighton) native whose father served during Word War II, said he was very concerned about McCain's voting record regarding support for veterans, despite the Republican candidate's military background. He claimed that across the board, veterans groups like Disabled American Veterans and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans have given Barack Obama much better ratings.
Jim, if you're reading this, feel free to fill in the blanks in the comments section.
To all other readers: ironically check the records for yourself via Project Vote Smart , which McCain helped found in 1992 alongside 40 other national officials.
Also: which candidate do you trust more to support our troops via pay/pension, tour-length, benefits, armor, political decision-making, etc. -- and why?
