NC delegates were glad that the Gulf Coast survived Hurricane Gustav and that the convention could begin to make the case last night for the McCain-Palin ticket. They were ready for some fiery speeches. After getting their delegation photo taken upon arrival at the Xcel Energy Center and going through security checks, delegates settled in to hear from several speakers, including Laura Bush and Pres. Bush. Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) stopped by to visit with some delegates on the floor. He had addressed delegates the day before at their caucus. The theme of the night, “Country First” was highlighted by several video clips of American military heroes, including the Iraq war hero, Michael Mansoor, who saved his fellow soldiers by falling on top of a live grenade.

The highlights of the night were speeches by former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-TN), who recalled Sen. McCain’s experience as a POW and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), who touted McCain’s courage. It was odd to be cheering on a Democrat at a GOP convention. Some of the NC delegates are seated so that they can read the speeches of each speaker on the teleprompter as the speech is made. It makes you realize how scripted these events have become.

After the session ended, delegates attended several parties in Minneapolis. One was sponsored by AT&T and another by HuckPAC, former Gov. Mike Huckabee’s PAC. At his party, Gov. Huckabee joined his band in playing many rock and roll and country favorites by Leonard Skynard, Alabama and others. Huckabee played the guitar almost all night. He looked much more relaxed than he would have been had he been the VP choice. During the party, Gov. Huckabee also auctioned off some musical instruments to benefit charity.