The Warrior Princess reports in from her attendance at First Lady Laura Bush's speech in St. Paul on Friday. As a teaser, let me mention her piece does include reference to Sen. Norm Coleman's wife Laurie Coleman, and this line:
... minor unintentional groping inevitably occurs in crowd settings ...
Happy Fathers Day from Fraters Libertas
Ah, the campaign season. After an hour of standing in line outside the St. Paul Rivercentre the Republican Party faithful, of whom I am one, were ushered into a stuffy ballroom where we proceeded to stand for another hour and a half before the festivities began. It was tedious as expected, though amusing nonetheless. The woman behind me knew a good one about a Priest, a Baptist, and a Pentecostal, and there was a minor rift of excitement when not just one but two, count them two choir girls passed out on stage in quick succession. Well into hour three the MC was trying to space out speakers as long as possible, as our main speaker was running a mite bit late. The poor man ran out of material pretty fast, but I'd say we were a pretty gracious lot, and we continued to stand and talk amongst ourselves.
It's always kind of interesting to hear people's stories. Where are you from, how'd you get invited, do you know my cousin Rufus from Wayzata, that kind of thing. And as minor unintentional groping inevitably occurs in crowd settings, it's a little more comforting for me to be assured that the woman behind me who keeps brushing my rear end is just Grandma Anderson, the retired schoolteacher from Maplewood.
Our warm up speakers included Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer, Governor Tim Pawlenty, and Laurie Coleman, wife of Senator Norm Coleman, all qualified and entertaining speakers in their own right. But we stood and waited for a different purpose. The goal of our fortitude was to get a glimpse of the First Lady of the United States. We were not disappointed.
When the First Lady took the stage we forgot about our numb legs and our aching backs, and we listened intently. She gave a typical stump speech for the Presidential campaign seeking to invigorate the grass roots loyalists, but its predictability did not detract from our interest, because First Lady Laura Bush possesses a rare but dignified quality that draws in every ear within her reach. Grace.
First Lady Laura Bush has a wonderful ability to connect with an audience because every air of her demeanor displays a message to the audience that she is one of us. Her tone is humble and jovial, her words unassuming, and her voice soothing. She exudes in a word, grace.
In 2000, I had the opportunity to hear Hillary Clinton speak, and though I no longer remember the substance of her speech, I still remember the separation we felt as an audience. She was not one of us, and it was clear she did not desire to be, or want us to think she was. Her tone was edgy and hard. Her demeanor did not seek to invite us in, but to elevate herself in our eyes. The contrast between the two is astounding.
Long after the majority of the crowd had left, First Lady Laura Bush continued to work the rope line, talking, joking, and taking pictures. The TV crews had gotten their shots, the PR muscle had stopped caring, there was no publicity reason for her to continue to take the time and energy to shake our hands and make small talk with strangers she would probably never set eyes on again. The only reason I can think of is that the attitude she displays on stage must be genuine, the humility of her words and demeanor sincere, and the grace in her air authentic. She truly must be one of us, and the best part of us at that.
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