ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, August 13, 1996 TAG: 9608130073
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-6 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: CONVENTION NOTEBOOK
DATELINE: SAN DIEGO
SOURCE: WARREN FISKE AND ROBERT LITTLE STAFF WRITERS
But for a few Mississippians, Virginians have one of the clearest views of the podium of any delegation in the San Diego Convention Center. The state's 53-delegate contingent is a scant 10 or so rows from the front.
The convention center ceiling is so low - only about 27 feet high - and the room so oblong that lesser delegations were seated halfway to the Mexican border. Only about 10 states - Virginia included - have straight sight lines around the television cameras, which, of course, have the finest seats of all.
The best-placed states: Kansas and Mississippi. Bob Dole hails from Kansas, and GOP chairman Haley Barbour from Mississippi. This is, after all, a political convention.
So how did Virginia score so well? Most figure those last few decades of voting Republican didn't hurt. The Pat Robertson, George Allen, Ralph Reed celebrity status might have helped.
But the consensus among Virginia delegates is that their plum seat assignments are consolation for their lousy hotel accommodations.
While downtown San Diego is littered with posh high-rise hotels, the Virginia delegation scored rooms in the modest Holiday Inn Hotel Circle. A $12 cab from the convention, with a prime view of San Diego's busiest freeway, it's situated between the Econo Lodge and the Vagabond Inn.
``We're a respected delegation,'' said Virginia GOP chairman Randy Forbes, when asked about the seats.
And the hotel?
``The food wasn't bad.''
Down in front
Virginia's great convention seats might turn out to be a hindrance for the rowdiest, unruliest of the bunch.
At their first delegation meeting Sunday night, state party leaders asked the delegates not to wave any signs or chant any messages that might run counter to the unified tone the national party is hoping to project. The problem: Virginia is seated so close to the front, it's an easy target for the television cameras.
One particularly outspoken Virginia delegate, Eugene Delgaudio of Falls Church, pledged to defy the request, calling it an infringement on free speech.
"It was nauseating," Delgaudio said.
Few expected any flare-ups, though. While Delgaudio and other anti-abortion delegates have displayed their views in graphic detail in the past, this year most have resorted to an anti-Clinton or anti-liberal tack.
Ready with the gavel
To no one's surprise, Chesapeake resident Kay Coles James was named the convention's secretary Monday. The dean of government studies at Regent University will play a small but very conspicuous role in the proceedings Wednesday night when she calls the roll of the states and tallies their presidential nominations.
``I've been practicing in front of the mirror,'' said James, a former human services secretary under Gov. George Allen. ``That was just a joke, of course. I think I'm ready.''
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: HUY NGUYEN Landmark News Service. Gov. George Allen andby CNBhis wife, Susan, try out the computerized voting system at the
convention center Monday - a bit too soon. It apparently wasn't
hooked up yet. color. KEYWORDS: POLITICS PRESIDENT