THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 16, 1996 TAG: 9608160720
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: 108 lines
Just one more jock joke, courtesy of the Guv
The eyes of the nation were on him, and Gov. George F. Allen literally passed the test.
It all happened close to midnight Eastern time Wednesday night, when Allen rose to report the vote of Virginia's 53 convention delegates. Bob Dole needed only a handful of votes to officially claim the GOP presidential nomination, and Virginia, like a number of states before it, passed on giving its tally so that Dole's home state of Kansas could put him officially over the top.
Allen did it with style.
``We are pleased to do what Jack Kemp did on so many occasions as a quarterback,'' said Allen, referring to the GOP vice presidential nominee's days as a professional football player. ``We pass.''
Allen, a former University of Virginia quarterback, then took a small Nerf football and lobbed a perfect spiral across the aisle to Sam Brownback of Kansas, the Republican nominee to succeed Dole in the Senate. The pass brought laughs and applause from the convention floor.
Time for a ``spontaneous reaction:'' You have 3 minutes
On television it looks like spontaneous bursts of unrestrained enthusiasm.
Hardly.
Turns out the delegates are told - by a cadre of Republican convention floor lieutenants called whips - when to stand and when to sit, when to shout and when to stop.
``I know it seems a little organized,'' says one whip, Audrey Scott, a Maryland delegate. ``But the effect has been wonderful.''
The ``spontaneous reactions'' are so precisely timed that the convention schedule allotted three minutes, not a second more, for celebrating when Bob Dole went over the top in Wednesday night's roll call.
McCain's place in the sun was secured in seconds
They were in a hotel elevator on the way to a midday meet-and-greet reception when the cell phone in his pocket rang.
Sen. John McCain, with his wife, Cindy, and his press secretary, Nancy Ives, by his side, pulled out the antenna and answered. It was Bob Dole.
McCain immediately started to rave about the convention program the night before. But Dole, ever direct, cut him off.
``Will you nominate me tomorrow?'' Dole asked.
``Sure,'' McCain said.
``OK. My staff will contact yours,'' Dole said.
``I love you, Bob.'' McCain gushed, according to McCain aide Deb Gullett. ``Thank you for this honor.''
``OK, bye,'' Dole said.
Click.
The whole conversation took just seconds.
McCain's staff cleared his schedule, arranged to have his four youngest children, ages 5 to 12, flown in from Phoenix, and notified his three oldest children from a previous marriage so they and their families (in Phoenix, New York City and Virginia Beach) could be sure to tune in on TV.
For the rowdy stuff, check out the Internet
On television, this Republican National Convention was one of the most tightly scripted ever. The rowdy, chaotic stuff of real political debate? That's on the Internet.
This is the first major political event to be hosted live online, where it's impossible to control what users read and watch. What's available? Sound, text and video, live audio messages from Republican luminaries from the convention floor, and freewheeling debates in ubiquitous chat rooms.
Go to the home page hosted by convention organizers and up pops an imposing blue-and-white picture with Mount Rushmore and the Statue of Liberty. A few button clicks away is news that the Iranian press is finding it difficult to write headlines about the convention because ``Dole'' in Farsi means ``penis.''
Bruce on the loose: Dole dissed his woman
Wondering why Bruce Willis hasn't been seen smirking and hobnobbing with the politicos at the GOP convention as he did for George Bush? Blame Bob Dole. See, the Dolester blasted Demi Moore's sexy-trashy turn in ``Striptease'' as ``a sad waste of talent and human energy.'' And that so vexed Willis that he has kept away. He even faxed a statement to USA Today: ``Sen. Dole's comments entertainment industry. We cannot rule out the possibility that Sen. Dole never actually saw `Striptease' . . . or perhaps he simply didn't understand.'' However, Willis says, ``I'm very excited about Sen. Dole's choice of Jack Kemp as a running mate. I plan to vote Republican, and I hope they win.''
Dig out the ol' shoebox - Kemp card's value soaring
A vice presidential nomination can do wonders for the popularity of a retired football player.
Since Jack Kemp was chosen as Bob Dole's running mate last week, there has been a rush of interest in the trading cards bearing Kemp's picture and statistics.
Kemp's 1960 Fleer rookie card, which had been valued at $300 early this month, is now being priced at up to $450.
``I'm getting 10 requests for (Kemp) rookie cards a day,'' said Adam Martin, co-owner of Dave & Adam's Card World in Buffalo, N.Y. ``People say they really want the rookie card, but when I tell them it's $300, they change their mind. But the next time they call, it will be $400 and the next time, $500.''
Etc. . . .
Comedian Mark Russell was strolling the floor Wednesday night sporting a ``Win With Hoover'' button. ``He's looking better every day,'' Russell said. . MEMO: Compiled from reports by staff writers Robert Little and Warren
Fiske, and from wire services. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
HUY NGUYEN/The Virginian-Pilot
KEYWORDS: REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION 1996 by CNB