Last night, GraniteGrok went to the reception for Ovide Lamontagne. It is our understanding that about 80 odd folks had RSVP’d but by my count, over 160 were in the room as the evening’s proceedings played out. The downside to trying to live stream the event was that Windows 7 just would not attach to the WiFi at the hotel (as usual with all things Microsoft, reboots fixes most all ills). The upside is DaTechGuy showed up with his lovely bride so we were able to have some chit-chat in between everything (and we did a bit of a GrokTALK! commentary which I will post later once I process the audio from the evening. He also posted up some pictures and interviews here (even got my good side!).
Jeff Chidester served as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening – and given he is a political activist himself, he can always add “commentary quips” that most cannot. In this clip, NH State Senator Jim Luther gave the invocation, Di Lothrup lead us all in the Pledge, and the Peters children played their violins “My Country ‘Tis of Thee”:
One of the speakers in favor of Ovide’s candidacy was Sandra Ziehm – video after the jump:
Listening to twenty or so people give political speeches in succession may well be worse than being water-boarded. Listening to twenty or so political speeches in an air-conditioned room with close to 300 people who (more or less) are on board with just about everything that is likely to be said at that kind of event is choir practice. But having that kind of access to that many candidates for three hours is priceless.