CivicFest '08.

The Republican National Convention is in St. Paul and Minneapolis is hosting Civic Fest. It is all things Presidential and my parents and I went Saturday.

My mom, with my dad behind her---directing, advising, critiquing---took this picture of me. I just wanted to show you, my peeps, how big this big*ss flag was. My father was concerned with getting the stripes to be parallel to the floor and my mom was concerned with taking the picture.

Each president had a display of information and whatnot regarding their presidency, their wives, the issues of their presidency, and their election ephemera.

This is part of Bill Clinton's case. I took the picture to show you the 3D hat in the upper left corner. I kid you not. Someone devised this hat to be extra special.

It looks like your everyday normal baseball hat. But, wait! The bill flips up to reveal the presidential seal, a silhouette of President Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, the Capitol......all displayed on your forehead in pop-up book, 3D fashion.

This was part of President G.W. Bush's case:

A commemorative plate with an inaugural dinner invitation, chadfetti, what looks to be a shot glass(??? I didn't notice this when I was there in person???), playing cards and various familiar bumper stickers and such.

I was struck by how much stuff....STUFF....we have compared to eras early presidents. Obviously, we are a much different society and this is just one facet of how differently we live. We are an industrial, consumer nation and that is reflected in the declarations we make and how we make said declarations of whom we support to be president.

Take a look at George Washington's inaugural dinner plate. A sunburst with a banner in the center surrounded by a chain linked wreath displaying the names of each of the first 13 states he was now responsible for leading successfully in democracy.

Stuff like that gets the history teacher all emotional. What must have President Washington been thinking at his inaugural supper?

What was President Washington worried about (everything??? I would be.)?

What was President Washington planning on doing his first day in office?

What was Martha Washington wearing and how was it received by the press......wait, was there press then?