Doug Wead’s photo visit to the Republican National Convention

My first RNC was at the Cow Palace in San Francisco in 1964. I was eighteen years old. Barry Goldwater was the nominee. I talked my way into the lobby of the Mark Hopkins Hotel and drank Gold water out of a punch bowl. It was exciting. I shared the experience with Barry Goldwater, Jr. and his son backstage at the Ron Paul Rally in Tampa.

But nothing will ever compare to this 2012 convention. Let’s call it the “Brownshirt Convention.” The nominee, Mitt Romney, was apparently concerned lest there be a public demonstration. The downtown was like a concentration camp with barriers and fences keeping people in and others out. Armed guards outnumbered the people on the deserted streets.