Before we get into the politics, let’s talk about Cleveland the city. Obviously, my preference was for the Republican National Convention to be held in Denver, but I’ve been pretty impressed by Cleveland in the first of two weeks I’ll be here. Clevelanders are very friendly (even when I bring up “The Drive” from the 1987 Broncos-Browns Playoff Game), the city is very walkable, clean, well lit and has a lot of history. I truly think it has shed its “Mistake By The Lake” nickname. In fact, Lake Erie is pretty beautiful, blue and big. (It is, after all, a Great Lake).

Security is very tight. Apparently this event has been assessed at the highest threat level. Getting into my small Platform Committee meeting involved having valid credentials (no exceptions – even proving I’m a state representative and an RNC delegate wasn’t enough), security screenings (I had to remove all items from all pockets, and get wanded on every entry into my meetings, including re-entry) and blockades. Starting early Thursday morning, officials started putting up barricades and fences and closing off streets around the city. Helicopters are constantly patrolling overhead, there are uniformed personnel on just about every street corner and uniformed patrols are a regular sight. Sunday night’s kick-off event had security similar to what you’d find at an airport. It bottlenecked entry into the event, creating huge lines, and most delegates had to wait north of 90 minutes to get in – probably a harbinger of what’s to come this week. Security now makes Cleveland almost resemble a war zone or a prison and not the country of liberty and freedom that I love.

Now to the politics. My fellow delegates elected me to serve as Colorado’s male representative on the Platform Committee. Each state and U.S. territory has one male and one female representative on each of the four standing committees (the Platform, Rules, Credentials and Permanent Organization Committees). The Platform Committee lays out the principles the Republican Party stands for. It is updated or changed every four years at the national convention. It was truly and honor to serve, and I was energized by the constitutional conservative tone from delegates all of the country. Colorado had 10 1/2 of our 12 amendments to the platform adopted by the committee. We were also very verbal and effective in supporting or killing other amendments. Colorado’s mark is definitely on this Republican platform.

The end result was arguably the most conservative platform in the history of the party. The term “conservative” means different things to different people, but I define conservative as something that is constitutionally sound, focuses on individual rights and liberties, calls for shrinking the size and scope of government, protects those innocent lives who cannot protect themselves, promotes traditional American values and puts our national interests and sovereignty first. The document is by no means perfect, but it is the strongest statement of values I’ve seen from the GOP. We saw very little to no push-back from our presumptive nominee’s people, even though he himself doesn’t represent these values. The only push-back we got was from the Arkansas attorney general (an early Trump supporter) about using Article I impeachment powers. (I can only hope no one is planning on some FDR-style court packing if elected.)

Colorado has been the epicenter of the Free The Delegates movement. National GOP chairman Reince Priebus and the Trump campaign had a pretty good whip team on the Rules Committee. They were actually using a whiteboard as a cue card to tell their people how to vote. This was all what I observed while watching the Rules Committee (getting guest credentials was difficult). They knew that had the votes, and it was clear that anything Colorado’s Rules Committee members proposed was to be voted down, even if they were good rules changes like supporting closed primaries. It was pretty clear there was a vindictive tone from the RNC chairman and his Trump campaign allies. I don’t think that was professional, nor do I think it did anything to help unify the party. Not to be outdone, the Credentials Committee had some drama. A few Coloradoans – with the assistance of a former Coloradoan – contested the seating of the at-large members of the Colorado delegation. That was killed in committee, because the challenge was, in fact, without merit.

We still have four days of business to go and anything can happen. I’m looking forward to the fight to get our country back to the constitutional republic our founders envisioned.