A DELEGATE’S JOURNAL

Editor’s note — Jenny Honeycutt, a first-time Republican National Convention delegate from South Carolina, is sharing her daily convention journal.

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NEW YORK — I woke up Thursday to South Carolina’s own Lindsey Graham being interviewed on “Fox and Friends.”

He emphatically concurred with the prime-time speech delivered by Democratic U.S. Sen. Zell Miller of Georgia.

“The radical liberals of the Democrat Party abandoned Zell Miller and millions of other moderate Democrats across the nation,” Graham said.

We had a lovely breakfast at the Plaza Hotel. Afterward, Susan Allen, the wife of U.S. Sen. George Allen of Virginia, addressed our delegation. She mentioned her grandmother and other family members of our delegation who live in South Carolina.

She recognized South Carolina as a “role model” for other states and said she “wished there were more.”

Then there was a joint caucus meeting with delegations from South Carolina, Louisiana and Virginia.

Kay Cole James, President Bush’s director of the Office of Personnel Management, addressed the joint caucus.

“There was no pastel patriotism at this convention,” she said. “It is red, white and blue.”

She also railed against the politics of victimization and praised the president’s equal opportunity and equal access agenda.

Ralph Reed, former national director of the Christian Coalition turned Bush strategist, then explained the importance of the Southeast’s role in this election.

At noon Katon Dawson, Cindy Costa and Buddy Witherspoon met with President Bush at the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria.

He was in his usual positive mood and very upbeat about what he was going to share with the American people about the accomplishments of his administration as well as his vision for America’s future.

As I traveled the streets of New York with my dad, Louie Costa, for a little afternoon shopping, we were excited to see that the enthusiasm behind President Bush had spilled over from Madison Square Garden into the streets of New York.

From store clerks to sidewalk vendors, people were talking about the successes of the Bush administration — even all the “W” merchandise is gone.

Jenny Honeycutt, 24, is the youngest delegate in the S.C. contingent. The Charleston native plans to graduate in December from the USC School of Law.