by Mike Lesko

Associate Editor

Stow -- Although Stow Ward 1 Councilor Matt Riehl attended the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., it wasn't the first time he saw U.S. Sen. John McCain in person.

In July of 2007, Riehl volunteered to pick up McCain at Cleveland Hopkins Airport and escorted him around Cleveland. McCain, who flew in from Washington, D.C., was arriving for a fundraiser.

"He had gone from front-runner to last in the presidential race and had major layoffs in his campaign team," Riehl said. "He was flying commercially and carrying his own bags.

"We were walking around and people were doing a lot of double-takes," he said, chuckling.

Riehl got a peak at what it is like to be a presidential candidate.

"Sen. McCain is a very personable guy," Riehl said. "I felt at ease with him.

"He jumped in the front seat and took a lot of calls from people like the national security adviser and the secretary of the Army.

"It was interesting to see what goes on in the day of a life of a candidate," he said.

Riehl also found it interesting Sept. 4 when he watched McCain accept the Republican Party's nomination for president. There was plenty of action before that occurred, though.

Riehl called it an unconventional convention because of the effect of Hurricane Gustav striking the Gulf Coast area.

"It went from a political rally to a full-scale volunteer push," he said. "The Ohio delegation pledged more than $20,000 to the American Red Cross. For a couple days, we dropped our party label and helped our fellow neighbors."

On Sept. 2, Riehl heard a speech by former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson, who is perhaps better known for his appearances on TV's "Law and Order."

On Sept. 3, he sat in on speeches by Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York City, and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, McCain's vice presidential choice.

On Sept. 4, he listened to McCain's speech, which provided Riehl with his most memorable moment of the convention.

"Balloons were falling, and everyone was cheering," he said. "It was amazing to be on the floor with all that going on.

"I was an early supporter of Sen. McCain," he said. "I jumped on board in 2007."

Riehl said the Ohio delegation had prime seats.

"We were front and center the first three days," he said. "On the final day, they moved the stage out. The Ohio delegation was split in half and was on either side of the stage.

"I got a lot of text messages from people saying they saw me on TV," he said.

"Being at the convention was a surreal experience," he said. "We were involved in the footsteps of history."

Riehl said each day the Ohio delegation also conducted its own events and had guest speakers including Lynn Swann, Pittsburgh Steelers Hall-of-Fame wide receiver and unsuccessful candidate for governor of Pennsylvania.

Riehl got to meet former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, CBS News anchorperson Katie Couric, NBC News White House correspondent David Gregory and TV personality Ben Stein.

Riehl was able to attend because he previously filed to become an Ohio delegate for the 14th Congressional District. He arrived Aug. 29 and returned home Sept. 5, traveling with some friends from high school and college.

"I was an honor to be involved," he said.

E-mail: mlesko@recordpub.com

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