 The image of former mayor Ed Koch adorned signs asking New Yorkers to be kind to the GOP. (Globe Photo / Joe Tabacca) |
Republican convention puts many in NYC on edgePage 2 of 2 -- Republicans want to tout President Bush's credentials in the war on terrorism.
"What made New York go from the Great Satan to the GOP's new hometown is 9/11," said James P. Pinkerton, a former aide to Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. "Between the snobs in the Upper East Side and the counterculturists of the West Village, New York is a place Republicans feel an attraction-repulsion dynamic. It's, 'Even though we travel here, don't be fooled, we still hate you.' That's sort of the Republican view." Still, the city has been buzzing with preparations in the days since Democrats ended their convention in Boston. Madison Square Garden has been handed over to the GOP, which is transforming the sports arena into a fortress. Not too far away, the party's headquarters is bustling with activity, and police officers are practicing terrorism drills in Times Square. Luther McKoy, who works in lower Manhattan, is so worried about an attack that he plans to stay away from Manhattan, especially the financial district, as much as possible during the convention. "They are putting a target over New York," said McKoy, 49, of the Bronx. To make sure Republicans at least feel safe and wanted during their stay, Ed Koch, the former Democratic mayor who was appointed by Governor George E. Pataki to be a welcome wagon, will greet them with open arms. A total of 15,000 volunteers from New York City and parts of New Jersey will welcome the Republicans at airports, hotels, and on shopping sprees along glitzy Madison Avenue. "We have had more conventions than any city," boasted Koch. "We can do this convention on our toes." Organizers have prepared an itinerary fit for a United Nations diplomat, including parties, fashion shows, Broadway plays, and even a country music concert in a city with no country radio station. Koch knows New Yorkers can be testy. Like a patriarch telling his clan to be on their best behavior, Koch reminds trash-talking New Yorkers in posters throughout the city: "Republicans are coming. Make nice." His words could fall on deaf ears. Authorities have said fringe groups are planning to disrupt the convention with a large bag of tricks, including the use of gunpowder and nitrate-laced tablets to confuse bomb-sniffing dogs on the trains so that Penn Station might be evacuated. Another concern is that protesters may have infiltrated the ranks of the volunteers. "I think they [Republicans] picked the wrong city," said Jaime Parks, a 22-year-old Columbia University law student. "There is going to be all this neoliberal protesting." Bill Dobbs, a New Yorker and the leader of United for Peace and Justice, the New York City-based national antiwar coalition that's planning to demonstrate during the convention, seemed almost giddy about the Republican's visit. "The Republicans certainly have a right to assemble and have a convention in New York because we are using our rights to assemble," said Dobbs. "And we can't wait for them to get here." Republicans are already making nice with New York, sending volunteers to do charitable work, including feeding the homeless. Standing in a food bank in the Bronx, young Republicans such as Boyle Adams were sorting and boxing food. Some New Yorkers have suggested the party's charitable acts are only to have something to show as television cameras pan to screaming protesters during the convention. Adams, however, said the volunteer work and the Republican presence is "just what's good for the city." "It's a whole different animal here," said Adams, a 19-year-old from Mississippi. "I've enjoyed it more than I thought. People were asking: 'Why are you going to New York? It's too dangerous.' "
Adams added: "I haven't felt awkward at all. Wherever you go people are going to disagree with you, but I haven't had conflicts over politics -- yet." © Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.
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