The very first speaker of the evening was Tom Cole, head of the NRCC (the Republican House Conference’s political arm), who delivered about two minutes of remarks regarding why voters should send Republicans to Congress.
The Oklahoma delegation delivered a nice ovation. Obviously, it was early, so there were certainly a few empty seats.
Tom got this slot due to his NRCC position, but if they’d have given him 20 minutes to talk about the Presidential race, he would have had the crowd on its feet. He’s a fantastic speaker.