Here’s my take from the first day – which was mostly meet and greet. Later in the evening former Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo delivered a predictable speech on immigration reform and the health care bill – an updated version of his 2008 stump speeches during his short-lived presidential campaign — as the audience munched on warm hors d’oeuvres (not crumpets, oh well) and sipped on cocktails. “People who could not spell the word vote or say it in English put a committed socialist ideologue in the White House,” Tancredo opened. “Name is Barack Hussein Obama.” The audience hooped and applauded.

The presence of more than 100 credentialed media was a bit of a distraction. Obviously unused to dealing with certain media outlets, I’m told by TIME colleagues that Judson Phillips – the convention’s main organizer – was at first taken aback when an al Jazeera correspondent introduced herself to him. “Do you have a problem with my outlet?” she asked when he didn’t shake her hand. “Yes, I’m an American,” Phillips responded. But, by later that night, he’d clearly spoken with his media advisors because he made a point of welcoming al Jazeera along with the rest of the media. (As a side note, all the local Nashville press were left out.)