Bobby Cleveland, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is a delegate to the Republican National Convention.

Cleveland is the only Native American in Oklahoma's delegation. "This is my first national convention, and I don't know just what to expect," he tells The Norman Transcript.

He's also one of the state Republican Party's seven electors to the Electoral College, which selects the president. He hopes Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), the presumptive nominee, wins the election in November.

The Republican convention begins today in St. Paul Minnesota. The schedule has been changed radically to account for Hurricane Gustav, which is anticipated to hit land today in the Gulf Coast.

President George. W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney will no longer attend the convention as a result of the changes. The Bush administration was heavily criticized for its response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. McCain has vowed to do better if he is elected.

Get the Story:
Voting delegate looks forward to first convention (The Norman Transcript 8/31)

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