By the time I got in line for the Ronald Reagan Dinner, I was already a few minutes late. During check-in I was instructed to hurry up and find a seat. I figured there'd only be a few spots still available.
But when I walked into the ballroom it was the opposite: At each of the 10-person circular tables, spaced at intervals from the distant stage, there were more options than I could count. The empty place-settings seemed to outnumber those that were taken.
