One of the traditions at the Republican National Convention is the roll call, in which the delegates from each state and territory announce their votes for president. Yesterday, the delegates were bound to vote as their constituents voted, leading Donald Trump to be officially nominated by the Republican Party. One of the delegates is elected to speak for the others from their state. The process takes a while, not only because there are 56 states and territories, but also because each state takes time to brag about its accomplishments, natural beauty, and/or conservative credentials.

Topics mentioned ran the entire gamut, from Wyoming (whose introduction included “Home of Reagan conservatives, rugged individualism, [and] the majestic Tetons”) to American Samoa (whose delegates proudly drew attention to the fact that they are “the greatest exporter of NFL players”).

Illinois’ moment on the big screen avoided much of the extreme bragging. The Illinois delegation chose to focus their words on their elected officials, although not going as far as Indiana (“which under the strong, conservative leadership of vice presidential nominee Gov. Mike Pence has a $2 billion surplus with over 150,000 private-sector new jobs since 2013”). Instead, Illinois stuck with a much simpler line. They completely ignored all of the budget problems in the state, but took time to call Bruce Rauner “the finest governor in our nation.” It was perhaps fitting that the delegation from a state lacking both a functioning budget and a large number of Republican members of Congress would stick to a simple, short introduction.