It’s no secret. The first priority of national political
convention attendees is to nominate their presidential candidate.
The second is to party hardy. While delegates swarmed St. Paul,
excited to nominate their ticket (especially with the addition of
Sarah Palin), between Monday morning and Thursday evening when
Senator McCain was officially nominated, there were as many
convention-related parties to attend as there was political
business to facilitate. Many delegates, elected officials, and
lobbyists spent their evenings listening to speakers and watching
spiffy video montages, but afterward headed from the convention
hall to parties around the Twin Cities, eager to fulfill the
late-night mantra of many attendees: at conventions, there are
friends to make, networking to do, and parties to attend.
This year though, with the sudden appearance of Hurricane
Gustav, McCain asked that Monday’s convention proceedings be cut
down to the bare minimum. In obedience to their would-be
commander-in-chief, convention officials ended the convention,
business complete, within a few hours. On Tuesday, the full
schedule of convention events resumed as planned.
Beginning Monday night, though, and through the rest of the
week, lobbyists and representatives from dozens of national
associations and reputable companies like the National Rifle
Association and Lockheed Martin, among others, hosted parties
across the region to celebrate the convention.
It would be the first night of a week of partying, but given
that Hurricane Gustav had just slammed the shores of Louisiana,
some scolds didn’t feel it was right for Republicans to have a good
time, amid a pending disaster. On Tuesday morning, Good Morning
America aired a segment by reporter Brian Ross, from ABC News’
“The Money Trail,” about the parties that took place the night
before. With gusto, Ross chased down members of Congress,
lobbyists, and delegates enjoying the company of friends and fellow
coworkers to ask them, with obvious relish, how they could “wine
and dine” while residents of New Orleans were fleeing Hurricane
Gustav. He seemed thrilled when a member of the Republican National
Committee refused to speak to him and disappointed when some of the
folks he interviewed simply told him they were praying for the
hurricane victims and were sorry about what happened.
Indeed, despite Ross’s obvious attempt to discredit Republican
activists, most news outlets covered the bigger story of the day.
Though the convention program was cut short leaving a gaping hole
in the schedule, not all Republicans took off to party. Instead,
fundraising efforts replaced the cavity of
cancellations and attendees asked generous people to pledge their
money to help victims of Hurricane Gustav.
Ross didn’t acknowledge in the piece — nor did he probably
realize — that at least one of the gentlemen he spoke to at the
party is a prominent Minnesota businessman who publicly said
several Minnesota companies had come to him offering to give any
help they can to Gustav victims.
Though Ross asked a legitimate question of Republicans, he did
so in a way that seemed hell-bent on painting the partying as an
outright display of negligence. Had Gustav occurred a few days
earlier, would the same disapproval been issued to Democratic
delegates? What about your average Democrat wandering the streets
of St. Paul? Were they put to the same litmus test?
Ross demonstrated, in one short piece, the subliminal, obsessive
view of many Democrats and members of the liberal media, mainstream
or otherwise. Since George W. Bush was at the helm during Hurricane
Katrina and the much-needed aid in the aftermath was less than
stellar, Republicans as a whole bear the responsibility for it and
the results of any other future natural disaster. Behind the lights
of his glaring camera and through his trenchant questions, you
could almost hear Ross’s bias like a booming voiceover: just
like Republicans, those uncaring people; totally heedless of
others’ suffering.
Never mind the fact that the parties were paid for months ago;
that convention activities were shortened as requested and resumed
when appropriate. Never mind the time and effort Republicans spent
raising money on behalf of people, many of whom were not yet
victims of Gustav. Ross and like-minded members of the media
wouldn’t know the truth if it hit them like a hurricane.
