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The Spectacle Blog
TAMPA — This feels familiar.
Four years ago, the first day of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul was canceled. Hurricane Gustav was heading toward the Gulf Coast, and GOP leaders didn’t want to appear insensitive in the event of a Katrina-like disaster. Fortunately, Gustav didn’t end up causing damage on that scale.
Today, day one of the RNC is canceled once again. This time it wasn’t just for sensitivity’s sake; Republican leaders were worried that Tropical Storm Isaac would make travel to the convention center difficult or impossible for delegates. As it turns out, Tampa has been only marginally more affected by Isaac than St. Paul was by Gustav. It’s been raining intermittently, but not enough to cause any major flooding, and the National Weather Service has canceled the tropical storm warning for the area. The convention could have easily gone on; most of the parties and sideline events outside the convention hall are continuing as planned. (UPDATE: Given the downpour that started about 10 minutes after this was posted, I should probably clarify that it’s not impossible that flooding could become a serious issue after all; it just hasn’t yet.)
But Isaac could still strike the Gulf Coast at hurricane strength, which raises the question of whether the party might want to cancel part of the procedings for the same reason they did during Gustav. On a conference call yesterday, a GOP spokesman wouldn’t rule out the possibility of changing the schedule again, even though they’ve already compressed a four-day program into three days.
Party conventions have (for a few reason) been scheduled later in recent cycles than in the past; 2004 was the first time that a convention was held in September. As it happens, hurricane season peaks in late August through September. If the convention schedules are at the mercy of the weather even outside the host city, perhaps it’s time to move the conventions back to July.
In the meantime, here’s hoping that Isaac stays relatively weak — and not primarily because of its effect on the RNC, of course.
View all comments (8) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by John Tabin
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/08/27/rnc-deja-vu
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ncatty| 8.27.12 @ 2:18PM
If New Orleans gets flushed, er, struck again by a hurricane will it still be Bush's fault?
hook| 8.27.12 @ 3:26PM
No it will be HALF Bush's and half Romney's
The media goes berserk when someone mentions Obama's transcripts or his lack of success as a leader, but it is OK to slime Romney's Mormonism and go nuts about Romney saying he was born in Mich. It was a similar joke to one that Obama made.
TeaPartyNow| 8.27.12 @ 3:16PM
I'm going to make an intelligent prediction. I am going to say that billions of Americans will care more about the outcome of Isaac, than the RNC. And that is based on the fact that neither party has anything of any real interest going on in 2012. The ratings are dead even at 47/46. No body cares. But something that effects us like a hurricane, oh yeah, people need to know that kind of stuff.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 8.27.12 @ 4:59PM
If you're going to make "an intelligent prediction", my recommendation would be not to use terms like "billions of Americans" when the Census Bureau puts the total population at 314,247,923. Are the other 685,752,077 plus residing in the other 57 states (with three left to go) that were referred to by Candidate Obama in the 2008 campaign?
spike59| 8.28.12 @ 7:00AM
you're wasting your time with TPN; logic eludes it, as is the case with most ProgLibs
TeaPartyNow| 8.28.12 @ 1:22PM
Most Americans could care less about the RNC. They actually had a story here yesterday stating that fact. And most Americans watch their local news, and will keep up on Isaac.
There's only 314 & 1/4 million people in the whole of America. Interesting, I wouldn't have guessed a number so low. & where did you find this, oh new liberal republican worshiping fool? On the internet? And you assume that I worship the left as much as you worship liberal republicans? Not the case. I believe that only the American People can turn this nation back towards freedom & prosperity. Unlike you, I depend on no liberal, democrat or republican.
But I am sure that your shallow mind isn't capable of grasping self government as in by, of & for the people.
TeaPartyNow| 8.28.12 @ 1:31PM
Your right, I just looked. There's not even a billion people in America. Now you can go back to lighting your candles & blowing your way to the top of the romney ryan camp by sucking from there.
The republicans have not got a game of their own this year bucky. That's why you suck so bad. You are forced to talk about obama & nothing but obama. How sad and sick for you.
hook| 8.27.12 @ 3:24PM
The media cannot hide their pleasure at this upset in the Repub convention, but Obama cannot hide his execrable record?
Did anyone see the idiot Chris Matthews attempting to abuse Priebus this am on morning Joe. That Matthews has got to be the rudest, and most intellectually dishonest talking head. I take it back. He is just a moron.