The American Spectator

TAMPA — The first demonstration of the convention season took place in Downtown Tampa yesterday. Spokesmen for the various groups of madcaps, indignatos, and misfits, in town to raise hell, said 5,000 would show up to demonstrate how much they opposed, well, whatever you got. Only 250, with signs and really bad clothes, made it. They were chaperoned by 1,000 cops. Nothing much happened. Folks stood around for a bit. By and by they all left. Police arrested one cockup who brought a machete with him.

The only explanation anyone could come up with for the anemic turn-out was bad weather from the skirts of Tropical Storm Isaac. Gee, I thought anti-everything demonstrators were made of sterner stuff. Monday was truly a mild day in Tampa, with a few showers and occasional mild breeziness. Absolutely nothing compared to our frequent afternoon thunderstorms this time of year. If this kind of weather keeps demonstrators off the street — wait till the clouds leave and Tampa’s oppressive summer heat moves in.