Posted on 08/31/2008 8:55:35 AM PDT by paulat
ST. PAUL, Minn. — President Bush is unlikely to make it to the Republican National Convention, and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) may deliver his acceptance speech via satellite because of the historically huge hurricane threatening New Orleans, top officials said.
Late Saturday night, the RNC was planning to issue a release announcing the formation of a "working group of representatives from each of the states in Hurricane Gustav's path. The group will ensure that all affected delegates have information and assistance in real time.
"The Affected States Working Group is led by all five state party chairs from the affected area, along with other delegation officials. The purpose of the group will be to regularly brief their delegates and convention planners, provide access to timely information and assistance, and give input on appropriate steps that can be taken from Minnesota."
Officials insisted that the convention, scheduled to open here on Monday, will go on — albeit in a more limited and sedate form — even if Hurricane Gustav stays on its projected path. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin ordered a mandatory evacuation beginning at 8 a.m. Sunday after federal officials said Gustav could grow to a catastrophic Category 5 and hit Monday afternoon somewhere between eastern Texas and western Mississippi.
McCain made plans to travel to a threatened area of the Gulf Coast on Sunday, accompanied by his wife, Cindy, and running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. They planned to meet Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) in Jackson, Miss., aides said.
McCain was scheduled to deliver his acceptance speech Thursday but now may do so from the devastation zone if the storm hits the U.S. coast with the ferocity feared by forecasters.
[snip]
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
I was on the planning committee of a much smaller convention in 1994. It took over a year to make arrangements for the hotel, food vendors, suppliers, entertainment,... for that one. It's definitely not something that you can just find a substitute for in a week or two.
Plus at this stage, the attendees have already arranged time off from work, made their hotel reservations, bought airline tickets. So you can't just tell them the day before the event to try to come back in a week or so.
And let’s shoe the Dem how we handle life-altering events...WE DON’T WHINE.
What percentage of viewers are die hard loyalists versus viewers who may actually change their opinion?
If Gustav remains a big storm, McCain-Palin do not have to be physically present in the convention center to accept the nomination and give speeches. Since big storms seldom hold their strength for very long, Gustav may be no more than a Cat III storm at landfall which while powerful is not something the Gulf Coast is unprepared for.
They’re saying it could make landfall tomorrow morning.
Seems like they’re going to turn the convention into a telethon
It looks like the evacs are working well, the busses even look to have AC - and BTW the rest of America is not evacuating so why not hold just a subdued convention - saving all those convention related jobs and area income? Plus we want Palin on the big screen! ;-)
Maybe Michael Moore wasn't so wrong after all. A really good telethon would really enhance the convention. Eat your hearts out, Dems! I love it when the liberals are right for the wrong reason!
I agree.
However, that is precisely why this hurricane is a disaster for the Party in this election.
If it wasn't for the hurricane, right now as we speak--all the talk shows would be focused on St. Paul and nothing else. When the convention was addressed on the news shows this morning, it got 'passing mention' as the hurricance dominates the news.
Regardless what happens with the convention now--it will get only a tiny fraction of the 'face time' that it would of otherwise. The democrats got to repeatedly pound the Republican Party over and over and over during prime time for four days. Money can't buy that kind of 'in your face' marketing (and it resulted in an eight point bounce).
It now appears we will not be able to return the favor (except in a much reduced and diluted manner).
Horrible luck.
“However, that is precisely why this hurricane is a disaster for the Party in this election.”
Well, Apollo 13 had bad luck, yet one our finest hours as Americans.
You never know how things will go down.
Wait.
Country First, is more then a motto.
Palin - at the convention
McCain - on the big screen
You are so right....hotels, motels, food, airline tickets, committe meetings, etc. the list goes on and on. St. Paul has been planning this convention for months......what about the Minnesotans who have invested so much..... in time and finances? The convention should go on as planned, even if some of it is behind the scenes, it should be done with compassion and good taste. Those delegates can not do anything to help the hurricane anyway, at least for the first couple of days.
Brilliant idea.
Live reports with Palin anchoring.
Like I keep saying...have McCain in the field and Palin anchoring live...what is so difficult about that???!!
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