The Hill (along with CNN and USA Today and MSNBC) sent out text messages which said that Tropical Storm Isaac has forced the Republicans to cancel their Monday events for their convention.
More will go into diary as more information is released . ...
A couple of comments seem appropriate :
My first concern is for all potential victims of Tropical Storm Isaac. Therefore, I cannot rejoice in this event, in its totality.
Second, I heartily reject the theology of John Hagee: I do not ascribe to the theory that terrible weather events are sent by God to harm the evil. Therefore, I do not pretend to understand any divine purpose, if such exists.
If I limit it to strictly the cancellation of Monday's events, in that I can find joy and humor. However, the broader context of suffering does not allow me to find joy in the event overall.
Lost and Found helps us out here
TS Isaac takes first hit to Florida: Monday's convention events cancelledThe heads of the Republican National Committee and the Republican National Convention are operating cautiously in light of the potential for a Category 1 hurricane headed to Florida and just announced that Monday's events are cancelled.
...
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus made the following statement: “Due to the severe weather reports for the Tampa Bay area, the Republican National Convention will convene on Monday August 27th and immediately recess until Tuesday afternoon, August 28th. After consulting with Governor Scott, NOAA and local emergency management officials, we are optimistic that we will begin an exciting, robust convention that will nominate the Romney-Ryan ticket.”
4:21 PM PT: I looked to see if weatherdude had a post up about this - weatherdude is awesome and quite frankly would have done a bang up job instead of my humble diary.
My foremost thought and concern is just that everyone there in Florida is safe. and yes I include republicans in the everyone.
4:29 PM PT: CNN text says that RNC will convene itself on Monday and then immediately recess until Tuesday.
strange.
Adam B explains the likely outcome
I assume everyone will speak ... (2+ / 0-)
... but very few in the lone primetime hour each night which the networks (remember them?) will cover. Ann Romney was already moved from Monday to ensure she was in primetime; maybe they move Gov. Haley as well, but I don't think Huckabee gets prime placement.
4:53 PM PT: Rashaverak gives us Pat Robertson's wrong way of looking at these events :
Just Bob
gives us a helpful link :
storm surge map for Tampa Bay
Sun Aug 26, 2012 at 12:21 AM PT: noweasels (and probably originally mdmslle ) posted a great video about why Republican women, those who are not anti choice and extreme Republicans, would be better served by supporting President Barack Obama in his reelection campaign than by supporting Willard and the zealots. This video was in the comments of a now rec listed diary by Bosshogg about Crist's endorsement of President Obama. This truly is huge. I will not speculate about motives which cannot be known with certainty. Crist was one of the most popular governors Florida has ever had. As a sane republican, he has political pull with many moderate Florida republicans. I believe that this will really help - and it will help expose willard's attempt to end the medicare guarantee.
I don't see a big lasting bump coming from their convention - at least not in the swing states that matter. Part of the reason for this is that our convention directly follows theirs. Further, willard is just a bad candidate.
Third, their convention revolves around hatred, lies, and bigotry. That is not a bug, but a feature. It will be the preeminent feature of their convention. Due to their extremism, they are unlikely to attract new voters for willard. They will only have appeal to those who already hate the President and those votes are already baked into the cake. For those three reasons, their convention will not help them - again not in the swing states. Willard is not going to win any debates with President Obama. The debates only would help him in the sense that they put him on the same stage as the President - raising his stature - much more than he deserves. Nevertheless, willard is so wooden and connects so poorly with people compared with the President, that any help in the polls will be relatively minor for him. And again, the focus of the President upon the swing states with his ads, his campaign events, .... makes it harder for willard to move the needle in those all important swing states.
I do tire of having only a few states determine the election- no campaigning in very blue or very red states. It is not a way to determine who should be President of the US. It was worse in 2004 and 2000 than 2008 - but in 2000 and 2004, campaigns could have ignored all other states and camped out exclusively in Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004. That is not good. But I digress.
So, again, there are really only two opportunities for willard to alter the dynamic of the race ; as it now stands, he will almost certainly lose. The first is the upcoming convention - but the chances he will get a big permanent bump out of that in swing states is not large as stated above. The second will be during the debates but for the reasons stated above that seems unlikely.
And nailing down Florida (by all rights, according to truth, based upon the number of seniors in Florida relative to the number of voters, and willard's determination to end the Medicare guarantee, Florida ought not be close - although it will be (due largely to older voters fears and structural tie in to conservativism)), would seal the deal for President Obama.
Ohio looks solid for President Obama already. And willard cannot win without Ohio.
Without further ado, I present you :