NPR: Will Gustav Drown the RNC?

Will Gustav Drown the RNC?

John McCain has told Fox News that he is considering postponing the Republican National Convention. Via Politico's Mike Allen:

"It just wouldn't be appropriate to have a festive occasion while a near-tragedy or a terrible challenge is presented in the form of a natural disaster," McCain told Chris Wallace of "Fox News Sunday," in an interview taped for tomorrow. "So we're monitoring it from day to day and I'm saying a few prayers, too."

After the beating the Bush Administration took for its mishandling (or non-handling) of hurricane Katrina in 2005, the behavior of the GOP (and its nominee) will be under heavy scrutiny as Gustav makes landfall. And as our own Michael Olson noted the other day, having the country watch the Republicans fiddle while New Orleans floods could be election suicide.

But with all the facilities booked, the confetti cannons loaded, and delegate plane tickets purchased -- and with the party so reliant on the money they'll raise during the next five days of hobnobbing -- they can't really afford to cancel either.

One possible scenario: the show goes on in some kind of subdued form, with President Bush beamed in by satellite from the White House rather than speaking live from the podium. Downside: the GOP will suffer from divided news coverage, which will sting after last week's DNC media tour-de-force. Upside: McCain -- and Bush -- get credit for prioritizing the looming disaster over politics.

-- Evie Stone

4:26 PM ET | 08-30-2008 | permalink

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Why should it be a "looming disaster"? The administration should have taken steps to be prepared for this.

Sent by Elizabeth | 7:20 PM ET | 08-30-2008

The problem is that the people who should have fixed problems 20yrs.ago are retired or dead.

Sent by bart | 1:34 AM ET | 08-31-2008

The convention has already suffered with the lack of attention due to Gustav. If the levies break this week, the two words "Rebublican" and "failure" will be often linked and recriminations will abound.

Sent by greg paradiso | 7:52 AM ET | 08-31-2008

The Karma Police have come to take away the Republican party. They have again demonstrated their ignorance of history by scheduling their convention the week following the anniversary of Katrina. Their scheduling was strategic insofar that they could wright their speeches to challenge what the Democrats stated at their respective convention. The Republicans should not have scheduled their convention during the week of peak hurricane season. The cameras are on New Orleans this week and it's a glaring reminder of the failure of the Bush administration & the Republican party as they followed his lead all the way to the National & Global catastrophes that Bush created. It also further connects Bush & McCain as the media has brought up the little tidbit that McCain was posing with Bush in celebrating McCain's birthday as Katrina hit.

Sent by Bucky | 11:56 AM ET | 08-31-2008

Anything to make a show of concern is a weak attempt to convince the public that the repub party actually cares about hurricane gustav. There concerns are self motivated and should be discredit in the face of this impacting natural distaster. I hope the RNC gets the snub.

Sent by adam waywell | 12:31 PM ET | 08-31-2008

Hey, maybe it's God's retribution for the Republican administration's greed, negligence and corruption...what's good for the goose...(this is tongue in cheek, lest anyone in this day and age can't see that)

Sent by Karen Delaibau | 1:12 PM ET | 08-31-2008

Dragging God into the conversation is ridiculous, both the Dem and Rep are greedy, negligent and corrupt on any given day. Stick to the story. Gustav will either help the Rep or drown them. Simply said, if what was done in the past three years don't hold water, the Rep are doomed in credibility of poor performance and poor spending in the past in the name of Katrina.

Sent by Carl ToersBijns | 1:28 PM ET | 09-01-2008

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