Let me begin by saying that a hurricane is no laughing matter and is nothing to play politics with. Scores of people may be about to lose their homes and their possessions, and have their lives interrupted in a way that will impact them for weeks, months, or years. This is a reality of the Hobbesian world in which we live, imperfect and often destructive.
That said, the Republican National Convention is scheduled to begin tomorrow, and it will either happen or it won’t happen, and nature isn’t going to take the convention into consideration, so Republicans will have to take nature into consideration and decide what is the best course of action. Current reports are that the convention will basically be on hold as of Monday, with Tuesday through Thursday tentatively scheduled to go on as planned. I actually think that Sen. McCain may want to call on the RNC to suspend activity until Wednesday at the earliest. Here’s why.
First, I think that McCain has already gotten a considerable bounce out of his selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate. This selection changed the conversation away from Obama and towards McCain, and it also excited Republicans throughout the country. That’s exactly what the first night or two of the convention is supposed to do.
Secondly, I think that McCain may actually experience a negative bounce if voters remember for four straight nights that he is a Republican. This is especially true if President Bush speaks, is doubly true if Vice President Cheney speaks, and is probably also true if too many standard issue Republicans speak to the nation during prime time. There are only about a half dozen Republicans that I want the nation to hear from at the RNC: Sen. McCain and Cindy McCain, Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty (because he speaks to working class Midwesterners), Rudy Giuliani (because he speaks to ornery Rust Belt voters), Bobby Jindal, and Independent Joe Lieberman. Hearing from the John Thunes and KBHs of the world is not going to help McCain, and hearing from a lot of Republicans may actually hurt him.
I doubt McCain will do it, but I think he should suspend the convention until Wednesday, and then amend the schedule to whatever extent possible to ensure that the aforementioned Republicans (and Joe) speak during prime time. Monday and Tuesday should be spent with Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin on the ground in Louisiana. That will maximize exposure to the ticket and to McCain supporters who can help win this election for the senator, and minimize associations between McCain and the Republican Party. Afterward, the only Republicans we’ll hear from for the next two months are McCain and Palin, who are both very hard to dislike and neither of whom is associated with the corruption, incompetence, and failed policies of the Beltway GOP.
August 31st, 2008 at 7:22 pm
Perhaps we ought to only have a convention vote and an acceptance speech (by McCain and Palin). I don’t think this setting works for McCain anyway.
He legally needs to be nominated but he’s better off with a shorter convention.
August 31st, 2008 at 7:29 pm
I agree. A two day convention with major speaking slots allotted to the people you mentioned above would be a much more succinct and effective convention that does much to present the nation with the new faces of the Republican Party. By the way, in case you’ve missed it, both Bush and Cheney have already said they will not attend the convention in order to direct their full attention to Gustav.
August 31st, 2008 at 7:36 pm
We need some key sound-bites, so a few key speeches are very much needed.
BTW, new CNN poll, taken completely after Barry’s speech and Palin announcement:
Obama-Biden 49 (47)
McCain-Palin 48 (47)
August 31st, 2008 at 7:39 pm
I posted once and it ate my comments…I hope it doesn’t double post. Anyway, I agree that a start on Wednesday is best. Not having Bush/Cheney/Laura is a bonus. This gives McCain the cover to keep them away. The only two speeches that help this cycle are Palin and McCain. Make those two speeched primetime on Wed/Thurs. Maybe fill in the early slots on those days with Rudy and Lieberman and the runner-ups. I also think the news cycle being dominated by this storm helps with the Palin pick. She was introduced to American on her terms and that is the lasting memory right now of her without the MSM 24/7 biased analysis of the pick.
August 31st, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Laura Bush is a very popular figure. I don’t think she hurts. She does a good job reminding people of the bread-and-butter of the GOP.
But yes, I like the idea. Maybe put Huckabee and Romney in daytime slots, because they are engaging speakers to certain niches of the population.
August 31st, 2008 at 7:54 pm
As a personal friend of John Thune, I wish you would be careful in lumping him in with the Republicans you dislike. The difference between John Thune and Tim Pawlenty is miniscule.
August 31st, 2008 at 7:57 pm
What we should do in my humble opinion:
Monday:
Business meeting and organization.
Keep Bush, Cheney, and governors Crist, Barbour, Jindal et. al. on the Gulf Coast.
Monday Primetime – a welcome to Minnesota from Governor Pawlenty (because he is the
governor, not because I happen to be a fan of his politics). Let T-Paw talk briefly
about how him and Senator Amy Klobuchar (DFL) et. al. worked together on disasters in
Minnesota. Then we can have a fundraiser/telethon with Laura, Bush 41 and Barbara.
Then, a few words of re-assurance from Romney, Pawlenty, Giuliani, etc. This should
be a night of unity for America, not a night for cheerleading for the Elephants.
Tuesday Primetime – continuation of Monday Primetime but this time with Cindy McCain,
(assuming she has been on the Gulf Coast on Monday) as well as Romney, Pawlenty, Giuliani.
Wednesday – back to the original schedule. No wild parties, celebrations, etc.
August 31st, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Nobody ever remembers any of the speakers other than the VP and Pres, and no one other than politics geeks like us really cares what anyone else has to say, so let’s just skip them all. If I were giving recommendations for schedule changes, I’d suggest a two-day convention, with the first day set aside for official business (platform resolutions and votes, credentials, etc) and the second day containing just four speeches: Pawlenty introducing Palin and Rudy introducing McCain. Keep all intro speeches short and allow McCain to discuss what he knows best: Country First and doing beyond what’s expected of you. End the convention early and use the cost savings to send as many delegates as possible on chartered planes to Gulf Coast states to volunteer their time (through cooperation with the Red Cross and the many religious organizations who always help out in times of disaster). It’s not just the politically wise thing to do, it’s just plain the right thing to do.
August 31st, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Does it make any sense to hold off on the official delegate vote until next week? Does that give McCain any advantage from a $ perspective? Another 4-5 days to spend his money before taking public funding?
August 31st, 2008 at 9:13 pm
I definatley think they have to let Gov. Romney speak I mean he did win the support of many conservatives in the party and was seriously considered for the VP spot.
August 31st, 2008 at 9:26 pm
“Nobody ever remembers any of the speakers other than the VP and Pres,”
–
They remembered Obama from 2004.
That said I agree but I would do normal business Tuesday, get basic business done without primetime speakers or real festivities.
Wednesday: [daytime rollcall frankly who cares]
9: Timmy, Mitt, Cindy, 10: Palin
Thursday: [one\two warm up speakers] then at 9 start with Huck,Lieberman, Rudy, McCain – Go out in standard fair.
Oh the money front he can probably donate what’s left to the RNC, or charity, what I’d do is pre-purchase airtime blocks in key markets for October.
August 31st, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Have to agree with #7. Let everything fo on as usual (minus the over the top celebrations).The delegates and the country need to hear from Gov. Palin and Sen. McCain. And Sen. McCain should exce[t live @ the convention and stop this talk of doing it via satellite. What's wrong with him being @ the convention?
http://corner.nationalreview.com/
What To Do About the Convention [Byron York]
After flying in today, I caught the last half of Frank Luntz’s focus group. When our group of reporters went in to talk to the people after Luntz had finished, we asked what they thought the RNC should do about the convention. Everybody in the group — about 25 undecided Minnesota voters, many of them appearing to lean toward Obama — said the convention should continue. “Life goes on,” said one woman, as others nodded in agreement. The group also unanimously agreed that it was appropriate for President Bush to skip the convention, given his other duties. But they saw no reason to call off the convention.
August 31st, 2008 at 11:50 pm
Put it off until Wednesday?
Do you understand that most of us here are not scheduled to stay beyond Friday?
We CAN’T put it off until Wednesday. People — working people, students, businessmen, lawyers — have put their lives on hold for this convention after being on the front line for these candidates for eighteen months, and it CAN’T be put off until Wednesday if we hope to have a convention.
August 31st, 2008 at 11:59 pm
Alex. . . 2 million people in LA alone have put their lives on hold with much less prep time than you had. You can’t seriously be comparing your possible inconveniences with theirs.
I really hope you aren’t asked by a member of the MSM to give an on-camera opinion on the RNC schedule changes.
September 1st, 2008 at 8:48 am
[...] McCain Should Postpone RNC Until Wednesday posted on September 1, 2008 at 9:48 am [...]
September 1st, 2008 at 9:16 am
Alex – You are just wrong in that the convention “CAN’T be put off until Wednesday”. You easily can do that. You have to scale down the event. The convention still ends on Thursday and lets delegates get back to their busy lives which, per you, apparently trumps the poltiical considerations for McCain and thus electing the next leader of the free world. I think your criticism is more about you not getting your full blown traditional convention without consideration of the circumstances.
September 1st, 2008 at 9:57 am
As a delegate to the Iowa convention (which was cancelled due to the massive flooding that week, and then rescheduled for a month later), I know how tough this situation is. By proceeding with the convention as scheduled, there will be southern delegations unable to make it, and of course criticism for insensitivity towards the victims and lack of bipartisan efforts, etc. However, as we found out in Iowa, pushing the convention back or extending it, or whatever) will have negative effects on participation. People just plain won’t be able to stay (or possibly won’t want to stay if there’s little going on?) and participation will likely decline even further than if just the disaster-hit delegations were unable to participate. I don’t envy whoever has to make the decisions about this.