I really, sincerely hope they end up doing this. It would be a masterstroke of genius politically speaking and would be amazing help for the soon-to-be-victims of the latest hurricane in the LA/MS region. From CNN:
A senior McCain source said Saturday that officials are considering turning the convention into a service event, a massive telethon to raise money for the Red Cross and other agencies to help with the hurricane.
“He wants to do something service-oriented if and when the storm hits and it’s as bad as its expected to be now,” the McCain source said.
They are also hoping to get McCain himself to a storm-affected area as soon as possible.
I’ve been on three short-term trips to Bay St. Louis, MS to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina, so my heart goes out to the folks that are in the Gustav’s path now. A national fundraiser as a part of the RNC would provide a lift and encouragement to them – as well as a lift for how folks view the GOP in general.
August 30th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
This is a nice gesture, although it will not doubt be lambasted as a jaded political stunt by the Dems and their media arm.
It is quite disappointing that we won’t be able to have a regular convention to whip up support and make a strong case and presentation to the American people. I guess it would just be too much of a logistical nightmare to postpone it by a week or 2. It’s going to be so somber and measured rather than celebratory and passionate like it should be.
August 31st, 2008 at 12:02 am
sjm855,
Yeah, postponing the convention would be a nightmare logistically speaking because many state deadlines for ballot access occur soon – and to be on the ballot our guy (and gal!) have to officially be our nominee. So somehow, McCain/Palin has to get officially nominated this upcoming week.
But it will be a far less celebratory week than usual, that’s for sure.
August 31st, 2008 at 12:03 am
The Twins certainly wouldn’t be happy about postponing it.
I suppose this is taking lemons and making lemonade.
August 31st, 2008 at 12:18 am
This is a great idea! Yeah the Dems and MSM will make some mocking remarks to downgrade the idea, but hey, lets just let it roll off our backs and get r done.
August 31st, 2008 at 12:20 am
Couldn’t McCain formally accept the nomination and then make his big speech at a later date? It’s not like anyone’s confused that the conventions are anything but a big presentation anyway.
August 31st, 2008 at 12:22 am
I think they should move the convention up one day. Tuesday through Friday and make Tuesday a service event.
August 31st, 2008 at 12:23 am
We should rotate people like Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney to stand in front of one of those giant pledge thermometers and several tables of volunteers taking phone calls, and plead for our help. I think people would just get confused and think they were begging for political donations.
August 31st, 2008 at 12:24 am
Bobby Jindal would need to kick things off via video conference.
August 31st, 2008 at 12:25 am
I’m just so depressed about this. I’m praying that this Hurricane weakens and only reaches New Orleans for a day.
August 31st, 2008 at 12:26 am
Romney: “Let’s go to Bobby Jindal, live from New Orleans, Bobby can you hear us?”
(via video)
Jindal: “Yes I can. I’m standing here with a family whose house was devastated. Won’t you please send all you can to help them? Every little bit counts.
Rudy: “OK, we’ll check back in with Bobby later. Right now, let’s swing it to Tim Pawlenty whose at the phone bank, Tim, how close are we to our target?”
This could be fun…
August 31st, 2008 at 12:33 am
What? No fireworks and Greek temple spectacle? Just plain, good ol’ fashioned American service? What is politics coming to…?..
August 31st, 2008 at 12:34 am
Just don’t invite Kanye West.
Seriously, I think cancelling Monday’s events, doing government works on Tuesday, and going on as normal (assuming that the hurricane won’t be large-scale devestating which, thankfully, looks like will be the case) for a Friday acceptance speech seems like the best bet.
August 31st, 2008 at 12:35 am
Hmmmmm. McCain sacrifices pageantry for service- country first. Obama moves his speech to a bigger venue and builds himself a greek temple.
I like the contrast if the media picks up on it.
August 31st, 2008 at 12:39 am
Let’s face it: McCain isn’t going to blow anyone away with his convention speech anyway. If Gustav forces McCain to skip out on some of the formalities, so much the better. Show the country that there are more important things than fancy speeches.
August 31st, 2008 at 12:41 am
Hannah will be hitting Florida (or elsewhere) on Thursday or Friday.
August 31st, 2008 at 12:51 am
I still wish it was Romney.
August 31st, 2008 at 12:55 am
Chip91, me too. I dont know why this has to be happening.
August 31st, 2008 at 1:05 am
I’m so right there with you. This storm is super depressing. The Democrats gloating about it is even more depressing.
August 31st, 2008 at 1:05 am
Too bad it’s too late to cancel it and give the money to the Red Cross and other charities. If they decide to do a service event, they really need to drive that point home. The money was already spent, so the Republicans decided to do something constructive with their time there.
That is the best possible thing they could do, and it’d make the Dems look like the preening poseurs they are.
August 31st, 2008 at 1:06 am
Monday: Cancel it.
Tuesday: Service Event. Bush via satellite.
Wednesday: Keynote, Jindal via satellite.
Thursday: Romney speaks Palin accepts VP nod.
Friday: McCain accepts VP nod.
That is how it should be.
August 31st, 2008 at 1:12 am
McCain would look pretty silly accepting the VP nod
August 31st, 2008 at 1:14 am
Of course Obama tried to make Biden president when he nominated him, so I guess it wouldn’t be so silly afterall.
August 31st, 2008 at 1:19 am
….others have suggested this in one form or another so i can’t take credit ….but it would be really, really potent for McCain to do the complete anti-obama speech…drop the theatrics, the giant screens, drop the teleprompter,..come out from behind the podium and just talk on his feet for 35 minutes…its totally his style and he needs to play on that…if he pulls a speech like that off its a grand slam
August 31st, 2008 at 1:21 am
21. Thomas Alan.
Oops. Typo. That would be silly.
August 31st, 2008 at 1:24 am
Everything happens for a reason, I believe.
Did you ever think how great this will be? Jindal, a Republican, is now Governor of Louisiana and he can show the country how things should really be handled in case of a disaster in Louisiana.
The Republicans can show that they really do care for the “little guys” in distress.
I think it can all work out for the best.
And what a great contrast with Zeus Obama’s spectacle and tribute to Himself.
August 31st, 2008 at 1:26 am
Agreed about him needing to come out from behind the podium. He sucks there.
August 31st, 2008 at 1:32 am
Totally disagree bethtopaz. It will not be the same because after Katrina a baboon would handle things better. The government, and wrongly appointed officials, wouldn’t dare ignore the warnings. It won’t show Jindal doing better because he’s a Republican, it will show that lessons were learned with almost 1000 lives paying the price.
August 31st, 2008 at 2:07 am
For the republicans sake, hopefully the emergency response is not being managed by knowledgeable individuals and not clueless but loyal political appointees. Two (or more) post hurricane failures and energy price spikes aren’t going to hold out a democratic storm surge in november. Not that the dems would do much better, but hey blame always gets affixed to those in charge.
August 31st, 2008 at 5:50 am
Don’t shoot the messenger but if Sarah has to withdraw like Harriet (eg embarrasing emails re Troopergate or if she was covering for her daughter) do you think Romney will be asked to step up??
August 31st, 2008 at 6:12 am
I think all in all, the telethon is pretty good, and the storm gives us an excuse to skip the Bush and Cheney speeches (“they were off running the country, trying to save people from a storm? Isn’t that what you folks want them to do?”
Nothing good happens on Monday anyway, and we can probably rearrange the speeches a bit so that the big folks (Romney,Huckabee, Whitman, Fiorina, etc) speak on Wednesday. But, I think we absolutely MUST have Palin give her big speech, even if it has to moved back to the same night as McCain’s. It’s one of only two remaining moments where Palin will be presented to a substantial portion of the country (30+ million probably) and the other moment isn’t necessarily going to help our cause (the debate). Palin misses her speech, and maybe no one ever gets comfortable with her.
August 31st, 2008 at 6:50 am
I say cancel it Monday. Start it on Tuesday-Wednesday as a service event. Then jam pack the event on Thursday and Friday as a full blown 2 day convention with Lieberman giving a Zell Miller speech, Bush-Cheney from satelite, Palin destroying Biden in credibility, and McCain giving his COUNTRY FIRST speech.
August 31st, 2008 at 6:56 am
McCain aides say that the campaign has brought in $7 million online since Palin’s selection was announced Friday and that her strong anti-abortion credentials have helped energize conservatives, especially conservative women.
August 31st, 2008 at 7:09 am
#29 – “covering up for her daughter” – do you really give credence to those vile Kos theories?
August 31st, 2008 at 7:36 am
I think it would be a great gesture, and is part of McCain’s “country first” gesture.
In sheer political terms, the media HAS to cover the Convention, and they HAVE to cover the Hurricane and its aftermath, which means Obama will HAVE to be completely invisible this week, and whatever momentum he was carrying from the convention is blunted.
The question now, can the Obama campaign survive Hurrican Gustov AND Hurrican Sarah?
August 31st, 2008 at 7:39 am
MVRed,
” Palin’s selection was announced Friday and that her strong anti-abortion credentials have helped energize conservatives, especially conservative women.”
My wife, who is a stay at home mother of wife, and a self described pro-life feminist (the pre-Steinem kind) is absolutely jacked up on Palin. She’s never been all that political, but she’s into this election now. For my part, I also have a reason now to enthusiastically support McCain. The energy is palpable.
August 31st, 2008 at 7:54 am
33 – I didn’t believe John Edwards either and this at least would be admirable in some way (but tricky for Mac).
August 31st, 2008 at 8:06 am
Heath, GET LOST!
They have pictures of her in the mat ward with the baby. You are a front man for Kos.
August 31st, 2008 at 8:26 am
Mac is within 3.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/daily_presidential_tracking_poll
August 31st, 2008 at 8:29 am
Heath, look up the chances of a 16 year old having a Downs baby (almost non-existent) versus the chances of a 43 year old having a Downs baby ( 1 in 53 )
August 31st, 2008 at 8:30 am
Heath,
1 out of 20 women who give birth past their 40th birthday have children with down syndrome. 1 out of 2000 women who have children at 16 give birth to down syndrome babies. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to draw the appropriate conclusion.
August 31st, 2008 at 9:32 am
Alan Colmes Says Palin’s Neglect Caused Down’s Syndrome Birth-
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/warner-todd-huston/2008/08/31/stooping-lowest-level-democratic-claim-palins-faked-pregnancy-ga#comments
He should be fired from FNC
August 31st, 2008 at 9:44 am
Like I said in earlier threads; By McCain choosing Palin, he seemed to hit a nerve or something cause the Dems are mad as hell. I have never seen them this vile with fire breathed hatred. They are throwing a royal temper tantrum because of McCain\ Palin stalling the boma bump after Obama gave his Zeus speech on Thursday. And what Heath is trying to spread is more of this vile fire breathed hatred from spoiled children who threw temper tantrums when they don’t get their way in EVERYTHING.
August 31st, 2008 at 9:49 am
What’s this notion of Sen McCain delivering his acceptance speech via satellite from the gulf region? BO infront of 80k and McCain by himself?
August 31st, 2008 at 10:06 am
Just announced that Bush and Cheney will not attend the convention. Maybe they could address it by satellite?
August 31st, 2008 at 10:12 am
“This is a nice gesture, although it will not doubt be lambasted as a jaded political stunt by the Dems and their media arm”
Um…. A cursory glance at the comments on this very board reveals plenty of people licking their chops at the potential to exploit this hurricane for political gain.
August 31st, 2008 at 10:40 am
Hey Fred #45, When life deals you lemons, do you whine about it and throw a temper tantrum or do you make lemonaide?
We are not licking our chops as you accuse us of doing, we are cheering on the troops to make lemonaide because these storms are coming and that we can not do anything about, but we can and will serve!
August 31st, 2008 at 10:49 am
I’m sorry I can”t let this go. Couldn’t it also be said that the Dems who are praising God for these storms being sent into this recovering from devastation region “licking their chops”? Oh no, I’m sure some would just say they are being noble and high minded. Phooey!
August 31st, 2008 at 11:01 am
Hey it’s not so much a matter of whether the troops are gonna make lemonade. It’s a matter of why they’re doing it. Anyone who says “oh yeah, we should definitely do it this way, because it will totally make as look like the party that cares about poor people” is guilty of the exploitation I mentioned. Serving people = good. Serving people so as to be seen by others = bad.
August 31st, 2008 at 11:05 am
Democrats always ridicule service and compassion when it doesn’t help them politically.
August 31st, 2008 at 11:44 am
So Fred thinks Obama was wrong to disrespect our troops in Iraq at all times except when the cameras were rolling.
My buddies in Iraq told me how much of an asshole he was when the cameras were off.
He wouldn’t even shake the soldiers’ hands or speak to them until the cameras started rolling.
August 31st, 2008 at 11:46 am
Good point Fred on the good and bad for serving. However any words that can get people off the couch and into the hard work of service will be an opportunity to change the heart of some of those who are doing it to be seen of men to doing because it’s the right thing to do. I know from experience. When I was much younger I was asked to be the adult present at a Girl Scout slumber party. I of course did not know how to say “No” and went ahead without any joy. Got there and helped out and loved it and became a Scout leader from the experience.
August 31st, 2008 at 11:57 am
Oops- presence- not present