GOP drops convention's opening night as Gustav nears

Houston Chronicle ^ | 8-31-08 | ALAN BERNSTEIN, PEGGY FIKAC

[STARWISE]

The Republican National Convention's entire Monday night program, including an address by President Bush, apparently will be canceled as national attention focuses on Hurricane Gustav, House Minority Leader John Boehner said today.

"It is doubtful that there will be any kind of program tomorrow night" when the four-day convention was scheduled to commence, he told reporters. "The convention is going to be handled on a day-to-day basis."

Boehner, of Ohio, the top Republican in the House, said the convention is concerned about potential victims of the storm, "and the best way we honor that is to help Americans who are in need."

"There will be efforts to engage the delegates, alternates and our friends in relief efforts."

[STARWISE]

Smart.

[jokyfo]

Yes, the Repubs & McCain/Palin need to be hands on during this.

A strong, effective response will only help.

[ari-freedom]

the rollcall is pretty stupid since mccain clearly won. get rid of that and stop wasting time

[K-oneTexas]

Just wait till the Dems ask to be involved. After all none of them want to go back to work in D.C.

[Corin Stormhands]

I’m pretty sure rules still call for a vote. They can have someone move to nominate him by acclamation, but there has to be an official vote.

[Perdogg]

They will just accuse Rove of using his weather machine again.

[ConservativeMan55]

bttt

[smith288]

Its obvious George Bush hates white people of his own party.

[DemonDeac]

Good move.

1). Nobody would watch Monday with that hitting anyway.

2). Bush has low approval ratings and the Dems are trying to tie McCain to him. Not having him featured as much at the convention doesn’t hurt our ability to win swing voters.

3). We’d get murdered by the media for being callous if we held it.

[itsthejourney]

The convention is merely a waste of $$$. We don’t need it. Fifteen minutes on FOX with the nomination would be enough.

[jla]

by Corin Stormhands (McCain-Palin '08)

~rubbing my eyes~ Am I seeing what I think I do?
(Isn't she terrific!?)

[Corin Stormhands]

Amazing, ain’t it?

(now if we could get Jim Gilmore to nominate Sarah Palin as his running mate...)

[buffyt]

I am on the Texas Gulf Coast in Lake Jackson, south of Houston. Down the coast from Galveston. So far we are fine. No evacuations, no storm. It looks like it will hit in La. I hope they are FINE! I hope everyone got OUT and I hope the hurricane predictions are correct. Rita in 2005 was supposed to hit us in Lake Jackson and turned at the last minute and missed us.

[buffyt]

You are RIGHT 100%! I think I heard that Dems spent a billion $$$ on their DNC and that is such a HUGE WASTE of money!

[buffyt]

bttt

[Reagan Man]

Dumb move. This is a classic case of political correctness gone wild. Exactly what the media wants and what the liberal establishment has been hoping for.

[Norman Bates]

The McCain List.

Heads up!

[STARWISE]

Hope your situation remains safe. GET OUT if there’s ANY risk .. and I speak from experience. Prayers for your safety and all those potentially in the path of this awful storm.

[Norman Bates]

Needs to be in breaking news.

[Las Vegas Ron]

And we'll get hammered for this as a political stunt...GOP will do anything to get elected, they didn't do this when there wasn't an election coming up.

I can hear em now

[KriegerGeist]

"The convention is merely a waste of $$$. We don’t need it. Fifteen minutes on FOX with the nomination would be enough."

Exactly. Let the Libturd-Left Dems have their Hollywood red-carpet emmy-grammy-peoples-choice rock concert awards and let the Republicans just get to doing business without wasting time and money. That would be real change tha McCain and Palin are talking about. Real change coming to Washington and not a Greek god Barak Apollo Olimp-ass

[Las Vegas Ron]

I agree in alot of ways. This is no win situation politically anyway you look at it.

And it only reinforces that big daddy governmet is there to take care of all your needs.

[STARWISE]

“Needs to be in breaking news.”

~~~~

Have at it, if ya’ll agree.

[MinorityRepublican]

Yep. The parties will still go on in Minnesota but it will all be in private.

[goldstategop]

Just be politically correct and hand the election to Obama. The Stupid Party knows how to stomp over its four day shindig to please the GOP hating MSM/Drivebys and to appease the Democrats!

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[4Liberty]

McCain convention slogan:

‘Flashlights and Food - not Fireworks’

[hsalaw]

It looks like it will hit in La. I hope they are FINE! I hope everyone got OUT and I hope the hurricane predictions are correct.

Prayers on all of those. BTW, I notice that Gov. Jindal is doing a magnificent job coordinating all of the state, local, and federal agencies as well as the Red Cross and offers from the Salvation Army. On Fox now, a liason from the LA National Guard (?) is speaking: they've coordinated with FEMA and the Texas Nat'l Guard through Gov. Perry. Wow. No one wants a repeat of Katrina, but it sure makes a difference having a governor who's on top of things and willing to make the decisions and give the orders.

[pollywog]

Not to mention the media is going to go MAD!!...They are not going to be able to sit and DISECT the convention!!!!!

[STARWISE]

Ok .. so be it .. ;)

[pollywog]

actually not if they send the extra $$$ to the cities affected!!

Dumb move.

[mwl8787]

Boehner did NOT say there wouldn’t be a first night of the Convention, but rather that the program would be amended accordingly. Besides, the First Lady is expected to speak.

Tbis is bad reporting, and I heard there was to be a briefing from RNC officials at 4 pm EDT today.

Overall impact -

Gustav has knocked BO out of the media altogether

The President not speaking may help McCain

That said, the assault on BO has to be amended in some measure, and that is very bad for McCain.

[HIDEK6]

but it sure makes a difference having a governor who's on top of things and willing to make the decisions and give the orders.

Last time the LA governor made the decision to hang Bush for the hurricane, and sacrificed her least worthy citizens to accomplish this.

She wasn't incompetent, she was evil.

[Shanty Shaker]

I noticed they stopped showing the wind speeds on the news... Has Gustav weakened some?

[latina4dubya]

Just wait till the Dems ask to be involved. After all none of them want to go back to work in D.C.

the Dems will do a Bill Clinton and cry, "it's not fair... we didn't get a huricane during our convention." remember how Bill responded after 9/11 when Bush was getting high ratings?

[6SJ7]

BTW, I notice that Gov. Jindal is doing a magnificent job coordinating all of the state, local, and federal agencies...

What? A young first term Republican governor with less than two years experience!? Has he ever been on 60 minutes?! /sarc

[SideoutFred]

Cancel the entire thing and do it down the road....that would be the smart move.

[Momaw Nadon]

[K-oneTexas]

Ta da!!!! Prediction: Biden will claim credit for the RNC move. Boost the Obama-Biden ticket 15 Points.(((((LMAO))))

[CharlesWayneCT]

Does that mean Fred Thompson won’t be speaking at all, or will they put him back in his original slot?

[LayoutGuru2]

I say skip everything planned for Monday night and use the resources in place for a RNC National Hurricane Relief Telethon and dare the MSM not to cover it live.

[stockstrader]

The convention is merely a waste of $$$.

I respectfully disagree.

The democrats got an eight point bounce out of their repeated POUNDING of the Republican Party over and over and over for 4 days during PRIME TIME!

The Republican Party will be unable to return the favor,,,,and no amount of 'goodwill' can make up for that kind of 'in your face' marketing.

It would cost tens of millions of dollars (if not more) to reach that kind of audience repeatedly in prime time. Absolutely errible luck for us.

[stockstrader]

....terrible luck...

[mwl8787]

Dunno. It’s not strengthening despite the hot air of the MSM hoping it so. zhopefully the worst of this will be over by Monday night.

[NCjim]

At 1:00 CDT the maximum sustained winds were at 115 mph, barely a category 3 which begins at 111 mph. That’s not to say it won’t strengthen but the MSM is currently still billing it as the storm of the century as well as the mother of all storms.

[Tennessee Nana]

Gustav has knocked BO out of the media altogether
_________________________________________

I thought I heard he was going down there ???????

[mwl8787]

when we get through this safely, Bush, McCain and Jindal will all be blamed by the MSM for overreacting and disrupting people’s lives.

[Vermont Lt]

Good. Now I can watch Weeds at its regular time. No need to wait until its on On Demand.

God Bless the Republican Party.

[cookcounty]

Maybe Jindal can get Sarah driving bus shuttles!

[mwl8787]

I meant for this weekend - certainly his speech and afterglow is dead.

[longtermmemmory]

actually there are equal time rules that apply.

The dinosaurs have to give equal time to the republicans.

They also cant substitute Obama for GWBush time.