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RNC
2012: In Tampa, most events go on |
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TAMPA, Fla. — Republicans
may be canceling the first night of their convention, but most other events
will still go on as planned Sunday and Monday — at least for now. The worst part of Tropical
Storm — or Hurricane — Isaac isn’t expected to hit the Tampa area until
Monday or Tuesday, and many members of state delegations have already arrived
here. The weather on Saturday evening was hot and cloudy, but no rain or
major winds were evident. Some flights into Tampa on
Sunday were already canceled or re-routed, but there will still be tens of
thousands of people on the ground this weekend from all 50 states looking for
ways to keep busy. And organizers from state parties, outside groups and
others tell POLITICO they want to keep them entertained. So in some ways the party
has already started. Or will start. And then stop, and start again. On Sunday, Ron Paul’s
campaign still expects a crowd of more than 10,000 for a rally with the Texas
congressman and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul in the Sun Dome at the University of
South Florida. The convention’s official
welcome party for delegates on Sunday is also still happening, Republican
National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus reiterated twice on a Saturday evening conference
call. Top donors to presumptive
nominee Mitt Romney received an email late Saturday saying that the campaign
was still assessing its schedule of events, but that registration hours
remain the same. Visitors can begin checking in at 2 p.m. Sunday. That is, if
they’re able to get here. Republican vice
presidential nominee Paul Ryan is scheduled to arrive in Tampa late Monday
after an event in his hometown of Janesville, Wis. The campaign had not
announced any change in his plans as of Saturday night. It’s unclear when
Romney is scheduled to arrive in Tampa, but he doesn’t speak until Thursday
night. House Speaker John Boehner
is already in Tampa, and he still plans to appear at a Christian Science
Monitor breakfast on Monday morning. He’s chairing the convention, so he’ll
likely wind up speaking Tuesday instead of Monday, when he was originally on
the schedule. South Carolina Gov. Nikki
Haley, who was one of the scheduled Monday prime-time speakers, still plans
to attend a 5 p.m. Sunday panel on how conservative women can confront media
bias, an organizer said. Off campus, the Republican
Party of Sarasota County plans to go ahead with its Sunday evening event
honoring Donald Trump as “Statesman of the Year,” according to both an official
from the party and a Trump representative. A Sunday night party
sponsored by a host of big corporations, featuring National Republican
Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn as the
honored guest, is also still on the schedule, a source said. The Unity Rally 2012, which
is being hosted by ex-2012 presidential contenders Herman Cain and Michele
Bachmann, is also still happening. On Monday, which was to be
the first full day of official events, many state delegations plan to hold
their traditional breakfast delegation meetings as usual. Most state
delegates have already arrived in Tampa and are safely ensconced in hotels,
where their breakfast meetings are typically held. The trouble is more likely
leaving the hotels for the convention center if the weather is poor. Outdoor events are iffier.
A Monday golf tournament that was expected to draw House Speaker John Boehner
“in all likelihood will be canceled,” according to a representative of
co-sponsor Ford. The American
Conservative Union and the Future Majority Project are going ahead on Monday
night with their “Nuestra Noche”
party at the Cuban Club in Ybor City. “We are closely monitoring
the storm and will heed the direction of emergency personnel, but as of now,
our party is still on for Monday night,” said ACU spokesman Laura Rigas. And Facebook says that, for
now, its Monday event, Apps & Drinks, at Glazer Children’s Museum is
still on. For months, scores of media
outlets and reporters have been planning coverage of the GOP convention’s
nightly speeches and Isaac isn’t likely to throw much of a wrench into that
coverage plan. If anything, the prospect of rain-soaked delegates and
unpredictable events will only spice up coverage, and allow for some
interesting visuals. POLITICO plans to go ahead
with both its Playbook Breakfast and live show on Monday. The networks were not
planning to cover Monday speeches anyway, which is why Ann Romney’s speech
was moved to later in the week. Spokesmen for ABC, NBC and CBS said they have
no changes planned for Monday. CNN will run its
documentary “Romney Revealed” as planned Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET. Wolf
Blitzer and Anderson Cooper will anchor convention and storm coverage — now
twinned together — live from Tampa between 9:30 and 11 p.m. There will definitely be
some delayed arrivals, especially from other Gulf states that could be
impacted. Louisiana Gov. Bobby
Jindal, who is set to speak in Tampa on Tuesday night, is also monitoring the
storm from his home state. “The Governor was slated to
speak at the convention in 2008 when Gustav hit, he not only didn’t speak, he
didn’t even go,” said spokesman Kyle Plotkin. “He
will certainly not leave the state if our people are in peril.” After Florida Gov. Rick
Scott announced that he will not participate so he can deal with the storm,
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant announced plans to delay his trip to Tampa as
well. Some members of the Mississippi delegation are remaining in the state
too, according to a party spokesman. “Gov. Bryant has delayed
his travel to the Republican Convention and continues to monitor weather
conditions hourly,” said his spokesman Mick Bullock. “The Governors main
concern is the safety of the people of Mississippi.” Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley
has cancelled his trip to Tampa. “Governor Bentley and
Congressman Jo Bonner have cancelled their trips and will remain in Alabama,
just in case Isaac does end up heading our way,” state GOP spokeswoman Shana Kluck said. Dylan Byers, Emily Schultheis, Kathryn Wolfe, Steve Friess
and Jake Sherman contributed to this report. |
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0812/80147.html
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