Seems that with Hurricane Gustav causing ruckus.. The republicans are passing up on the red carpet, the glitz and the glamor, the pomp and circumstance, and are taking tons of money away from the event, all the while keynote speakers are skipping the event to help the country when it needs help.

I'm not sure the camera-friendly democrats would do this... And I didn't think the republicans were capable. Is it possible that such a group actually did a good thing?

And don't give me that they are doing it "for image"... We have already made it perfectly clear that there is "no such thing as bad publicity"... the republican convention, if fully funded and attended, would gain tons more publicity than the few who are going to care if they don't have it.

I'd say they're doing it because it would look bad to celebrate during what might be a national disaster.

I don't think that the Republican convention would have been that big of a hit anyway. There was no way they'd show up the DNC. With that said, I'm glad they're helping things out down there. Good for them.

However, I don't even want to hear any more crap about how the Democrats/Obama only do things for their image, or because the cameras are rolling. I honestly believe that these people do care about the country. Call me naive, but at least I'm not a hypocrite.

P.S. Decka, this wasn't directed at you, but more towards the virulent section of the right wing.

You could be correct EH.. it's just a hunch I have. Obama seems to always be where the cameras are. The stage is always set up. They seem to control the audience as to who is in it, and they even mighjt have dramatic writers conjuring up scripts. I could be wrong. I have no proof. I just hear Obama's one-liners and it sounds like it came straight from a room full of suits in a think-tank. Dry and trying too hard.

Not to mention that Obama's campaign promises seem impossible. He wants to have all this health care but cut taxes for everyone... ? He wants to get more jobs by taxing heavily those who GIVE the jobs... ? The people with money will just say "you want to tax me? I will just stop hiring.. I have money, I don't need more"... Although that last part is a stretch :thumbs:

But it really isn't about who watches the conventions which means who is the better candidate. Most people who gain a major audience these days are those who are freaks, have disorders, or are jokes. So why is everyone saying that Obama gaining such a large audience is a good thing? Maybe people are tuning in to finally have him explain his platform... and not give us another "the time for change is NOW" line.

And the deck was stacked to begin with even if you do take TV ratings as some sort of political measure. The democratic convention has pop-skeezy media behind the scenes giving them tons of push with the pop whorish culture who usually don't even know what a politician is. It's good to get those type EDUCATED, but also to have them educated FAIRLY. I'm SURE the message was FAIR when they gave all the coverage to Obama and NONE to McCain.. at least in that section.

This is a respectable move, at least in my opinion and from what I know of it. I doubt the democrats would have sacrificed all the face time in order to help the people down in LA. They probably would have still helped, but they would still also want the camera time. They probably would have made the tragedy into even MORE of a political stunt, blatantly being hypocrits and going on national TV and talking about how much they care about the people down there.... but yet they are still on national TV and not helping.

The republicans are no doubt announcing they are helping.. but they aren't using the convention as a giant stunt to announce it. They COULD use the people down there, but they aren't. They have everything to gain.. but are using better judgment. I respect that. Do I respect the party through and through? Absolutely not.. but do I respect this move? yes.

from Politico... (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/13025.html)

GOP sees potential redemption in Gustav..
"ST. PAUL, Minn. — Republican officials say their radically curtailed convention offers a big political opportunity for the party to redeem itself on the competence issue — and for John McCain to step out of President Bush’s shadow once and for all.

There's no doubt it's a bit morbid to think about (and write about) the politics of a potential natural disaster, and the thoughts — and prayers — of those gathering here are keenly focused on the Americans who face potential peril in Gustav’s path. That’s true for Republicans, Democrats and members of the media alike.

But this is a national political convention, and the potential political fallout of Gustav is a topic that was consuming Republican Party and McCain campaign officials on Sunday — one day before the official start of what had been planned as four days of festivities here.

“You don’t wish for it, but it shows McCain dealing with a surprise — a big event that has consequences on people,” a convention planner said. “It’s redemption for the Republican Party on the competence issue. The convention ends up being about John McCain showing the best way to serve a cause greater than yourself.”

Opportunists or what..
I admit they do have competence issues..;)

Republicans dont want to be seen to play shop while a Hurricane is passing thru the nation.
Understandable, no party would do that.

The difference being, Republicans get very edgy about Hurricanes in the Gulf, especially after the fiasco they made of the last hit down there.

You know, with Obama's vast advantage in terms of fundraising, I bet they could upstage the Repubs both at the convention and in aid sent to the Gulf. How would that look?

Why bother, looks like old Gustav lost his bite when he clipped the side of Cuba, and after all, those New Orelean-ians vote for 'da man' anyway.