ByDick Miller of
WEEK CONNECT DOTS: Since the 1970s, both political parties have used the time and attention (albeit by a smaller audience) to showcase their respective Presidential nominee. Party leaders begin to shape a campaign capable of victory a little more than two months later in the biggest election of them all.
So how did the Republican convention this week turn into a minefield for presumptive nominee Mitt Romney? The development of modern technology and the lack of fresh, high risk doctrine should keep the candidate in the spotlight. The normal danger is that the convention looks too staged and becomes a huge turnoff.
In Romney’s case, the sun and moon are not in the right position.
His first nemesis is the weather. For the second time in four years hurricane threats have cut the event from four days to three. In 2008 threatening Hurricane Gustav in the Gulf of Mexico wiped out the first day at Minneapolis-St Paul. This time tropical storm Isaac is a major threat in Tampa, home of the 2012 GOP convention.
Romney wants to shape the campaign as a forum to convince voters he can deliver an economic recovery. The convention serves as a formal launch.
Instead, the Republican candidate for US Senate in Missouri, Congressman Todd Akin, recently charged “legitimate rape rarely causes pregnancy.” Everyone in the Republican Party up to and including Gov. Romney condemned his remarks and ask him to withdraw from the Senate race.
Republicans hoped to slate a new candidate, more respective of women’s concerns. Akins refused and now the deadline for candidate withdrawal in that state has passed. He was once predicted to defeat Democrat incumbent Claire McCaskill, a must-have win if the GOP has any chance of a winning majority in the Senate.
The GOP hopes the issue has evaporated. Akins has amended his remarks to emphasize “women make false claims about being raped.” The GOP hopes the liberal national media will roll over. The following is just one problem.
The 2008 nominee, Sen. John McCain, has said Akin will not be welcome in the Senate, even if he should win. Undoubtedly, when interviewed at Tampa, he will not be asked what he thinks of Romney before what he thinks of Akin.
McCain may be the only presidential nominee to play a convention for a campaign advantage. The Party that controls the White House always holds its convention a week after the other Party.
Four years ago, then Democrat candidate Sen. Barack Obama had wowed a national audience with one of his patented stem winders. He had picked Sen. Joe Biden to be his running mate, defusing a criticism of his (Obama’s) lack of knowledge of foreign affairs.
Normally, the first party to hold the convention gets a boost in the polls and infrequently maintains momentum right into Election Day. In a stroke of genius (at least for timing), McCain chose not to wait the normal few days to name his “Veep.” The Democrat convention closed Thursday night and Friday morning McCain introduced Gov. Sarah Palin to the country at the Dayton Airport.
Next is security. Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, a Democrat, and his all-Democrat council, have adopted measures extending police powers in search, seizure and crowd control. The legislation has either the endorsement or was requested by convention organizers. Presumably, any constitutional issues will not be resolved by the Courts until long after the event. Presumably no one will get seriously injured and property damage will remain low.
But what if . . .?
The Washington Post’s Dan Balz raised additional issues in his column Sunday.
Will the intraparty divisions that marked the GOP primaries show up in Tampa? Will NJ Governor Chris Christie, as keynoter, steal the show? What does Rick Santorum have up his sleeve?
Many political pundits are certain of this. On the eve of the Democrat convention, September 2, Romney must lead in the polls in “up-for-grab” states by more than the statistical variation to have a chance of winning in November.
