It's not about having the best show, it's about winning

Gustav, a hurricane expecting to be a category 4 by the time it rams into New Orleans has already left his footprint on the American landscape, political landscape that is. 

Bush and Cheney have just announced they would not appear in person at the Convention due to the attention and presence they may have to dedicate towards the anticipated devastation in Louisiana.

 Satellite photo of Gustav Sunday Afternoon.

And the Democrats convinced of the superiority of the Show they put at their Convention are one more time missing the entire point, (inappropriately) gloating at the perspective of changed plans.

In their view a show ala Britney Spears cannot be beat by nothing than another grotesque extravaganza. So they are rejoicing at the perspective of a subdued smaller Republican Convention completely missing that one more time the Republican seized the moment.  Gustav gave them the perfect excuse not to have Bush and Cheney near the Convention, hence near Mccain and Palin. 

 To win the Republicans have to sell the idea Mccain is all about a change of guard in Washington. In his introductory speech of Palin, Mccain said it again. Her nomination is the proof that his Washington administration will not look anything like the present one.

So the less Bush appears in public with Mccain the better. The less anybody closely associated with the Bush administration is from St Paul, the better, especially if they have a natural disaster for excuse.

And it is no secret Mccain is not at his best in big production affairs.  He is much more comfortable and comes across much better in smaller arenas, action oriented photo op, and people vs. crowds sound bites.

John McCain witnessing first hand the devastation in the lower 9th ward days after Katrina

The Republicans are not going to compete their convention; they are going to contrast it.  They are going to shorten it to free McCain and Palin to be in the field as soon as possible, where they are at their best. Indeed, McCain, in an interview with NBC, just said it was possible he would make his acceptance speech not from the convention podium but via satellite from the Gulf Coast region. Beat that as a response to the “they just get it” attack.

  
So for all the Democrats who think Gustav is a Godsend to them, think again…. 

                                                                                 
            Article written by : French Nail