Storm Clouds Over The GOP

As the Republicans gather for their nominating convention in Tampa, Florida, a tropical storm named Isaac is threatening to blow up into a major hurricane and spoil the party.  Isaac, according to the various meteorologists at the TV networks, is supposed to hit the Tampa Bay area either Sunday or Monday, just as the delegates are arriving. Projected landfall is believed to be along the Louisiana coast, as of this writing.

The GOP says they have contingency plans ready to go if the storm hits (Like what, move the whole thing to Orlando?).  But the obvious question comes to mind:  What was the GOP thinking when they decided to put their convention in Florida during the heart of hurricane season, possibly putting its delegates, guests and the media in harm's way?  (Well, OK.  Maybe they don't care so much about what happens to the media . . . )

There are other storm clouds over the party, some of which cannot be easily fixed.

• Mitt Romney, whose nomination will be made official during the convention, trails President Barack Obama in nearly every poll.  Though the gap is getting closer in swing states like Florida, Romney has yet to make the case as to why he deserves to be President and not Obama.  Not even naming Paul Ryan as his running mate has changed things, unless you live in Wisconsin.  But Romney does lead in one category:  he and his business pals have a 2-1 advantage over Obama when it comes to campaign money.  So expect lots of negative ads from now until November.
• Then there's Rep. Todd Akin of Missouri, who insists upon continuing his Senate campaign against Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill in spite of the damage he did to the GOP over something he said.  Akin told KTVI, St. Louis' Fox station, that "legitimate rape" seldom leads to pregnancy in women (First, where the heck did that come from?  Second, how would he know?).  Both parties screamed at Akin to get out of the race, but all he's been doing is going on national TV shows to apologize again and again.  Akin seems to believe that it's a long way before November, and is counting on the short attention span of Missouri voters.  Much to the GOP's (and women's) dismay, he could be right.
• More evidence of Republican lawmakers behaving like frat boys:  Kansas congressman Kevin Yoder was reported swimming in the nude during a late night party in the Sea of Galilee.  Yes, that one.

Of course, the Republicans don't have a monopoly on idiotic behavior.  Democrats are perfectly capable of doing that, too.

• Vice President Joe Biden, who's been known to speak before thinking sometimes, told an audience of African-Americans that a Romney administration with banks playing a big role is going to make them slaves again.  Much to the disappointment of those covering the Obama campaign, Biden seems to have cleaned up his act.  For now.
• In Minnesota, a Democratic state legislator from Duluth named Kerry Gauthier got caught having sex with a 17-year old boy at a rest stop.  No charges were filed because the minor was at the age of consent, but it does look bad to voters when you're running for re-election.  Gauthier, who threatened to take the Akin route and stay in the race, later decided to drop out as well to admit to his own homosexuality.

Whether you want to blame Isaac's arrival as divine intervention or Democratic meddling, it's the Republicans who have the most to lose if the storm gets bad enough that the convention has to be either shortened or canceled.  Does anyone really want to see Mitt Romney make his acceptance speech from inside a storm shelter at an undisclosed location?