Keller @ Large: Hurricane Might Make Convention Interesting
BOSTON (CBS) - Believe it or not, it does appear that there's a tropical storm possibly headed for Tampa, Florida that might turn into a hurricane when it hits, right at the start of the Republican National Convention.
And since I'm headed there to cover the event for WBZ, I've been thinking – will that spoil the story, or make it an even better one?
Listen to Jon's commentary:
Podcast
Unless it veers well off, the storm could force postponement or even cancellation of the convention plans. But if that happens, wouldn't it be a great chance for Republicans to show the country what they're really made of?
To me, it would be disastrous PR if the party let the storm shut down their message. Instead, they should seize the opportunity to put their money where their mouths are.
Given the terrible damage a serious storm can inflict on a community, there could be ample opportunity for party leaders and delegates to strap on their galoshes and help distressed Floridians with cleanup and repair once the storm is past.
All volunteer work, of course.
And they'd better muster enough to at least displace some of the government role in disaster relief. After all, we need less government across the board, right?
If the Tampa Bay coastline proves to be excessively vulnerable to storm damage due to overdevelopment, the Romney/Ryan ticket could step forward and denounce such exploitative business practices. They could use the slogan: "You Shouldn't Have Built That."
This is a party that should be expert by now in sandbagging; they've been refining their technique in Congress for the last two years. And after all, they should be able to at least protect Tampa from high winds during the storm.
All they have to do is put Mitt Romney's hair between the wind and the city.
So, with all due concern for damage and risk, I'm kind of hoping we do see a big storm in Tampa next week.
It would be considerably more interesting than the usual hot air tsunami.
You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. and 12:25 p.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News.
