Tropical Storm Isaac, currently meandering westward in the Atlantic, may hit the east coast of the U.S. early next week during the Republican convention. There’s even a chance (all this is guesswork at present) that it might make a direct hit on Tampa, where the convention is going to be held.
In a worst case scenario, the 70,000 conventioneers and media hangers-on would have to be evacuated. An even worse scenario is that a slew of poor people might gravitate to the city’s convention center seeking refuge from the storm where Republicans are also huddled. The potential horror of it. Republicans having to mingle a close quarters with the poor!
Of course the really, really worst scenario from the Republican perspective would be if the storm were really, really bad, made a direct hit on Tampa, and President Obama came to the aid of the city and its temporary Republican vanguard with offers of federal aid.
Would Republicans accept federal aid if they were hunkered down and hurting? Or refuse it on principle? And supposing such aid were only given to Tampa residents who could prove they actually lived in the city with a valid picture ID?
Things here could get interesting…