ST. PETERSBURG – Tropical Storm Isaac continued its slow, ominous crawl toward Florida on Sunday, forecast to grow into a hurricane and casting a pall over the preparations for the now-delayed Republican National Convention.
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By Spencer Platt, Getty Images
Workers set up the stage for the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Sunday.
By Spencer Platt, Getty Images
Workers set up the stage for the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Sunday.
"We don't think it will hit Tampa," Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus told Fox News Sunday. "Obviously, it is safety first… The show is going to go on."
Republicans promised to release an updated schedule for the convention Sunday, one day after canceling Monday's opening session. That announcement came hours after Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency, which he called a "normal step" in disaster preparations.
Priebus insisted the convention would go ahead as scheduled, albeit a day late. Forecasters said Sunday morning the storm was expected to reach the Florida Keys later in the day at or near hurricane strength.
"Currently Isaac is a tropical storm that's expected to become a hurricane as it reaches Key West… then it will move into the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to strengthen" further, said Meteorologist Jessica Schauer with the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Schauer said the system is expected to move northward as it grows into a Category 2 hurricane, with an ultimate landfall is possible on the northern Gulf Coast late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.
"Definitely the northern Gulf Coast should be preparing for a hurricane right now," she said.
The roll call of the states, which is the vote on the nomination of Mitt Romney , will happen Tuesday, a day later than planned. The convention is trying to accommodate all the previously announced speakers in a compressed schedule — which may mean earlier starts for the remaining three days.
"I think we will absolutely be able to get our message out," said Russ Schriefer, a strategist for the Romney campaign.
A three-day convention would put Republicans on par with the Democrats, who are shortening their convention from the traditional four days because of the Labor Day holiday Sept. 3. Republicans effectively had a three-day convention in 2008, both because of the Labor Day holiday and Hurricane Gustav threatening the Gulf Coast as they were gathering in Minneapolis.
Canceling the convention outright is not an option, party officials said. There's no suspense about who the party will nominate, but the formality is legally necessary to get Romney and his running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan, on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia— and to begin spending campaign money designated for the general election.
The geography of the Tampa Bay region could make traveling for convention-goers and local residents a nightmare if Isaac hits.
Most of the convention activities are scheduled to take place at the Tampa Convention Center and the Tampa Bay Times Forum, both located near the water and in high-risk flood zones.
But the biggest concern, said Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, is the safety of the three causeways connecting Tampa to St. Petersburg, where most delegates and guests are staying. More than 400 chartered buses would ferry convention-goers over the bay to the events.
"Next to some of the crowd management issues that we have, transportation is by far the biggest issue well be dealing with over the next five days," Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor said Saturday morning.
Party officials are optimistic that there won't be any problems with a Tuesday start. "We look at this as Monday issue," Priebus said of the decision to delay the convention. But he wouldn't rule out more schedule adjustments "on an as-needed basis."
"We're looking forward to a great start on Tuesday and don't know of any reason operationally why that won't happen," said Bill Harris, CEO of the convention.
Contributing: John Bacon, Paul Singer, Jackie Kucinich, Catalina Camia, Bob Rathgeber of the Fort Myers News-Press, Associated Press
