Even if the Republican National Convention does go forward as something other than a rump event, it’s likely not to get as much attention as it might have thanks to Hurricane Gustav:
NEW YORK (AP) - Television networks rapidly shifted focus and personnel away from the Republican national convention to Gulf Coast communities in the path of Hurricane Gustav on Sunday, wondering how much of their political planning will be for naught.
Anchors Katie Couric, Charles Gibson, Brian Williams, Anderson Cooper and Shepard Smith were all going to the New Orleans area for the storm instead of being with Republicans in St. Paul, Minn.
Whether they will be heading north at all depends on the strength of the storm at Monday’s expected landfall. President Bush and Vice President Cheney both canceled plans to be at the convention, where they were to be featured Monday, and the GOP was considering other changes to its program.
“We’re going to go with the biggest story of the day tomorrow,” said Jay Wallace, a news vice president at Fox News Channel, “and right now the biggest story of the day is the storm.”
Along with Smith, Fox was sending Geraldo Rivera and at least a dozen crews to the Gulf. Fox had been anticipating a big week in St. Paul; its ratings topped every broadcast and cable network at the 2004 GOP convention.
It’s unclear how viewers will respond this time if the storm eclipses the convention as a story.
My guess ? They won’t watch.
