In a move that signals how Tropical Storm Isaac threatens to eclipse the Republican convention, CNN has announced that it is sending Soledad O’Brien and Anderson Cooper to New Orleans.
The storm, which is bypassing Tampa and on course for the north Gulf Coast (and very possibly New Orleans), could now pose far bigger problems for the Republicans than high winds and waves ever would. There is a very real fear among Republicans that a natural disaster in New Orleans (seven years after Hurricane Katrina) or nearby could all but eclipse the convention — or, worse, create an unfavorable “split-screen situation” in which images of Hurricane damage are juxtaposed with the theatrics of Mitt Romney’s nomination.
It would also serve to remind everyone just what an unnatural disaster the last Republican president was. An Obama administration dealing with a disaster competently and quickly isn’t a juxtaposition that would play well for the GOP.
As always, what’s bad for America is good for the GOP — and vice versa.
