Gustav Could Make or Break McCain

With soon-to-be Hurricane Gustav churning below Cuba and aiming toward Louisiana, the landfall of Gustav could be a defining moment for the GOP and John McCain.

DENVER — Mindful of the pitfalls of hosting cocktail parties while Gulf Coast residents are being evacuated, John McCain’s campaign suggested Thursday that Republicans could postpone their upcoming national convention in St. Paul if Tropical Storm Gustav makes landfall over the weekend.

Accu-Weather storm trackers say nothing is impeding Gustav from turning into a hurricane before it makes landfall in the United States. Maximum sustained winds could reach 111 miles per hour.

“The storm poses a serious threat to lives and property next week along the Gulf Coast. All interests from the Florida Panhandle to South Texas should closely monitor the storm, prepare an emergency plan and stock up on supplies,” the weather agency wrote in a statement early Thursday afternoon.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has already said he would skip the convention, scheduled to start Monday and last through Thursday, if a hurricane barrels down on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast just days after the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said delaying the start time is a possibility.

“Senator McCain has always been sensitive to national crises — in the 2000 race, he postponed his announcement because of the situation in the Balkans, and we are monitoring the situation very closely,” Bounds said.

This storm will probably come ashore on Tuesday morning somewhere around central Louisiana. On Fox a little while ago Dick Morris (former Clinton advisor) suggested that McCain ought to cancel whatever else he has scheduled and get to the affected area as quickly as he can get in there. He doesn't have to be in Minneapolis until Thursday night, so there's no reason why he couldn't spend Wednesday down there doing what he can to comfort the afflicted and show the flag for himself and the GOP. And frankly, there's no reason why he couldn't give his acceptance speech from the hard hit area. With satellite transmission capability, he could be anywhere and broadcast back to Minnesota. That would be impressive.

Some folks will object claiming that it's either a photo op or a hindrance to rescue operations, but he should go anyway. The pictures of George Bush flying over New Orleans in Air Force One instead of getting on the ground with the first responders have haunted his administration and the GOP for three years.

Thankfully, Louisiana now has some competent leadership at the state level, and I think New Orleans learned a thing or two from Katrina, so whatever happens down there it shouldn't be as ugly as 2005.