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Neon Tommy - Annenberg digital news

GOP Gavels Convention To Order In Shortened Session

Danny Lee |
August 27, 2012 | 1:19 p.m. PDT

Executive Producer

The convention resumes Tuesday with speeches expected from Ann Romney and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. (Creative Commons)
The convention resumes Tuesday with speeches expected from Ann Romney and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. (Creative Commons)
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus pounded the gavel to kick off the convention and immediately sent it into recess in a shortened Monday session in Tampa.

Only a smattering of delegates were present inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum as Tropical Storm Isaac led to the cancellation of most of the first day's scheduled events. With convention rules requiring a 2 p.m. ET Monday start, it took Priebus less than two minutes to open and recess the convention, the Associated Press reported.

During the session, Priebus unveiled a "national debt clock," telling delegates that it was meant to serve as a reminder of the "unprecedented fiscal recklessness of the Obama administration," according to USA Today. A second debt clock tallied how much debt will accumulate during the convention, which culminates Thursday with Mitt Romney's formal acceptance of the GOP nomination.

The storm and massive police presence kept many protesters away. Far fewer than the 5,000 demonstrators expected to rally against the GOP's economic and social policies showed up outside the arena.

Party officials made sure maintain a subdued tone as the storm approaches the northern Gulf Coast almost exactly seven years after Hurricane Katrina ripped through New Orleans.

"Obviously we want to pray for anyone that's in the pathway of this storm," Priebus said, according to Newsday. "But the message is still the same: that all Americans deserve a better future and that this president didn't keep the promises he made in 2008."

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal announced that he will not attend the convention to focus on monitoring Isaac, according to ABC News.

"There is no time for politics here in Louisiana," Jindal said.

If convention events resume on Tuesday as expected, Democrats said on-site efforts are planned in Tampa to counter the Republicans' message, according to the AP. Democrats hope to focus on Romney's record at Bain Capital by having employees who worked for companies impacted by Bain address the media.

The RNC will kick off its first full session on Tuesday with a major speech from Ann Romney and the keynote address from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

 

For more of Neon Tommy's RNC 2012 coverage, click here.

Reach Executive Producer Danny Lee here; follow him here.


 

 


 

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