Mitt Romney nominee: GOP nominates ticket to ‘save America’
For all the anticipation surrounding Christie and Ann Romney, the convention still opened under the shadow of Hurricane Isaac. After forcing a cancelation of Monday’s events here in Tampa, the storm veered north and west toward New Orleans. It made landfall with high winds just as the evening convention speeches were getting underway.
Obama gave a statement from the White House this morning to urge citizens in the storm’s path to take precautions for their own safety. Romney spoke by phone with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who scrapped plans to appear at the convention in order to prepare for Isaac’s arrival in his state.
Continue ReadingRomney and Ryan arrived on separate planes midday, traveling with their wives from New Hampshire and Wisconsin, respectively. Ryan had been scheduled to arrive in Tampa Monday but delayed his travel due to Isaac.
Speaking to delegates Tuesday afternoon, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus began with an acknowledgment of the developing situation in the Gulf.
“First, I would like to offer our thoughts and prayers for the safety of all those in the pathway of the hurricane,” Priebus said.
And the storm wasn’t the only disruptive force surrounding the convention: so, too, were the supporters of libertarian Rep. Ron Paul, who interrupted the goings-on several times Tuesday afternoon to protest changes to party rules.
In moments of disorder on the convention floor, Paul supporters jeered GOP leaders who refused to seat pro-Paul delegates from the state of Maine. They also protested a decision to force states to hold binding primaries and caucuses, potentially stopping candidates like Paul from harvesting more delegates than democratic contests award them.
None of that, however, derailed the process of formally approving Romney and Ryan’s nominations.
Indeed, it was one of the week’s first truly festive moments when Romney crossed the mark of 1,144 delegate votes and formally became the Republican nominee for president.
As the states voted in alphabetical order, it was the New Jersey delegation that put Romney over the top.
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