Saturday, August 25, 2012
Democrats unveil their "counter convention" war room in Tampa
Posted by Mitch Perry on Sat, Aug 25, 2012 at 6:30 PM
But Debbie Wasserman Schultz is having none of that.
"Because they've played so fair?" said the Democratic National Committee Chairwoman, when asked about the GOP's initial reactions about Biden's visit. "Because they've ran a very sportsmanlike campaign? Give me a break!" (On Friday night, the vice president canceled his Tampa engagement due to concerns that it would take law enforcement away from dealing with Tropical Storm Isaac.)
Wasserman Schultz spoke Saturday afternoon at the official unveiling of the Democratic Party's "war room," located around the corner from the Tampa Convention Center, which will be a work center for thousands of reporters covering the weeklong event.
"This is going to be Grand Central, our headquarters of the counter convention, the counter programming that highlights the really horrendous policies Mitt Romney has proposed," said the Congresswoman, speaking to a crowded room of local Democrats that included former Congressman Jim Davis, National Committeeman Alan Clendenin and state party vice-chair Alison Morano Burke, as well as members of the national press who already arrived for the convention.
Earlier this week, the Romney campaign and the Republican National Committee unveiled their fancy schmantzy stage set up inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum, which includes 13 different LED screens that will dazzle viewers watching from home.
But the always caustic DNC chair said she wouldn't be surprised to see "the biggest Etch A Sketch in history" behind the podium, as she contended that the convention will be an exercise in watching Mitt Romney re-invent himself.
While the GOP will spend four nights bashing Barack Obama and selling the Mitt Romney-Paul Ryan ticket as being the elixir that is needed to get the country back on track, Wasserman Schultz said she and a host of other Democratic Party surrogates will be "messaging" twice daily on the "distortions" that will be uttered inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
Always on message, the Democrats' invitation to reporters read "Limited Cadillac Parking Available" and "Medicare Vouchers Not Available."
Florida Democratic Party spokeswoman Ellen Canale said that during the convention, their war room opens every morning at 9 a.m. and includes two daily press conferences with different Democrats who provide the alternative spin.
Up until 2008, generally, the two political parties would have about a month between their respective conventions, with the party controlling the White House always going last. Traditionally that meant conventions in July and August.
But four years ago, the Democrats held their convention the last week of August and the Republicans followed just days later. That's the exact same calendar for this year's conventions, with the only difference being that the Republicans are leading off.
Such a short turnaround could prevent any traditional "bounce" in public opinion, which has been the case in previous years, and often can be ephemeral. Or do you forget how Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis surged to a 17-point lead over George H.W. Bush in 1988 after his convention in Atlanta?
Wasserman Schultz said her GOP counterpart, Reince Priebus, predicted that Romney will get a significant bounce from the Tampa affair. "In fact he had a graphic that he in a PowerPoint presentation that actually previewed an 11 point bounce," she said.
Will Romney get any sort of buzz, after he delivers what is already being promoted as "the speech of his life"?
"We'll see," the chairwoman ambiguously said.
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