As Republicans began tiptoeing through the first day of their hurricane-ravaged national convention, strategists for both John McCain and Barack Obama pondered how and when to resume a normal presidential campaign.
As both candidates severely ratcheted back their campaign trail appearances Monday, delegates in St. Paul sped through a bare-bones procedural agenda, leavened only briefly by speeches by First Lady Laura Bush and would-be First Lady Cindy McCain.
In her brief remarks, Bush sounded the tone that Republicans are trying to maintain during what has so far been an apolitical political convention. "We are reminded that first, we are all Americans -- and that our shared American ideals will always transcend political parties and partisanship."
Both parties are trying to send that message -- at least until the crisis on the Gulf Coast has passed.
Both are doing a good job, but McCain's campaign seems to be faring better so far, said David Schultz, a political scientist at Hamline University. "McCain," said Schultz, has "sort of been able to politicize Gustav without looking like he's politicizing Gustav. He's getting gains out of what could have been a disaster."
Obama's campaign has the bigger problem, Schultz added, "because they have no control at this point, of the hurricane or the convention, and the Republicans have upset their ability to get their message out," Schultz said.
On the convention floor Monday, several delegates said they're pleased with the way the McCain campaign has played the unexpected hand it has been dealt. And they said they're eager to get back to traditional politicking -- as soon as it would be seemly.
"I don't think there's a better way they could have handled it," said Jon Woodard, a delegate from St. Augustine, Fla. "This pause they've taken was the best thing they could do. And if the news [from the Gulf] turns out to be not as bad as they thought it would be, we can get on with our convention."
