Republican Convention Preview

The Republican National Committee gave the media a preview of their plans for next year's convention at Madison Square Garden, and it looks like the nation will see President Bush on a rotating stage at the center of room, sort of like a human Marriott Marquis rotating restaurant. (Gothamist suggests the GOP watch out with the number of rotations per minute, because we have a feeling the President might feel a little woozy, although seeing President Bush on an upside platform, a la Tommy Lee's upside down drum during his Motley Crue days, would pretty great television.) The Times and Observer both agree the Republicans' presentation and plan for next year are slick. The Observer dives deeper into the differences between the RNC convention here in NY and the Democratic National Convention in Boston, besides the fact that one is in the greatest city in the world and the other is somewhere else (NYers hate the GOP, Democrats don't have their act together, etc). The Observer also notes that the media will be stationed at the Post Office, and a bridge will be built 17 feet over the street so it makes getting from media headquarters to the convention easy (someone needs to start a photoblog of the construction of that bridge). But the unintentionally hilarious quote comes from convention CEO William Harris, "Since the President is a different kind of Republican, it makes sense that he is nominated by a different kind of convention."

The GOP also made sure to compliment and praise the city of New York, after the embarrassing effort from Tom DeLay to have all GOPers sequestered away on a boat. But don't worry, everyone, Gothamist is sure there will be more than enough embarrassment to pass around when they come to town.