With Hurricane Gustav degraded to a tropical depression, Republicans moved into a full schedule of convention events on Tuesday, including scheduled speeches by Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman (a former Democratic vice presidential nominee turned Independent who campaigns regularly for John McCain) and President Bush (who will speak via satellite.)

Republicans seem excited to have their convention back on track. “Republicans at this convention are much more excited than Republicans have been in the last couple of years,” Missouri Representative Roy Blunt told journalists at the Foreign Press Center September 1. “That’s a good thing.”

One of the reasons they are excited is McCain’s selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to be his running mate. One sign that they think she is a good pick: John McCain raised $47 million in August; $10 million came in since Palin’s candidacy was announced August 29. (See “John McCain Chooses Alaska Governor as Running Mate.”)

Inside the convention hall and across the United States, there have been many discussions about Palin, who was not a well-known politician prior to August 29. Most Americans are learning about her personal and political history for the first time this week and many are eagerly awaiting her acceptance speech September 3.

Party leaders like Blunt believe McCain’s pick shows his commitment to bring change to Washington.

“When John McCain reached out to pick the first person that you know would absolutely be in a McCain administration, that’s a pretty bold decision to go all the way to Fairbanks, Alaska. That’s as about as far from Washington, D.C., as you can get and still have somebody who lives in the United States,” Blunt said.

Some Americans were puzzled that McCain chose a first-term governor to be his running mate when he has criticized Barack Obama’s lack of experience. Matthew Dowd, a political analyst for ABC News and chief strategist to the Bush/Cheney campaign in 2004, told journalists at the same briefing that when the general election picks up speed after the Republican convention, Americans will not hear much about experience.

“This will be a fight over who is the ‘change’ candidate, not over who is the most experienced candidate … which is why this whole convention will be set up about reform, as opposed to experience,” Dowd said.

The press filing center at St. Paul, Minnesota, is very different from the center in Denver. Thousands of journalists are working out of a series of auditoriums connected to the Xcel Energy Center, where official convention events will occur – although Hurricane Gustav’s arrival on the Gulf Coast has limited these events severely.

The good news for reporters is that the indoor location means no more portable bathrooms. The bad news is the series of auditoriums are on many different levels of a big building, which makes navigating the site confusing. Fortunately, there are hundreds of volunteers to guide the way – each one eager to help lost reporters and welcome them to Minnesota.

The mood here among the Republicans is more subdued than at the beginning of the Democratic convention. It is quieter, and the televisions turned on throughout the press areas are showing reports from the Gulf Coast.

Throughout his campaign, presumed Republican presidential nominee John McCain has said he puts his “country first.” Party leaders say his decision to postpone most convention events is another example of this behavior.

Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez told journalists at the Foreign Press Center’s briefing area that McCain believes it is better to focus on the hurricane than on the convention right now. “It is a time to focus on the nation, it is a time to focus on America” rather than party politics, Gutierrez said.

McCain’s decision could come at a cost. The convention and the speeches – heavily covered on prime-time television – provide an opportunity for Americans to get to know the candidates, their parties and their positions. Conventions often provide a small bounce (increased approval) in polls for a candidate. Following the Democratic convention, Obama’s favorability in many polls jumped. His acceptance speech was viewed on television by about 38 million people – the most in convention history.

Whether McCain will get the opportunity to attract viewers and enjoy his own post-convention bounce remains to be seen; party leaders are setting the agenda “day by day” based on events in the Gulf Coast.

Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez told journalists at a Foreign Press Center briefing in St. Paul, Minnesota, September 1, presumed Republican nominee John McCain cares very much about Hispanic issues and, despite poor poll numbers for McCain among Hispanics, he believes more Hispanics will favor McCain as they realize the Arizona senator’s long history of supporting their community.

Both McCain and Barack Obama are courting Hispanic voters by speaking before Hispanic groups and running advertisements in Spanish. The uneven dispersion of Hispanics in the U.S. population gives them a potentially key role in swing states like Florida, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico. So far these voters seem to favor Democrat Barack Obama. (See “Obama, McCain Compete in Wooing Hispanic Voters.”)

Born in Cuba and once a resident of Mexico, Gutierrez – who told journalists he was not speaking on behalf of the U.S. government – said Hispanic issues are “very important to me.” He said McCain “understands Hispanic community issues … he considers it one of his priorities and he has always had a great deal of respect for our community.”

Gutierrez noted that McCain, a military veteran, served in Vietnam with many Hispanics. “He has always been a friend of the Hispanic American community, not just during a campaign.”

Welcome to Minnesota! Republicans open their national convention in St. Paul on September 1 with a look and feel that are completely different from those of the recent Democratic convention – thanks to a major tropical storm. Hurricane Gustav is hitting the Gulf Coast – the same region devastated by Hurricane Katrina three years ago – just as the Republican National Convention is poised to begin.

Given the potential for severe damage and loss of life, presumed Republican nominee John McCain and other party leaders have decided it would be inappropriate to hold a celebration. Stressing this is not a time to talk partisan politics, McCain told convention-goers to “take off their Republican hats and put on their American hats.”

Republicans will conduct official party business for a short time on the opening day of convention, but there will be no speeches, videos, musical performances or other events designed to get the party faithful excited. McCain encouraged delegates and other citizens to use this time to take “action in the form of volunteering, donations, reaching out our hands and our hearts and our wallets to the people who are under such great threat from this great natural disaster.”

Because of the hurricane, some political leaders cancelled their trips to St. Paul, including President Bush and Vice President Cheney, who were to have addressed the convention September 1, and Bobby Jindal, the governor of Louisiana. The major television networks’ lead anchors are missing as well – they headed to the Gulf coast.

It is not clear when convention activities will return to normal – party leaders plan to make that decision on a day-by-day basis.

Despite the change in plans, America.gov will be holding its convention webchat with political experts – Click on the link to send in your questions!