North Carolina Governor Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, released a letter on Tuesday informing the GOP, they must prepare for a scaled-back convention in Charlotte.
Cooper’s request for a more slender convention was because of the coronavirus pandemic, despite demands from Pres. Trump, who wants a full-scale, in-person event.
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Cooper informed the top convention organizer and the national GOP chairwoman he’s willing to have more conversations over how to make the convention safe and is still waiting for a safety plan which was requested by North Carolina officials.
“The people of North Carolina do not know what the status of COVID-19 will be in August, so planning for a scaled-down convention with fewer people, social distancing and face coverings is a necessity,” Cooper said in the letter.
Last week, Pres. Trump all but demanded Cooper guarantee him a full-scale event and answer him within a week, or he would start looking to move the event elsewhere.
At the current time, North Carolina faces an upward trend in its coronavirus cases, as Mecklenburg County having more cases and deaths than any other county.
Catawba College Political Scientist Michael Bitzer mentioned that the governor’s popularity in the state could give him a stronger position than Trump, who would no doubt try to convince the public that his approach is correct.
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I love the Great State of North Carolina, so much so that I insisted on having the Republican National Convention in Charlotte at the end of August. Unfortunately, Democrat Governor, @RoyCooperNC is still in Shutdown mood & unable to guarantee that by August we will be allowed…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 25, 2020
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Some have speculated that Trump would move the convention to Florida, which the president said is “fake news.”
I have zero interest in moving the Republican National Convention to Doral in Miami, as falsely reported by the Fake News @nytimes in order to stir up trouble. Ballroom is not nearly big enough & would like to stay in N.C., whose gov. doesn’t even know if he can let people in? https://t.co/nqBBPv4VXS
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 25, 2020
Trump’s method to the madness is to promote North Carolina through the GOP convention and boost enthusiasm among supporters. However, he could also frustrate some voters if he pushes too hard during a delicate time for health and public safety, Bitzer said.
The state economy could see close to $200 million with added jobs in the hospitality industry and in restaurants and bars, which is why Blitzer also said, “This is an economic shot in the arm that we desperately need in North Carolina.”
If I were the RNC, there’s no question I’d move to another state immediately. Cooper can promise anything then at the last minute, pull the plug. I think that’s his plan. Don’t negotiate with him…just move it now.
There’s something I don’t understand. North Carolina is a BLUE state and Wisconsin is a RED state. Why don’t the two party’s just swap locations for their respective conventions?
This piece was written by Wayne Dupree on June 2, 2020. It originally appeared in WayneDupree.com and is used by permission.
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