Mauian and Republican National Committeeman Travis Thompson said Tuesday he felt the party's decision to scale back this week's national convention was "appropriate," and was looking forward to hearing Gov. Linda Lingle speak today.
Lingle's speech, originally scheduled for Tuesday, was postponed after Republicans decided to change the planned convention schedule so as not to detract from emergency response to Hurricane Gustav in the Gulf Coast. Lingle is tentatively scheduled to join today's lineup of speakers, and has been tapped to tell the story of vice presidential nominee and fellow Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska.
While Gustav turned out to cause less damage than initially feared, Thompson said changing the convention schedule - which included eliminating planned appearances by President George W. Bush and by Vice President Dick Cheney, who remained in Washington - was the right thing to do.
"I think it was a very appropriate decision," he said. "We had no knowledge of what was going to happen, and it's just not good to engage in the excitement of the convention when we're thinking of people potentially in harm's way down on the coast," he said.
Thompson thought the decision to have Lingle present Palin was a good one, saying the party's nominee for vice president was "very, very similar to our ex-mayor and our governor."
The two are the first women governors of America's two newest states, and Lingle says she's one of the only people in America who knows Sarah Palin, because she's traveled her road - from journalist to small-town mayor to the governor's office.
Thompson, who was finance director in Lingle's county administration, called Palin an "outstanding addition to the ticket," who would bring executive experience to Sen. John McCain's campaign for president. The announcement "brought a new degree of excitement" to the convention, he said.
He downplayed the significance of news this week that Palin's unmarried teenage daughter is five months pregnant.
"She has one child who requires some extra attention," he said. "Every family has some problems, and she's not unique in that way."
The Republican National Convention continues in St. Paul and is expected to culminate Thursday with a speech by McCain accepting his party's nomination.
* Ilima Loomis can be reached at iloomis@mauinews.com.
