Also of extreme interest is the situation with Florida's presidential primary, which currently is scheduled for January 31, but is expected to be changed before next year. But the where and when is still very much up in the air, as the Florida Legislature this year voted to have a committee decide the appropriate primary date.
RNC rules dictate that Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada will go before any other state voting for president next year and if a state doesn't adhere to that schedule setting their primary date, they will be penalized by losing half of their delegates that will count towards the presidential nomination.
But that same penalty was enforced in Florida in 2008 by the RNC, and the Florida Republican Party never looked back. The January 29 election was thought to have been the decisive vote in making John McCain the nominee.
"We've been communicating with the folks in Florida about what our rules say and we understand their position," he said, re changin the calendar date to have the maximum impact on who will become the 2012 GOP presidential nominee. But he said the rules were the rules. "It's a pretty rough rule, but it is what is."
But are the rules that rough? The fact is that even after stripping half of Florida's delegates, the state's large size still gives it more than some other states (like Iowa). And in 2008, all of Florida's delegates were allowed inside the Republican Convention in St. Paul.
"I think there's a pretty big desire this time around to make sure that not only the rules are enforced," admitting that both Florida and Michigan's delegates were allowed floor passes at the 2008 RNC. "My sense is that on the committee there's a real desire to enforce the rules and make the rules stick."
Regarding the just passed debt ceiling deal, Priebus was thumbs up on it, despite the fact that all but one of the candidates running for the presidency have criticized it. "Given the situation, it was a Republican victory," he commented, though only Jon Huntsman has said he supports it. "The package is not ideal," he said, giving praise to House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
There have been estimates that the convention will bring in $175 million to the Tampa Bay area, but Priebus says "the multiplier" effect could bring "two and a half times that value" to the area.
And as Hurricane Tropical Storm Emily may be coming Florida's way within the next few days, the RNC chairman was asked about contingency plans if such inclement weather were to hit during the last week of August next year, the time of the 2012 RNC. He said they did have contingency plans, but "we put our faith in God." He added that there have been conversations in the past about the possibility, and they will continue in the future.
Later, the chairman of the Tampa Bay Host Committee for the convention, Al Austin, downplayed any suggestions that it was a tough environment to raise funds for the event. "We're in great shape, exactly where we expect to be," he said. Ken Jones, president and CEO of the committee, has previously stated that they were aiming to raise over $50 million in funds, but the last report he gave, approximately three weeks ago, was that they had raised around $10 million. (The St. Pete Times reports that amount is near $15 million now).
