The Republican National Convention: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

guardian.co.uk — Next week's Republican convention in Tampa has, of course, been choreographed down to the tiniest detail. The stage set, we're told, has been meticulously engineered to convey "warmth, approachability and openness". Much thought has been given to avoiding last-minute disruptions by supporters of Ron Paul, or by anarchists wielding acid-filled eggs. Nor are we likely to see the high drama of the 2008 party conventions, marked as they were by historical firsts, most notably the first nomination of a vice-presidential candidate based on under three minutes' vetting by her party. But things might still go wrong. The following list of worst-case scenarios – and I'd like to be absolutely clear about this – is provided solely in a spirit of generosity, to help the GOP forestall them. No anticipatory Schadenfreude is intended. None whatsoever.

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