Will there be the destruction of property and/or people next week in Tampa during the RNC?
That's a question that people in this city have discussed for months, with any opinion being of course, merely speculative.
But the fear factor is cranking up days in advance of the convention, as the Tampa Police Department alerted local print reporters on Tuesday about their discovery of a YouTube video starring Anonymous (which you view here if you like) hinting "you can fight back at the Republican National Convention."
Coupled with the discovery late last week of some pipes and bricks on a downtown rooftop, and well, does this mean we'll have violence?
Again, that remains speculative. With 4,000 police officers at hand -3,000 not from this city ready to pounce on anything that looks dangerous – the question will be answered soon enough.
But the fear factor truly began for some people yesterday afternoon with weather forecasts that indicate the possibility of inclement weather as the convention begins, and an ever so slight chance of a possible hurricane. That issue is definitely freaking people out with five days to go before the big event.
The GOP is into having themes each night of the convention. Yesterday they announced that Tuesday night's motif will be "We Built It," though what they're referring to I'm not sure, other than it's an in your face to President Obama for his comments from a month ago to successful entrepreneurs that they didn't build anything by themselves.
Among those not named to speak at the convention include Missouri Congressman Todd Akin. RNC Chair Reince Priebus told reporters in Tampa yesterday that he doesn't want the Senate candidate who made the ill-advised comment about rape on Sunday anywhere near the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
And Ken Jones, CEO of the Host Committee for the convention, insists that nearly 80 percent of the $55 million his group is spending to put on the four-day party next week is going to local businesses – if you include Orlando in the Bay area.
And famed conservative "muckraker" James O'Keefe will be making an appearance in Tampa next week, if you haven't heard.
This article appears in Aug 23-29, 2012.