Republicans curtail today's convention schedule

Storming Out

Bush, Cheney scrub convention plans

Republicans' focus turns to hurricane

Election 2008

Republican National Convention

On the ledger of Bush's legacy, "Katrina will be a negative, as will not changing strategies in Iraq fast enough," said Michael Zimmerman, a Carroll County Republican.

No plans have been announced for Bush to campaign for McCain, and the president has quipped that if the nominee prefers, the president will keep his distance. However, it is likely he will continue an aggressive schedule to raise money for Republican candidates and party committees..

"Wherever he goes, he raises a lot of money," said Hug, who is skipping the convention. "People still admire George Bush and his fundraising, and they will turn out to see him."

Hurricane Gustav has scrambled the convention script, with an uncertain outcome.

"Here's the plus side: It adds uncertainty and drama and allows McCain to wrap patriotism in relief for Gustav and to erase the stigma from Katrina," said Schoen.

"If they do it with the right tone, that could help," he said. "But it's a big if, and the one thing politicians abhor is uncertainty."

Baltimore Sun reporter Paul West and the Associated Press contributed to this article.