The hottest item in the Republican National Convention Gift Shop at the Tampa Bay Times Forum is the Romney/Ryan slap bracelets -- and at just $6, they're one of the store's most affordable means of looking cool while also contributing to the Romney/Ryan campaign. (An adult T-shirt will set delegates and other convention-goers back $30. A "We Built It" iPhone case, $40.)
The store was packed Tuesday afternoon, just before the Maine delegation's Ron Paul supporters walked off the floor. Donnie Neurnberger, of GOP Shoppe, the company contracted to run the store, told me the bracelets were a surprising hit. As for T-shirts, "America's Comeback Team," he said, pointing to a rack of classy blue unisex tees bearing the slogan, "that's been our No. 1 seller." Plus: "Anything with 'Mr. President, I Built My Business.'" There was a lot of stuff with variations on that theme.
[caption id="attachment_12995035" align="alignleft" width="460" caption="The hottest-selling shirt because if Romney loses you can cross his name out and pretend it is like a Red Sox shirt or something."]
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[caption id="attachment_12995033" align="alignleft" width="460" caption="Donnie shows us a cuff link."]
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[caption id="attachment_12994987" align="alignleft" width="460" caption="Ray Kroc didn't actually found McDonald's. YOU DIDN'T BUILD THAT, RAY KROC."]
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[caption id="attachment_12995004" align="alignleft" width="460" caption="Slap bracelet technology has improved. You don't even know how great these are."]
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[caption id="attachment_12994988" align="alignleft" width="460" caption="Pins? I dunno. Not slap bracelets, not important."]
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[caption id="attachment_12995006" align="alignleft" width="460" caption="An important message for President Obama on this mannequin's boobs."]
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[caption id="attachment_12995010" align="alignleft" width="460" caption="Sparkly crap for ladies. Everyone knows they love sparkly crap. Like pink football jerseys."]
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[caption id="attachment_12995013" align="alignleft" width="460" caption="No one can explain why the iPhone cases were so ridiculously expensive but apparently they were still hot sellers."]
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[caption id="attachment_12995014" align="alignleft" width="460" caption="The Romney sons wear these sparkly pirate elephant T-shirts everywhere, it's adorable."]
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[caption id="attachment_12995016" align="alignleft" width="460" caption="<3 u Mitt"]
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[caption id="attachment_12995018" align="alignleft" width="460" caption="Classy."]
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[caption id="attachment_12995027" align="alignleft" width="460" caption=""Blingers of Tampa.""]
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[caption id="attachment_12995030" align="alignleft" width="460" caption=""All Others Will Be Taxed." Because Republicans are really good at avoiding taxes, I guess. This is a sign you post at your Cayman Islands P.O. Box holding company."]
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[caption id="attachment_12995032" align="alignleft" width="460" caption="America is not just flags and maps and states, America is freedom and flags and liberty and freedom."]
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[caption id="attachment_12995036" align="alignleft" width="460" caption="My theory is that someone was like "Mitt you should make a campaign Tumblr" and these are the result."]
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