ST. PAUL — Let’s see, there was the presidential adviser call girl scandal at the Democratic gathering in in Chicago in ’96, the Ross Perot political exit during the Democratic convention in New York ‘92.

You had unforgettable moments like Bill Clinton’s speech  in Atlanta in ‘88  that went on and on and on and Pat Buchanan’s declaration of a cultural war at the ‘92 GOP get-together in Houston.

But we’ve seen nothing quite like the opening of this Republican convention in St. Paul. Here are some questions that might or might not be answered:

1. Can the GOP get it together? A hurricane and the disclosure about the pregnancy of the young daughter of John McCain’s newly minted running mate, Sarah Palin, have, shall we say, sidetracked the GOP. It’s past time for the Republicans to get back on-message, and we’ll see tonight if it’s possible.

2. Will a hero emerge? McCain has been reserved over the years in talking about his POW experiences but Republicans tonight will begin the process of painting a vivid picture of McCain’s life.

3. Will a new Republican brand start taking shape? The party knows that it’s time to create a new image given its plummeting popularity tied to the Bush administration’s failures. Will voters take away some clues about what the new party of Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan will look like?

4. Will Bush’s satellite swan song fly? The president couldn’t make it  in person because of Hurricane Gustav, disappointing his loyalists in the Xcel Center but giving party organizers a clearer shot at focusing on the future. We’ll see if his piped-in speech be the high point of the evening, as it should be, and whether Democrats will succeed creating “McSame” even if Bush isn’t there in the flesh.