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Your guide to the RNC gift shop

The hottest slap bracelets in Tampa? $6 please

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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.

 

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.

Donnie shows us a cuff link.

Ray Kroc didn't actually found McDonald's. YOU DIDN'T BUILD THAT, RAY KROC.

Slap bracelet technology has improved. You don't even know how great these are.

Pins? I dunno. Not slap bracelets, not important.

An important message for President Obama on this mannequin's boobs.

Sparkly crap for ladies. Everyone knows they love sparkly crap. Like pink football jerseys.

No one can explain why the iPhone cases were so ridiculously expensive but apparently they were still hot sellers.

The Romney sons wear these sparkly pirate elephant T-shirts everywhere, it's adorable.

<3 u Mitt

Classy.

"Blingers of Tampa."

"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.

America is not just flags and maps and states, America is freedom and flags and liberty and freedom.

My theory is that someone was like "Mitt you should make a campaign Tumblr" and these are the result.

By Alex Pareene

Alex Pareene writes about politics for Salon and is the author of "The Rude Guide to Mitt." Email him at apareene@salon.com and follow him on Twitter @pareene

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