Look at the cone.. one solution has Ike staying just offshore and sliding wnw through the Florida Straits

Goes back to timing and something Ed said a while back..

IF it goes over Cuba, friction slows it down and it comes off weaker. It could more further north if a weakness appears later rather than sooner but it would be a weaker storm.

IF it rides the far right side of the cone... stays over water it will stay stronger, come in to the Lower Keys/Straits faster and as a much stronger storm.

Bands of weather would spread across the Florida Keys FASTER and they would get stronger storms than they would if he was dawdling down on Cuba headed west towards Havana.

so.. timing is a problem as a sooner storm would be a stronger storm

a slower storm would be a weaker storm

I think.

Remember... it is totally within their forecast for Ike to ride the white line on the right of the cone and come off being within the forecast

..... watch the whole cone...