Posted on 08/31/2008 3:10:36 AM PDT by Pinkbell
DAYTON, OHIO -- As Sen. John McCain prepares to accept the Republican presidential nomination this week, his party's four-day convention will be notable in part for who isn't attending.
Compared with past GOP conventions, a surprising number of prominent lawmakers and candidates will stay away from the festivities Sept. 1 to 4 in St. Paul, Minn. -- chiefly citing tough reelection battles, previous commitments or other scheduling conflicts.
At least 10 incumbent senators, plus several Senate candidates, have sent their regrets. Only three incumbents in hotly contested races, including Kentucky's Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader, will join the partygoers.
"It's probably easier to say who is attending," said Rebecca Fisher, spokeswoman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. But the list is "a moving target," she added.
Republican officials have encouraged candidates to focus first on winning their own elections. But an aide to a Republican senator, who spoke on condition of anonymity, offered another reason for the no-shows.
"The party brand is in tatters," said the aide. "The president is highly unpopular. There doesn't seem to be much excitement around the candidate. And there's a real fear of being tagged with the Republican label and being seen with George Bush."
Some absences are due to overriding events in officials' home states. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will bow out to stay in California and deal with a budget stalemate, and Govs. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Rick Perry of Texas said they would cancel their prime-time convention appearances because of the threat to the Gulf Coast from Hurricane Gustav.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Well, OK...
There doesn't seem to be much excitement around the candidate.
Bullsh*t. I'm as excited as I've ever been. We have found our Maggie Thatcher.
-ccm
I think the conservative base is a lot more fired up now that they/we have seen the VP pick.
I like chicken track screeds from panicked leftists in the morning. Helps open my eyelids.
Well, I guess most of the republican congress critters do not wish to be reelected. And I say Yes, we will not reelect them. We don’t want Rinos at the convention anyway. What a breath of fresh air.
“The party brand is in tatters,” said the aide. “The president is highly unpopular. There doesn’t seem to be much excitement around the candidate. And there’s a real fear of being tagged with the Republican label and being seen with George Bush.”
This sounds like a quote copied and pasted from an article written months ago.
‘Nuf said.
Actually not having the same old bunch of tired politicians bloviating from the podium (like what the Democrats did last week) appeals to me. And it looks like that hurricane will give President Bush the perfect excuse not to show up without losing face. So perhaps, this coming week can be about the FUTURE and about CHANGE, two themes that were missing from the Democratic convention of last week.
the convention is full of rinos and one is on ticket, so what's your point? You do realise a Mccain win means rinos are here to stay even longer.
I wonder if any are reconsidering, now that a very approved-of v.p. choice has been made? This is a difficult week with a dangerous storm about to hit.
What's the over/under on the deaths from this hurricane for the Dems to get a veto-proof Congress? 400? 500? The MSM shooting a floating body will be gold for the Obama campaign.
More than likely the spineless Republican Senate scum is scared shi’iteless by Palin.
sometimes people do not learn, they trout out a purdy woman and you all are ready to pour your wallets into his campaign and vote him. THIS is just like 2000 with W we didnt want him, he chose Chaney then you all moved to his side....see how well that worked out for us. Granted its not all bad but very little of it had anything to do with Chaney. He just got to draw the Ire from the media by being satan incarnate by actually not doing anything. I did like seeing the media go crazy about chaney.
“What’s your point?”
Obviously you are vision and understanding imepeded.
An anti-corruption candidate to a senator is like Raid to cockroaches, or like yelling La Migra in a meat-packing plant.
“LOS ANGELES TIMES.
‘Nuf said.”
Exactly! Lol...
After seeing Sarah Palin speak yesterday I thought the republicans didn’t need a convention, they just needed to get on the road and let folks bask in Sarah’s sunshine!
Nope, it’s about those running for re-election spending the time in their states.
Given the reflected glory from Sarah, I’d say they have a good chance of saving their seat.
we need every seat in congress and the senate, EVERY seat.
Sure.
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