2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumBig-Name No-Shows For The GOP, DEM Conventions
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sarah Palin and George W. Bush won't be in Tampa, Fla. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Al Gore won't make the trip to Charlotte, N.C. And scores of other Republican and Democratic stars are taking a pass as their parties gather for this year's national conventions.
The reasons are varied - and often, of course, political.
In some cases, high-wattage politicians weren't invited to have speaking roles. Advisers to Mitt Romney and Barack Obama are selecting people to stand at the podiums who most fit the message each candidate will try to send. And who won't steal the spotlight. Other party rock stars are choosing to be on the sidelines because they're in hard-fought campaigns of their own.
One of the biggest names in the Democratic Party - Secretary of State Clinton - isn't allowed to attend under the law. But her husband, the former president, will be a featured speaker.
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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONVENTION_NO_SHOWS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-08-16-15-37-25
Historic NY
(37,453 posts)davidpdx
(22,000 posts)He's part of their token minority program, act like you have a big tent at the convention then throw everyone under the bus afterward.
TroyD
(4,551 posts)All conventions have no-shows for different reasons, but there's a huge difference: the Republicans have to hide the previous Republican President from view because he is so unpopular, meanwhile the previous Democratic President is being featured prominently and is more popular than ever.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/156362/Bill-Clinton-Popular.aspx
qwlauren35
(6,150 posts)I'm curious...
former9thward
(32,080 posts)By tradition the Secretaries of Defense, State and Treasury stay out of politics. But even those positions have gotten political on occasion. Cheney criticized Clinton officials for taking political positions but as this article points out he did the same when Defense Secretary. http://articles.latimes.com/2000/oct/26/news/mn-42329