Jeb Bush was one of the speakers at the convention. Republican presidents seem to honor the long standing tradition that a former president doesn't criticize the current one.
So that means he doesn't even make an appearance? Maybe even make a little speech endorsing Romney? Hmmm. We both know why he wasn't there. He practically lost McCain the election.
I don't think so. GHW Bush didn't speak at W's 2000 convention either. Reagan spoke at the 1988 convention, but there was no sitting opposing party president at that time.
And I wonder why Reagam spoke. Hmmm. HW didn't serve two terms like his son did. Two freaking terms! And now he no longer exists!
Papa Bush didn't speak at the 2000 convention because he hadn't been president for 8 years. Bush was just president 4 years ago.
yeah, but we're tlaking about the last president that not only THEY had (in their party) but the last guy PERIOD who was President.
G.W. Bush Dick Cheney Donald Rumsfeld Colin Powell John McCain Sarah Palin All absent! Why?!?!?!?! 2000-Jan 20, 2009 doesn't exist!
And republican presidents respect the office, so they don't make political appearances or publicly criticize Obama (or Clinton when he was in office).
Jeb Bush isn't the former president that served two terms and the most recent past president. I don't know why you keep going to this. Condoleeza Rice is a great person for the Republicans and Romney to throw out there being an African-American woman. Appeals to two demographics that they're desperately trying to tap into. People are carefully chosen to be at these things. Like you mentioned, the Republicans went to Reagan in 1988 because Republicans go apeshit over Reagan. It's pretty much the same reason why Bill Clinton is always at these things. And it's why people like George W Bush and Dick Chaney aren't there. It's probably not smart to invite a guy that had that kind of approval rating he did. Obama was able to paint McCain as another Bush and it's a big reason why he won big in 2008. Romney wants no part of that.
Obama literally had 5x the money McCain did. It allowed him to go after states traditionally republican and forced McCain to defend those. If Obama wants to tie Romney to W via the people who spoke at the convention, then there's two. The RNC was all about fresh faces, not rehashing previous administrations - other than this past miserable one.
