Question: Article:

A “mystery speaker” for Thursday night? 
  
 posted at 10:01 am on August 28, 2012 by Ed Morrissey 
  
 The cancellation of the first night of the Republican convention forced planners to compress the schedule a bit. Bobby Jindal had to drop out, of course, for very good reason, as Tropical Storm Isaac continues to aim at southern Louisiana and Mississippi. That still left a little room, though, for some intrigue, as the RNC’s schedule has a mighty suspicious hole in prime time on the final night of the convention (via Kate Hicks): 
  
 Republican convention planners appear to have a surprise planned for those tuning in Thursday night. Buried deep in the convention schedule released Monday is a vague reference to a mystery speaker scheduled for the event’s final evening. “To Be Announced” has a prime speaking slot late in the Thursday program. By then, speakers from Mitt Romney’s church will have taken the stage that night. The co-founder of Staples office-supply chain will have spoken about working with Mr. Romney during his time at Bain Capital. State officials from Massachusetts will have talked about the former governor. Olympians will have already thanked the presidential candidate for leading the 2002 Winter Games. The only other speakers to follow “To Be Announced” will be Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Mr. Romney himself, suggesting that the unnamed guest may appear during the 10 p.m. hour when the networks all will be broadcasting the convention. 
  
 Let the games begin! Who might be important enough to feature in prime time just before Rubio’s nominating speech? It won’t be former President George W. Bush, who will address the convention via video on Wednesday. It won’t be his brother Jeb either, who’s already scheduled for Thursday evening. The newest member of Augusta, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, has a slot on Wednesday. Newt Gingrich has his slot on Thursday already set, and Rick Santorum will open the festivities later today. Ron Paul will have a video presentation on Wednesday. 
  
 So who isn’t speaking at the convention? Here are a few names: 
  
 Governor Rick Perry 
  
 Herman Cain 
  
 Fred Thompson 
  
 Michele Bachmann 
  
 Rush Limbaugh 
  
 Sarah Palin 
  
 Of these six (and there are more, but they don’t spring to mind), only Palin and Limbaugh would warrant the prime-time treatment and mystery-guest roll-out. Herman Cain and Rick Perry would be brilliant in this forum, but they wouldn’t get a more choice slot than Gingrich or Santorum, who actually won delegates during the primary process, and that would be true of Bachmann, too. Fred Thompson would also be a great speaker, but again, I can’t see him getting a slot ahead of current Republican office holders and rising stars in the GOP. 
  
 If I had to guess right now, I’d say that organizers made the arrangements for Palin weeks ago, and want to get the biggest splash possible with the mystery-guest treatment. If so, they’ve done a good job remaining disciplined on that strategy. 
  
 Update: Allahpundit flagged this story to me, which might complicate matters for a Palin surprise: 
  
 Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who starred at the 2008 Republican National Convention and will skip this one, Tuesday morning offered her support to conservatives pressing for a floor fight over attempts by Mitt Romney’s allies to centralize control over the Republican Party. (Some of the parties appear to have reached a compromise in advance of Palin’s missive.) “We have to remember that this election is not just about replacing the party in power. It’s about who and what we replace it with. Grassroots conservatives know this,” Palin said her Facebook posting. “Without the energy and wisdom of the grassroots, the GOP would not have had the historic 2010 electoral victories.” 
  
 Word yesterday was that this got resolved by all parties, so the controversy may be moot by now. As for Rush Limbaugh, well, he does live and work in Florida … 
  
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 TAMPA, Fla. — On Thursday night, the Republican convention schedule has a mystery hole just before Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Mitt Romney’s speeches. The space is scheduled for “remarks” but simply lists “To be Announced” where the name of the speaker should be. 
  
 The Wall Street Journal speculated, and The Drudge Report highlighted, that the mysterious speaker could be former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. 
  
 But that’s almost entirely implausible. Palin is popular with some conservatives, but toxic to the nation at large. There is no way she would be the mystery speaker in a prime time slot. Plus, she is vocally siding against Team Romney on Republican convention rules changes. That’s not something a special mystery speaker for Romney would do. 
  
 But since people are speculating who this mystery speaker could be, here are the top 5 possibilities: 
  
 1.) Joe Lieberman 
  
 A high profile Democrat endorsing Romney on national television would obviously be seen as a boon for the Romney campaign. Yes, Lieberman is officially an “independent Democrat” in the Senate now and, yes, he endorsed Arizona Sen. John McCain’s presidential candidacy at the convention in 2008. But getting Lieberman to speak would still be a pretty big coup for Romney. Lieberman was, after all, a Democratic vice presidential nominee just over a decade ago. 
  
 Lieberman has yet to endorse anyone this cycle and said in April that he wasn’t planning on endorsing President Obama or the Republican nominee. But like the speaker he would precede, Marco Rubio, Lieberman has been a critic of President Obama’s foreign policy. He is also seen as a possible cabinet member in a Republican administration, especially since he is leaving the Senate. It seems quite possible that if there is indeed a mystery speaker, it could be Joe. 
  
 2.) Colin Powell 
  
 Sure, a lot of conservatives aren’t big fans of Colin Powell, but that’s not the point of the convention. Romney excited the base by picking Paul Ryan, now he needs to reach out to the undecided independents who will decide the election. And retired Gen. Powell, who switched party lines to endorse Barack Obama in 2008, remains popular nationally. People see him, fairly or unfairly, as an honest broker. If he were to reverse course and drop his support for Obama and endorse Romney in a prime time mystery convention speech Thursday, that would be a major get for Romney. 
  
 3.) Nancy Reagan 
  
 Nancy endorsed Romney’s presidential bid at the end of May, but it would be high drama for the 91-year-old widow of the most revered conservative leader of the 20th century to come on stage and give Romney her husband’s imprimatur in a prime time address. Reagan was loved by independents as well, and spinning the narrative that that this election is like that of 1980 when Reagan came to the rescue to save the economy from Jimmy Carter seems like something Team Romney would relish. 
  
 4.) Clint Eastwood 
  
 The 82-year old actor known for his toughness and grit has already endorsed Romney. While many Hollywood actors are prone to scorn for being out of touch elitists, Eastwood doesn’t carry that image. He isn’t the Hollywood-type most Americans would recoil from for injecting himself into politics. An endorsement from Eastwood, who served as mayor of a California city and who George H.W. Bush reportedly considered for his vice presidential nominee, would seem to fit the bill as someone who would work as a high-profile mystery prime time speaker. 
  
 5.) Tim Tebow 
  
 Okay, this is by far the least likely of the five. You might call it a Hail Mary. But immediately before the mystery speaker, the convention will feature Olympians lending their support to Romney. What if immediately after, another great athlete with national appeal strode on stage to endorse Romney? Tebow-mania is electric and the son of missionaries would seem to fit in well in the Republican Party. Probably won’t happen, but it is more likely than Sarah Palin being the mystery speaker. 
  
 This, of course, is all speculation. Perhaps there won’t even be a big-name mystery speaker. But if there is as the schedule suggests their might be, these are five names that immediately come to mind as making sense for what Romney is trying to accomplish with the convention. 
  
 Follow Jamie on Twitter ||||| A Mystery Speaker for Thursday? . . . Could It Be 
  
 . . . Her? By Jim Geraghty 45 From the Tuesday edition of the Morning Jolt, now in the hands of the editors, and soon on its way to you . . . A Mystery Speaker for Thursday? The Wall Street Journal gives us something to talk about for the next three days: Republican convention planners appear to have a surprise planned for those tuning in Thursday night. Buried deep in the convention schedule released Monday is a vague reference to a mystery speaker scheduled for the event’s final evening. “To Be Announced” has a prime speaking slot late in the Thursday program. By then, speakers from Mitt Romney’s church will have taken the stage that night. The co-founder of Staples office-supply chain will have spoken about working with Mr. Romney during his time at Bain Capital. State officials from Massachusetts will have talked about the former governor. Olympians will have already thanked the presidential candidate for leading the 2002 Winter Games. The only other speakers to follow “To Be Announced” will be Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Mr. Romney himself, suggesting that the unnamed guest may appear during the 10 p.m. hour when the networks all will be broadcasting the convention. The good folks at the Journal offer a poll of potential mystery guests, but most are unrealistic: former Georgia Democratic senator Zell Miller, well-armed rocker Ted Nugent, CIA Director David Petraeus, former First Lady Nancy Reagan, heroic pilot Chesley Sullenberger . . . . . . or Sarah Palin. As they used to sing on Sesame Street, “One of these things is not like the other, most of these things are kinda the same . . .” I have no inside information (yet), but at dinner with my NR colleagues, last night, I pointed out that Palin is glaring by her absence from the program — I mean Huckabee’s speaking, and it’s been longer since his name appeared on a ballot — and that a surprise appearance would probably make the assembled delegates go nuts. Of course, Nick Schultz came up with the only idea that could excite the crowd even more: “Hologram Reagan a la Tupac?” (If you don’t understand the reference, the deceased rapper appeared to “perform” at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts festival through the use of a hologram. Details here.) The more you think about the idea, the more it makes sense — whatever controversy and intense reactions Sarah Palin may bring to whatever she does, if there is one thing we know she does exceptionally well, it is give convention speeches! This wouldn’t mean turning her into an official Romney surrogate or putting her in a Romney cabinet or anything like that — just giving one of the Republican figures most beloved by the grassroots — or at least a large and vocal segment of the grassroots — a chance to fire up the base and discuss why it is so important that everyone pull out all the stops for Romney. More Stories from Around the Web |||||
What is a summary?
Answer: – GOP convention planners have political bloggers humming with their best guesses on the "to be announced" mystery speaker slotted for about 10pm Thursday. It's a primo spot: Only Marco Rubio and Mitt Romney himself will follow. At the National Review, one name among Republicans who aren't currently on the lineup stands out for Jim Geraghty: Sarah Palin. "The more you think about the idea, the more it makes sense," he writes. "Whatever controversy and intense reactions Sarah Palin may bring to whatever she does, if there is one thing we know she does exceptionally well, it is give convention speeches!" At the Hot Air blog, Ed Morrissey tosses around names including Palin, Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, and Herman Cain. Plus this one: "As for Rush Limbaugh, well, he does live and work in Florida ..." And at the Daily Caller, Jamie Weinstein thinks Palin is a supreme long shot. His top five: Joe Lieberman, Colin Powell, Nancy Reagan, Clint Eastwood, and Tim Tebow.