(Newser)
–
The Republican National Convention in Tampa is just over a month away, but Sarah Palin, the megawatt star of the last convention, says her invitation to appear must've gotten lost in the mail. The Mama Grizzly hasn't exactly been a roaring Romney supporter, beyond the "Anybody but Obama" minimum, but with conservatives trailing liberals in enthusiasm, Palin could be Romney's best chance to energize his campaign, writes Peter Boyer in Newsweek. "What can I say?" wrote Palin in an email. "I'm sure I’m not the only one accepting consequences for calling out both sides of the aisle for spending too much money, putting us on the road to bankruptcy, and engaging in crony capitalism."
Tea Party activists are angry that the Romney campaign is ignoring Palin, and many are putting their energies into other contests. “Quite honestly, we have been focused on the Senate races, rather than the presidential race,” said the chairwoman of the Tea Party Express, “and that is what I’ve seen from everybody across the country.” But if you're wondering how the RNC could possibly diss Palin, Alexander Burns at Politico went digging for a precedent. "If no role materializes for Palin in Tampa, that would make her the first former vice presidential candidate to get snubbed at their party's next convention since ... John Edwards in 2008," he snarked.
