September 01, 2004
The Chosen Ones
Posted by The Editors | 11:25 AM
Traditionally, keynote speakers are chosen either because they represent a party's best and brightest, or because organizers hope the speaker will woo a certain target audience. The 2004 GOP keynote speaker -- Democrat Sen. Zell Miller of Georgia -- was clearly chosen with the latter objective in mind.
Why didn't Republicans choose an up-and-comer? Perhaps because history shows that giving the keynote address all but dooms a politician's own White House aspirations. Let's look closer at the past 30 years or so:
- 1972: Anne Armstrong and Richard Lugar
Armstrong made history as the first woman to deliver a keynote address at a major political convention. She went on to serve in a variety of roles in four Republican administrations, mostly notably ambassador to Great Britain in 1976-77. Lugar, the mayor of Indianapolis when he gave the address, was elected to the Senate in 1976. He made an unsuccessful run for the GOP nomination in 1996.
- 1976: Sen. Howard Baker, Jr.
The year Baker gave the keynote speech, he was considered a candidate for President Gerald Ford's VP, but eventually lost out to Bob Dole. Baker sought the GOP nomination in 1980, but had to settle for Senate Majority Leader, a post he held until 1985. He was President Reagan's Chief of Staff from 1987-88. He considered a second presidential run in 1988, but decided against it. - 1980: Rep. Guy Vander Jagt
Vander Jagt represented Michigan's 9th District for 14 terms, beginning in 1966. He was a leading candidate to become Reagan's running mate in 1980, but was passed over in favor of George H. W. Bush. He went on to serve as Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee for 18 years. - 1984: Katherine Ortega
Appointed by President Reagan in 1983, Ortega served as U.S. Treasurer until 1989. She never ran for public office. - 1988: Gov. Thomas Kean
The then-New jersey governor made waves at the 1988 Republican convention when he accused Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis of talking "like Dirty Harry" but acting "like Pee Wee Herman." Kean left public office in 1990. He recently chaired the 9/11 commission. - 1992: Sen. Phil Gramm
In his keynote address, Gramm claimed Democrats wanted to disarm America and compared Bill Clinton to a used car salesman. The Texan unsuccessfully ran for the GOP presidential nomination in 1996 and retired from politics in 2002. - 1996: Rep. Susan Molinari
The star of the New York Representative seemed to be on the rise after she was re-elected for the third time in 1996. However, in 1997 Molinari left politics altogether to co-anchor the team inaugurating CBS News Saturday Morning. - 2000: None
The GOP opted not to have a traditional keynote speaker for George W. Bush's coronation, but prominent roles were given to Colin Powell, Sen. John McCain, and Laura Bush.
-- From Jonathan Hudec, NationalJournal.com
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