The conventions are coming
Starting in Iowa and New Hampshire, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has brought you every key moment in the 2016 presidential race, and our in-depth coverage will continue at the political conventions. Our team of seasoned political reporters will be on the ground in Cleveland and Philadelphia to bring you every development from these pivotal campaign events. An expanded editorial team in the Atlanta newsroom will round out coverage of both conventions.
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Donald Trump has vowed to make next week’s GOP convention in Cleveland an unparalleled showcase of the Republican Party’s might. But who isn’t going — and who isn’t speaking — is just as telling as who will show up.
About half the members of Georgia’s congressional delegation has made plans to skip the event, offering a panoply of reasons for why they can’t make it. And while most of Georgia’s statewide leaders will be in Cleveland, some are steering clear of official convention events.
The list of speakers at the four-day event unveiled Thursday is studded with party stalwarts, such as former Georgia lawmaker Newt Gingrich, but it left off Republican luminaries such as Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, former President George W. Bush and his father.
Instead, many of the speakers are staunch Trump allies — and a roster of his family members.
The dearth of GOP stars, and the no-shows among some Georgia Republican hotshots, symbolizes a party that is still torn over its presumptive nominee even as it prepares to hand the keys over to him. The Democratic shindig, in contrast, is expected to be a unity fest that includes the sitting president, former presidents and other leaders.
In past years, conventions were no-brainers for Republican elected officials and potential candidates for higher office who gather to anoint a new standard-bearer. But this is no ordinary year. Several high-profile Republicans still refuse to endorse the businessman, and the anti-Trump movement continues to show signs of life.
Georgia’s GOP congressmen were all over the board when asked about their plans for next week.
U.S. Rep. Tom Graves says he has work to do in his northwest Georgia district. U.S. Rep. Jody Hice of Monroe will be on an official trip with House colleagues to the Middle East and Eastern Europe. U.S. Rep. Austin Scott has a long-scheduled family vacation to Florida. U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk also says he has family commitments.
And then there’s retiring U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland.
“I know people probably wouldn’t believe this, being in politics, but I hate lines and I hate crowds,” the Coweta County Republican said. “And you go to one of those conventions and you get plenty of ‘em.”
The other seven congressional Republicans from Georgia plan to attend the convention as guests, not as part of the state’s slate of 76 delegates and 73 alternates.
“I’ve been to the convention since 2000. I wouldn’t miss it,” said U.S. Rep. Tom Price of Roswell. “It’s a time to unify and come together and make certain that we get off on a good foot prior to the Democrats’ convention.”
Ditto for many of Georgia's other top leaders. Attorney General Sam Olens and Public Service Commissioner Bubba McDonald are the only statewide elected officials from Georgia who are delegates to the convention, but Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, Secretary of State Brian Kemp, and U.S. Sens. David Perdue and Johnny Isakson also plan to be in Cleveland.
And Gov. Nathan Deal, who was long noncommittal about trekking to Ohio, will headline a criminal justice panel that’s being held concurrently with the convention. He’s planning to fly in Tuesday morning — and fly right back out after the panel.
Deal, who voted for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in the Georgia GOP primary, has recently cozied up to Trump and hosted a fundraiser for him last month in Atlanta. He said in a recent interview that Trump's conservative critics owe the candidate a second look, although the governor has not embraced the businessman as wholeheartedly as some other GOP counterparts.
“Do I think that he will modify his positions or maybe explain them more completely? Yes, I think he will,” Deal said when asked about Republican misgivings. “I’m hopeful that the leaders in positions of responsibility in our country will give him the opportunity to do that and to enlighten him when they think he’s misinformed. And I think he’s going to be willing to listen.”
Freshman U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter said the carnivallike aspect of this year’s convention — and the unpredictability of the race — is part of the draw.
“I want the experience of being at one, and what better one to have an experience at than this one?” the Pooler Republican said. “I don’t really know what to expect.”
And for Perdue, one of the most popular GOP politicians in Georgia, it could be a way to burnish his reputation. He is the honorary chairman of the state delegation at next week's confab and is Trump's most prominent surrogate in Georgia, though he is not on the list of convention speakers. Instead, he is expected to take part in panels on the national debt and foreign policy throughout the meeting.
“I’ve never done one of these, but I’m going to be there supporting our delegation in Georgia, supporting our nominee,” Perdue said Thursday on the Athens radio station WGAU. “I like our chances right now, and I think these polls are going to reflect that in the next few months.”
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