The roster of speakers obtained by The Times, and confirmed by two people with direct knowledge of the convention planning, reveals a lineup lacking many of the party’s rising stars. Instead, it features some of Mr. Trump’s eclectic collection of friends, celebrities and relatives, from his Slovenian supermodel wife to professional golfer Natalie Gulbis.
The parade of people seems to have been selected to broaden Mr. Trump’s demographic reach.
There are several notable women speaking. They include Pam Bondi, the Florida attorney general, who tangled on television with the CNN anchor Anderson Cooper after the Orlando, Fla., nightclub massacre; Eileen Collins, the first woman to command a space shuttle mission; Gov. Mary Fallin of Oklahoma; Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa and Mr. Trump’s wife, Melania.
There are a few African-Americans, like Jamiel Shaw Sr., who became an outspoken advocate for tougher immigration laws after his son was killed in 2008 by an undocumented immigrant; and Darryl Glenn, who is running for Senate in Colorado.
From sports there is Mr. Tebow, the former quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner who is known for his conservative views; Dana White, the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, a mixed martial arts organization; and Ms. Gulbis.
Though Rudy Giuliani, Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Joni Ernts, Marsha Blackburn, Ted Cruz, Rick Scott, Scott Walker, and Mitch McConnell are on the list the bigger more recognizable political names are all missing.
Instead Trump has filled out the roster with members of his own family who each have a prominent speaking slot on each of the four nights.
So you would think that Trump would be scraping the bottom of the barrel to flesh it out a little.
Well apparently there is a bottom that he is unwilling to scrape:
But what is striking, as much as who is on the list, is who is not. Several figures Mr. Trump had said he would invite to speak, like the boxing promoter Don King and Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor, were not included.
(Just take a moment to mull over how delicious it is that Sarah Palin is mentioned in the same paragraph as boxing pimp and known murderer Don King.)
So Sarah Palin did NOT get a ticket to the big show?
Damn I am very surprised to hear that.
I was convinced that not only was she going to be there but that she would have Dakota Meyer on her arm when she arrived.
So what do we think?
Is Sarah being dissed by Trump, is this New York Times list incomplete, or is Palin simply too afraid to show up knowing that the protesters outside will be carrying guns?
Source http://ift.tt/29y9Hn6
