Potential 2016 GOP candidates get a tryout at convention

TAMPA, Fla. — Party activists come to a convention for many reasons — networking, fundraising, morale boosting — but for a handful of Republicans who envision themselves as potential future nominees, this week represents an audition.

Conventions may not generate much actual news anymore, but they remain a crucial proving ground for new talent. Most politicians remember that Barack Obama probably would never become president but for a tremendously successful keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004.

This time around, party favorites, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, current Govs. Chris Christie of New Jersey, Scott Walker of Wisconsin and John Kasich of Ohio, and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, have made the rounds of breakfasts and receptions with delegates from key states. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, whose quest for the 2012 nomination flamed out dramatically during the fall’s debates, has no speaking role at the convention but has been visible on the floor, circulating among delegates and acknowledging that he might give it another go.

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“Oh, absolutely. There’s a long time until 2016 and a lot of good things can happen,” Perry said Tuesday night in response to a question from NBC’s Chuck Todd.

Most other hopefuls try to avoid a formulation that blunt, particularly because talk of 2016 implicitly assumes that nominee Mitt Romney won’t be around as an incumbent four years from now. But even when the approach is more subtle, the “Hey, look at me” vibe is clear, particularly in convention speeches.

The spotlight, however, can be fickle. Christie got decidedly mixed reviews for his keynote speech Tuesday night, which many critics saw as too focused on himself, not on Romney.

That provided an extra opening for the party’s vice presidential nominee, Rep. Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, who many political handicappers think might one day face off against Christie in a primary campaign. Ryan brought the delegates to their feet repeatedly with a speech that mixed a strong defense of Romney with attacks on President Obama’s handling of the economy.

Earlier Wednesday night, delegates heard from another lawmaker who is widely believed to harbor presidential ambitions, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, whose father, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, developed a fervent, although limited, following in the Republican primaries.

The Kentucky senator steered clear of many of his father’s most controversial opinions, but referred obliquely to two that have put him at odds with the Republican establishment: defense cuts and opposition to measures, including the Patriot Act, that have expanded government power in the interest of fighting terrorism.

“Republicans must acknowledge that not every dollar spent on the military is necessary or well spent,” he said.

“To thrive we must believe in ourselves again, and we must never — never — trade our liberty for any fleeting promise of security.”

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Tuesday night, the attention focused on Walker and Christie, who presented sharply contrasting approaches for pitching the conservative message to voters. Christie’s prime-time speech was New Jersey blunt, and Walker, whose appearances drew two ovations from delegates, was Midwestern polite.

Walker, who already has hero status among many Republicans for taking on public employee unions last year, then surviving a union-inspired recall, may have boosted his standing further with a well-received address. Christie, by contrast, spent Wednesday morning trying to rebut criticism of his speech. The venue for the rebuttal highlighted his ambitions: a brunch with delegates from New Hampshire, the state that holds the nation’s first primary.

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