FOXNews.com: Rice, Haley, McCain Among GOP Convention Speakers

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Rice, Haley, McCain Among GOP Convention Speakers Aug 6th 2012, 05:05 Sources have confirmed to Fox News that South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, New Mexico Gov. Susanna Martinez and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will be announced as the top speakers at the upcoming Republican National Convention. Sources did not disclose any time or dates of the speakers. Convention leaders reportedly are  not yet ready to announce the keynote speaker, a prime speaking slot that has the potential to catapult a rising member of the party to national prominence. The speaker lineup will be rounded out by Florida Gov. Rick Scott, Arizona Sen. John McCain, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, according to a report in the Tampa Bay Times, confirmed by a GOP/RNC official to Fox News. "They are some of our party's brightest stars, who have governed and led effectively and admirably in their respective roles," Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said in prepared remarks obtained by The Associated Press. "These speakers -- and those that will be announced later -- will help make it a truly memorable and momentous event." In 2004, a little-known state senator from Illinois named Barack Obama used his turn at the Democratic National Convention in Boston to catapult to national prominence and -- four years later -- the White House. The announcement of the keynote speaker could also provide some insight into the so-called "veepstakes," because it may be an indication presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has decided against that person as a running mate. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin are both big names in the party believed to be among those Romney is weighing for the vice presidential slot, or for the keynote address. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio also were noticeably absent from the slate of announced speakers and may be contenders for running mate. If passed over for the vice presidential pick, there is a very good chance they would earn speaking slots -- if not the keynote. The speakers already announced suggest where Romney is looking to make progress as voters start to pay attention to the fall campaign. The all-important female vote clearly is a priority -- evidenced by the choices of Haley, Martinez and Rice. Polls through the spring showed President Obama outpacing Romney among female voters, although strategists from both parties say that gender gap is narrowing. A strong play for female voters at the convention should be expected. Haley, who backed Romney in her state's first-in-the-South primary, is the youngest sitting governor in the country and her husband will deploy to Afghanistan next year. So she will probably have a strong message for military families, as well as for younger voters. Martinez, who made history in her state and nationally when she was elected, could appeal to Hispanic women, a sizable demographic that broke for Obama four years ago. She can also address voters who feel securing the nation's Southern border is a top concern. Finally Rice, an academic who was President George W. Bush's national security adviser and later secretary of state, could appeal to working women and those who put the United States' security as a top concern. Some suggested she would be an excellent choice for Romney's running mate but conservatives in the party led a revolt, citing her support for abortion rights. Romney, with limited foreign policy credentials, needs leading foreign policy figures like Rice to vouch for him. Another prominent voice on foreign policy, McCain, will speak up for Romney. The Senate veteran, who was a prisoner of war during Vietnam, remains among his party's most visible figures. His dislike for Romney has apparently faded since their primary fight four years ago. "In these challenging times, America needs Mitt Romney in the White House," McCain said in a statement Republicans planned to release Monday according to The Associated Pres. "The Republican National Convention in Tampa will help give us the momentum to get him there." Another GOP rival from 2008, former Arkansas Gov. Huckabee, also will try to help Romney. Huckabee's appeal among social conservatives has not shrunk and his backing is likely to help evangelicals who have been slow to warm to Romney and his Mormon faith. Among tea party supporters, Romney will get a boost from Kasich. His home state of Ohio is a linchpin of Romney's strategy and no Republican has won the White House without carrying the perennial Midwestern battleground. No Democrat has won without winning Ohio since John F. Kennedy won the presidency in 1960. Florida is another key state for both campaigns' path to the White House. Florida's Gov. Scott will address the convention, customary when the incumbent governor's party hosts the convention. Democrats have rolled out their own convention schedule in recent weeks. Marking a first for Hispanics, the Democrats chose the mayor of San Antonio to deliver the keynote address in Charlotte, N.C. San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro will deliver the high-profile, prime-time address on the convention's opening night, Sept. 4. First lady Michelle Obama will also address convention delegates that night. Democrats also announced that former President Bill Clinton and Elizabeth Warren, the party's popular Senate candidate in Massachusetts, will have prime speaking roles at the convention on Sept. 5. Fox News' Chad Pergram and Jake Gibson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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