MY MONEY'S ON THE HOLOGRAM

The Wall Street Journal reports that Republicans are trying to gin up some excitement with a stunt:

Buried deep in the convention schedule released Monday is a vague reference to a mystery speaker scheduled for the event’s final evening. “To Be Announced” has a prime speaking slot late in the Thursday program.

...The only other speakers to follow “To Be Announced” will be Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Mr. Romney himself, suggesting that the unnamed guest may appear during the 10 p.m. hour when the networks all will be broadcasting the convention.

... The line-up features a long list of governors and senators, including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio. Former presidential candidates Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich are on the agenda, as are former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Former Vice President Dick Cheney and former President George W. Bush have said they won't be attending, but a video from Mr. Bush is on Wednesday's program.

So who’s left? Stay tuned....

A survey follows asking for a vote on several possibilities: Zell Miller, Ted Nugent, David Petraeus, Nancy Reagan, Chesley Sullenberger, Sarah Palin.

National Review's Jim Geraghty really thinks it might be Palin:

The more you think about the idea, the more it makes sense -- whatever controversy and intense reactions Sarah Palin may bring to whatever she does, if there is one thing we know she does exceptionally well, it is give convention speeches! This wouldn't mean turning her into an official Romney surrogate or putting her in a Romney cabinet or anything like that -- just giving one of the Republican figures most beloved by the grassroots -- or at least a large and vocal segment of the grassroots -- a chance to fire up the base and discuss why it is so important that everyone pull out all the stops for Romney.

If God existed, She wouldn't love me enough to do this. Seriously -- on the last night of prime time, you're going to utterly destroy any good feeling you've engendered with swing voters by putting up a Sarah Palin speech?

I don't see why there'd be secrecy about any of the other names of the Journal's list. I suppose the speaker could be Ron or Rand Paul (whose name might be withheld to keep the Paulbots from bouncing off the walls for the next couple of days). Maybe it's a flipped Democrat. (Yeah, Artur Davis is speaking at the RNC, but he's canceled out by Charlie Crist speaking for the Dems, so perhaps Repubs will put up someone like Joe Manchin or Jim Webb in order to win 2-1. Or, God help us, maybe it's Lieberman again.) Could it be a masked SEAL going McCarthyite on Obama?

And then there's this possibility, cited by Geraghty:

... Nick Schultz came up with the only idea that could excite the crowd even more: "Hologram Reagan a la Tupac?"

(If you don't understand the reference, the deceased rapper appeared to "perform" at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts festival through the use of a hologram. Details here.)

Now, that sounds utterly plausible, coming from these folks.

My money's on the hologram.

(X-posted at Balloon Juice.)

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OR: It's going to be Donald Trump. Or (really my #2 pick after the hologram) Tim Tebow.