Pop Quiz! Republican delegate Ann Clemmer will miss the first two days of the GOP convention in St. Paul, Minn., because of:

A) Illness

B) Hurricane Gustav

C) Logistical problems

D) A football game

If you live in Saline County, you probably answered that one in no time.

On Tuesday, Benton and Bryant face off in their annual high school football showdown, the “Salt Bowl,” at Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium.

It’s a must-attend event for Clemmer, a Saline County resident campaigning for the state House.

The delegate who is pledged to former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee will miss Huckabee’s address to the convention if it takes place Tuesday night as originally announced before Hurricane Gustav played havoc with the convention schedule.  About 30,000 other Saline County football fans aren’t likely to see Huckabee’s speech on TV.

The former governor probably hopes they all have TiVo.

The decision to remain in Arkansas for a couple days was an easy one for Clemmer, a political science professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Her only concern now is that rains from Gustav don’t dampen the crowd and hamper her campaigning.

“The problem when you’re a candidate is you need to be five places at the same time,” she said by telephone Sunday.

She is expected to arrive in Minnesota on Wednesday.

Clemmer said her daughter faced a similar choice four years ago when, as a Bryant senior, she was invited to tag along to the GOP convention in New York City.

“She had the opportunity to go to New York for a week or go to the Salt Bowl and she said, ‘I’m going to the Salt Bowl,’” Clemmer said.

The House district Clemmer seeks to represent includes portions of both Benton and Bryant school districts. Ever the politician, Clemmer refused to say which school she’ll back Tuesday.

Clemmer faces Democrat Scott Smith in the Nov. 4 election. Both are trying to replace term-limited Rep. Janet Johnson, D-Bryant.

Tags: Ann Clemmer, Republican National Convention, Salt Bowl

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