143050079_c4277dfacc_m.jpgRepublicans don’t seem too jazzed about celebrating the Decider’s passing of the torch to the Maverick.

While excitement is building for a Democratic Party convention capped by Barack Obama’s historic acceptance speech before a sold-out, 75,000-seat football stadium, the GOP convention the following week is shaping up to be a considerably more staid affair, marked by the conspicuous absence of many of the usual convention attendees.

Of the 12 Republicans running in competitive Senate races — five of whom are incumbents —- only three have said they will be attending the convention. Six are definite no-shows, and three are on the fence.

"On the fence" is code for "avoiding the place like the plague." The reason?

“Nobody likes a funeral,” said a Senate Republican press secretary who spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing “the overall climate of general malaise about the party” as the reason for hesitance on the part of Republicans.

I love the smell of Republican fear in the morning. Smells like … victory.

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