Gehrke: Mitt Romney is skipping the first Utah Republican convention since he became a senator

There’s been a lot of speculation around the question: What kind of reception will freshman Sen. Mitt Romney receive this Saturday at the Utah Republican Party state convention?

But consider this: Does it really matter if he’s not there to hear it?

“[Sen. Romney] has family commitments and won’t be able to attend,” said Romney’s spokeswoman, Liz Johnson.

It is unusual, although not entirely unprecedented, for a sitting U.S. senator to miss the state convention.