The national party conventions are about more than just anointing the latest Democratic or Republican presidential nominee: they also give an opportunity to showcase the ascendant young stars who are seen as future leaders.

So it is that the speakers' list at the upcoming Republican National Convention includes a roster of prominent Republican up-and-comers, from Vice Presidential pick Paul Ryan to Florida senator Marco Rubio and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, both of whom were seen as widely seen as potential VP choices as well.

Missing from the list will be Bobby Jindal, the young Louisana governor who is still widely seen as a promising young Republican leader. As Republican delegates nervously track Tropical Storm Isaac's path for signs the storm could sweep across Tampa, Jindal will remain in his home state to oversee its response to yet another major storm.

Jindal had to skip the 2008 Republican National Convention as Hurricane Gustav battered New Orleans, and he said during a press conference that his duty to his state trumps the convention.

"Certainly party conventions are interesting but there is no time for politics here in Louisiana along our coast," Jindal said at a press conference, according to CNN. "This storm is like every other storm," he added. "It is nonpartisan."

The second-term Louisana governor fumbled his most prominent turn in the national spotlight, a highly anticipated response to President Obama's 2009 address to a joint session of Congress for which he was widely panned. But at 41, Jindal still has plenty of time to make amends.

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