If you get way up on your tippy-toes, you almost can see New Mexico from Amarillo.

Which makes me wish I could feel the angst among Republican conservatives in the eastern part of that state over news that GOP Gov. Susana Martinez — contrary to earlier reports — is skipping next month’s Conservative Political Action Confernce meeting in Maryland.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2014/02/13/susana_martinez_will_not_attend_cpac_121579.html

Martinez is considered a possible Republican presidential candidate in 2016. CPAC had announced she would make a major speech at the convention. Today, Martinez said it would happen.

Tea party conservatives and other right-wingers had hoped Martinez would be a presence there, burnishing their image among the party’s more, um, ideological members.

This is a big loss for CPAC. Martinez is considered a big Republican star, being the first Hispanic Republican governor in the country. Indeed, the party still has work to do to improve its image among Hispanic voters, who turned out in huge numbers in 2012 for President Obama.

The GOP had considered Martinez’s participation at CPAC as a potentially major event. She gave a rousing speech at the 2012 Republican convention, whetting the appetites of those who want to hear more from her.

CPAC will not lack for bomb-throwers: Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Sarah Palin and Rick Santorum all are among the speakers scheduled for the event.

They’ll all spew enough nonsense so that no one will miss Gov. Martinez.