7 p.m. Beneath clusters of celebratory balloons, the second night of the Republican National Convention begins with a color guard of military amputees who are wearing shorts to show off their mechanical legs. It’s a …
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We Read the Republican Platform So You Don’t Have To
Tampa
“Have you ever met anybody who has read the party platform?” John Boehner scoffed Monday. “I’ve not ever met anybody.” Boehner has a point. The 2012 Republican platform is neither widely read nor binding. But it is an …
Watch: The Latest from Tampa
TIME’s video team brings you two Wednesday features: First, A short highlight of last night’s speeches and preview of what the politicos will be slavering over this evening:
The RNC’s Diversity Pageant
Tampa
Mia Love is not a household name. But ask any savvy Republican here, and they’ll tell you the mayor of Saratoga Springs, Utah, is one of the party’s political phenoms. Love, 37, is a congressional candidate for Utah’s 4th district. More importantly, she’s a black Mormon with sterling Tea Party credentials. This is the sort of …
Paul Ryan’s Night: A Numbers Man Makes an Emotional Debut
When he speaks to America tonight, Paul Ryan will need to use a second language. His native tongue — conservatism — won’t suffice. Mitt Romney’s young running mate is a product of the Republican right’s think tanks …
What You Missed While Not Watching the First Night of the Republican Convention
7:14 p.m. The hurricane couldn’t stop it. The weak economy didn’t underfund it. The orange-bottomed girls at the Hooters down the street won’t distract from it. Day One of the 2012 Republican National Convention has …
Chris Christie’s Race to the Bottom
In honor of his keynote speech Tuesday night, I thought I’d recount a revealing story about New Jersey Governor Chris Christie from my new book, The New New Deal: The Hidden Story of Change in the Obama Era. If you think of …
The Organizer: How Reince Priebus Got the Convention (and the GOP) Back on Track
Tampa
Most Americans have probably never heard of him. Those who have still can’t pronounce his name. But he is the official leader of the Republican Party, and the GOP’s face here in Tampa this week — at least until …
Downtown Tampa Still Awaiting Flood of Convention Money
Tampa is famous for many things: its beaches, the cigars of Ybor City and being the place where actor Channing Tatum was a stripper before he played one in the movies. This week, the city joins the ranks of Chicago and …
In Tampa, a Fractious Party Strives to Present a Unified Front
Tampa
This is the love-in Mitt Romney never had. Mere minutes elapsed between the moment Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus gaveled the GOP convention open and its weather-driven adjournment until Tuesday. …
Ron Paul in Tampa: A GOP Outsider’s Last Hurrah
Tampa
The Sun Dome at the University of South Florida (USF) is typically filled with basketball fans and shouts of “Go Bulls!” But on the Sunday before the Republican National Convention, it hosted a different sort of …
The Ticket: Romney and Ryan Go to Tampa
So what kind of convention will it turn out to be?
Everyone already knows that the Republican faithful will gather in Tampa this week to nominate Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan to take on Barack Obama and Joe Biden in November. …
