Republican National Convention

It's fashionable to disparage party political conventions as "infomercials. " But the Republican National Convention that concluded Thursday in Tampa, Fla., was informative -- and not just about the techniques of modern political communication and the dangers of allowing octogenarian actors to improvise. That's not to say there weren't empty phrases, misrepresentations and endless cliches. Details and substance took a back seat. But principally through the well-received acceptance speeches of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, the party made it clear that it intends to contest this election on a simple proposition: that President Obama, who raised so many hopes so high four years ago, has been a disappointment, particularly in his stewardship of the economy.

Chris Wallace, host of "Fox News Sunday," spoke to us about convention politics and good Italian reds on the eve of last week's Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla. He will also be the network's podium correspondent at the Democratic conclave this week in Charlotte, N.C. Did you see any evidence of Mitt Romney understanding common folks when you visited the Romneys at home for Fox News? Yeah. Clearly they're involved in a charm offensive, and that's why they invited us up there in the first place.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - As the Democratic National Convention prepares to open, Antonio Villaraigosa, chairman of the gathering, is in a frenzy. He is surveying preparations at the Time Warner Cable Arena, doing a string of media interviews with reporters from around the nation, and hosting gatherings like Saturday's private dinner at the hip Osso restaurant, where young Democratic activists clamored for photographs with the Los Angeles mayor and top...

Clint Eastwood's impact on Mitt Romney's campaign remains to be seen, but his digressive speech - and the frenzied response to it - will almost certainly be the most memorable media moment to emerge from what had been, until Thursday night, a Republican National Convention notable for its predictability. Earlier in the week, the biggest "story" of the convention seemed to be Hurricane Isaac. On Sunday night, as the storm swirled ominously toward the Gulf Coast, broadcast TV producers faced a dilemma: How to cover the potentially devastating event while also giving adequate attention to the Republican gathering?

TAMPA, Fla. -- Mitt Romney will make a detour to Louisiana on Friday to see the damage from Hurricane Isaac, intending to show compassion for victims of the storm. The last-minute addition to the schedule follows four days in which the  Republican National Convention was held captive by the storm.  Organizers canceled Monday's opening session as the storm brushed past Tampa, then held three days of convention activities during which repeated pleas were made to delegates to contribute to storm relief efforts.

JEAN LAFITTE, La. - The day after accepting the Republican Party's presidential nomination, Mitt Romney abruptly canceled a campaign appearance in a crucial swing state Friday to tour a flood-ravaged area of the Louisiana bayou near New Orleans, acknowledging the damage caused by Hurricane Isaac. The hurricane disrupted the party's national convention in Tampa, Fla., forcing the cancellation of the first day and causing officials to worry about the message it would send to celebrate the GOP ticket while the storm slammed into New Orleans almost seven years to the day after Hurricane Katrina.

TAMPA, Fla. - The idea must have seemed sure-fire when Mitt Romney's advisors hatched it: Highlight the final night of the Republican National Convention with a surprise appearance by that long, tall drink of gritty Americana, Clint Eastwood. The beloved movie star and filmmaker surely would confer some of his abundant credibility on the Republican presidential nominee, still trying after six years of running for the White House to persuade some voters of his authenticity. Eastwood would then flee into the swampy Florida night and Romney would launch his acceptance speech.

Nearly 33 million people in the U.S. watched former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney accept his party's nomination for president on the final night of the Republican National Convention, according to ratings giant Nielsen. Among the highlights was the controversial "empty chair" presentation by actor Clint Eastwood. The numbers made Thursday the most-watched evening of the Republican convention this year. However, the audience was about 17% lower than it was four years ago when nearly 39 million viewers tuned in to see U.S. Sen. John McCain accept the Republican nomination.

Despite the rainy weather, Tampa, Fla., was good for Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan; a bit less so for Clint Eastwood. As the cleaning crew sweeps up the confetti and burst balloons, here are the highlights of the 2012 Republican National Convention… Oddest use of prime time: Clint Eastwood's improvisation with an empty chair They seemed to love it inside the hall, but the folks in charge of keeping the program on schedule were going nuts...

Clint Eastwood stands alone in Hollywood as a man about whom no negative word is spoken. Whether they agree or not with his politics, no matter how people feel about his films or the whole Dirty Harry thing, everyone loves Clint Eastwood. Actors love Clint, writers love Clint, other directors love Clint. In thousands of interviews across time and space he is held up as a model of what Hollywood can and should be - artistically ambitious, committed to craft, respectful of others, frank but polite, a man who hires good people and then gets out of their way. He is the last of what was always a very rare breed, a man of conviction with an unassailable reputation.