Republican National Convention | featured news

Mitt Romney has moved into a narrow lead over U.S. President Barack Obama in a small bounce for him from the Republican National Convention, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found on Thursday... So-called convention "bounces" are typically short-lived. With Obama to accept his party's nomination for a second term next week at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, the incumbent could quickly rebound.

When Mitt Romney was searching for a ticket mate, Republicans pleaded: Don't pick another Sarah Palin. So it may come as a surprise that, in at least one important way, he ended up doing precisely that with Paul D. Ryan. Like Palin four years ago, the Wisconsin congressman has captured the heart of the Republican convention. The thunderous response to his speech Wednesday night was the latest indication.

Paul Ryan's vice presidential acceptance speech ran into a lot of trouble with fact-checkers and journalists. It seemed like some reporters' heads were going to explode on Twitter as Ryan spoke. For instance, he blasted President Obama for not doing more to keep a GM plant in his hometown open. The problem was that the plant closed before Obama took office. He also criticized Obama for rejecting recommendations from a debt commission that he himself sat on, and whose findings he also rejected.

Ann Romney and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie proved to be an attractive TV draw at the Republican National Convention. An estimated 22.3 million people tuned in to watch the first full night of the GOP convention last night, according to Nielsen, the ratings company. That was an increase of 800,000 viewers on the same night of coverage four years ago in St. Paul, Nielsen said.

Yahoo! News fired Washington bureau chief David Chalian after he was caught saying Mitt Romney and his wife are “happy to have a party with black people drowning.” POLITICO reported Chalian was caught making the remarks inadvertently on mic during an ABC News/Yahoo! News webcast. Chalian said, "They're not concerned at all. They're happy to have a party with black people drowning."

With the Republican National Convention at last in full-throated roar, nominee Mitt Romney and his team reached out Wednesday to connect with critical voting groups - veterans, Hispanics and women - while gleefully mocking the man he is out to defeat in November.

Chris Christie is taking heat for something he said about 16 minutes into his keynote address on Tuesday. What exactly did he say? The name "Mitt Romney." The fact that it took so long for the New Jersey governor to actually mention Romney's name reduced the Republican presidential nominee to "almost an afterthought" in the GOP convention's keynote address, writes Howard Kurtz in The Daily Beast.

Here are some things to watch for at the Republican National Convention Wednesday: 1. RIDING THE STORM OUT: As Hurricane Isaac batters the Gulf Coast, Mitt Romney and GOP conventioneers decide how to respond. Can they show empathy for storm victims even as they celebrate Romney's nomination? Is there a way to help out? Also, watch how President Barack Obama handles Isaac, seven years after Hurricane Katrina caused so much trouble for President George W. Bush.

Republican leaders pushed through contentious changes to delegate rules over the objection of conservatives and supporters of Texas Rep. Ron Paul.

Republicans have nominated former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for president, culminating a long primary fight and setting the stage for a close contest against President Barack Obama.