Rnc, Chris Christie | featured news

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.

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.

Republicans eagerly looked to showcase Mitt Romney as a man who understands everyday Americans and a leader who can fix the economy, with GOP National Convention speeches Tuesday by the woman who knows him best and tough-talking New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey is giving the keynote address at the Republicans’ national convention later this month. Christie, who considered a 2012 presidential bid of his own before endorsing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, is already at work on his speech to the convention in Tampa, Fla. His record of cutting his state's budget, curtailing public sector unions and dealing with a Democratic Legislature with disarming and combative confidence all were expected to be on display as he looked to fire up his party's base.