back in the cnn grill. a great tweet here from a man called ryan wozniak who says drinking pints of beer during a political roundtable live on tv is awesome. more shows should be doing this. i quite agree and i will be this my standard. cheers. awesome. now, let's go to you. mitt romney tomorrow. speech in his life. in he going to be as he is often with these speeches, a little bit disappointing? >> i saw him four years ago a

couple time and he was really boring. he has gotten better but he is not an electrifying speaker. don't raise the bar for people who high. everyone knows that it will be hopefully smart. >> in the en, as one of his sons told me this week. as he ceo. a corporate man. every speech he ever made before politics was a boring speech about numbers, money, economy, buying companies. >> that's not quite right. he is a salesman is really what he is. that's what his job has always been. the thing about romney. as he good student. he won't blow everybody away but people will say it is a pretty good speech. >> how will he appeal to you women like you? >> well, just on the prenltation part. he would be him aer up there with a white board and the chart, the power point. >> i would love to watch that. but yont tomorrow night -- exactly. with mark theers. >> barack obama was a brilliant

speaker in the last campaign. and he promised everything. and we all believed it. this guy would change the world and he could never live up to that expectations. sometimes if you overdo it. the delivery. you cannot deliver. >> that's what romney is running on. to be the anti-obama. you hear that from paul ryan tonight. not about words. it is not about presentation. and mitt romney has to get up there and show a little. >> let's use the bank manager. i don't want him to be a charismatic joke telling we'reo who goes disco dancing at midnight. i want him to be incredibly boring and safe. a man i know i can trust with my money. i think the american people are ready for a guy who says i'm the one who will correct this economy for you personally. >> and i think that was some of what paul ryan said tonight. some of the messages with that flash and inspiration in the

columns in 2008 and look what it got us. i think your point about the mismatch, the rhetoric during a campaign. when you promise this, this, and this, what happens in washington when we are meant to thwart that. >> there is a big but there. which is that mitt romney's favorable ratings don't approach anywhere near what obama's are. he has to come out tomorrow night and make himself likable. and like just absolutely connect that people in a way -- >> you're the guy on twitter tomorrow night. you're ready to attack him or praise him. >> i think mitt said. he has to be likable enough. >> why don't people like him? >> because they don't know him. >> the americans want -- why do i have to like the guy? i thought chris christie was right. enough of all this lovey-dovey

stuff. >> for four years. >> do you have to like him? >> i can't watch someone for four years i don't like. >> some of best prime ministers in london were never likable. margaret thatcher was a if i recall leader. >> this is a celebrity culture in manager. part of us this us weekly themselves want their president to be just like us. >> it is about trust as well. and people, they feel like they don't know mitt romney yet, it is hard to trust him. >> i think the voters that are left haven't made up their mind. are the least informed voters. everyone he knows knows what these two parties stand up for. for him, any sort of likability. >> you've been so entertaining. i've enjoyed this bar festival so much. you can all come back tomorrow night and we'll give our verdicts now so he can play them back to you. will it be a hit or a miss? hit or miss?

>> i think he is always kind of a b student. >> hit or miss? >> i think he will just hit. >> he will probably be a hit. >> hit or miss? >> easy you had a yengs. probably be a hit. >> hit or miss in. >> i have to go miss. >> i don't know. it will be electrifying to find out. >> are you serious? >> drink your beer. that's all for us tonight. the most important speech of mitt romney's life. his acceptance speech. also all the highlights on a special piers morgan tonight at midnight. see you tomorrow and bring your beer. things america. a brilliant diversity. spread like stars.

>> i call on every american to rise above all that may divide us. >> they had their chance. they have not led. we will. >> fight with me. fight with me. fight for what what's right for our country. >> this is cnn. it has been a big night here in tampa. the republican national convention. the second full day of proceedings all this hour, we'll be recapping the major moments. tonight, the spotlight was laser focused on vice presidential nominee paul ryan. the seven-term congressman from wisconsin and chairman of the house budget committee is well known in washington but many americans are just getting to know him. expectations for his prime time speech were high to put it mildly. it was arguably the most important moment of his career. a chance to share his personal story while making the case for how he and mitt romney will tackle the country's fiscal problems. here are some highlights.

>> mr. chairman, delegates, and fellow citizens, i am honored by the support of this convention for vice president of the united states. i accept the duty to help lead our nation out of a jobs crisis and back to prosperity. and i know we can do this. i accept the calling of my generation to give our children the america that was given to us with opportunity for the young and security for the old. and i know that we are ready. our nominee is sure ready. his whole life, his whole life prepared him for this moment to meet serious challenges in a

serious way. without excuses and idle words. after four years of getting the run-around, america needs a turn-around and the man for the job is governor mitt romney. i'm the newcomer for this campaign. so let me share a first impression. i have never seen opponents so silent about their record. and so desperate to keep their power. they've run out of ideas. their moment came and went. fear and division is all they've got left. with all their attack ads, the president is just throwing away

money and he is pretty experienced at that. you see, some people can't be dragged down by the usual cheap tactics. because their character, ability, and plain decency are so obvious. and ladies and gentlemen, that is mitt romney. >> when governor romney asked me to join the ticket, i said let's get this done. and that is exactly what we are going to do. president barack obama came to office during an economic crisis as he has reminded us a time or

two. those are very tough days. in any fair measure of his record has to take that into account. my home state voted for president obama. when he talked about change, many people liked the sound of it. especially in janesville where we were about to lose a major factory. a lot of guys i went to high school with worked at that gm plant. right there at that plant, candidate obama said i believe that if our government is there to support you, this plant will be here for another 100 years. that's what he said in 2008. well, as it turned out, that plant didn't last another year. it is locked up and empty to this day. and that's how it is in so many towns. where the recovery that was promised is nowhere in sight.

right now, 23 million men and women are struggling to find work. 23 million people. unemployed or underemployed. nearly one in six americans is in poverty. millions of young americans have graduated from college during the obama presidency. ready to use their gifts and get moving in life. half of them can't find the work they studied for or any work at all. so here's the question. without a change in leadership, why would the next four years be any different from the last four years? >> congressman ryan had plenty more to say. we'll have more from his speech just ahead. also, highlights of some of the other big name speakers

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was his national debut. here are more highlights. >> president obama was asked not long ago to reflect on any mistakes he might have made. he said, well, i haven't communicated enough. he said his job is to, quote, tell a story to the american people. as if that's the whole problem here? he needs to talk more and we need to be better listeners? ladies and gentlemen, these past four years, we have suffered no shortage of words in the white house. what is missing the leader isship in the white house.

thank you. and the story. and the story that barack obama does tell forever shifting blame to the last administration is getting old. the man assumed office almost four years ago. isn't it about time he assumed responsibility? we have a plan for a stronger middle class with a goal of generating 12 million new jobs over the next four years.

in a clean break from the obama years, and frankly, from the years before this president. we will keep federal spending at 20% of gdp or less. that is enough. the choice is whether to put hard limits on economic growth or hard limits on the size of government. and we clues to limit government. [ applause ] president obama is the kind of politician who puts promises on the record and then calls that the record. but we are four years into the presidency. the issue is not the economy that barack obama inherited.

not the economy that he he said visions. but this economy that we are living. college graduates should not have to live out their 20s in their childhood bedrooms staring up at fading obama posters and wondering when they can move out and get going with life. everyone who feels stuck in the

obama economy is right to focus on the here and now. and i hope you understand this, too. if you're feeling left out or passed by, you have not failed. your leaders have failed you. we will not duck the tough issues. we will lead. we will not spend the next four years blaming others. we will take responsibility. we will not try to replace our founding principles. we will reapply our founding principles. the work ahead will be hard. these times demand the best of all of us. all of us. but we can do this. we can do this. together, we can do this. we can get this country working again. we can get this economy growing again. we can make the safety net safe again. we can do this. whatever your political party,

let's come together for the sake of our country. join mitt romney and me. let's give this effort everything we have. let's see this thing all the way through. let's get this done! thank you and god bless you all. thank you. we'll have highlights of some of the other speeches ahead. but first, we'll get the latest from the gulf coast. tonight, new orleans is under a dusk to dawn curfew. there is dangerous flooding across coastal louisiana in the wake of isaac. now a tropical storm. dozens of families who ignored

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headquarters. one of the more pesky storms you'll ever come across. the category does not tell the tale of what this storm is capable of. in the past few hours, it has sat in place. the pastly the or so hours has only moved 60 miles. the right side of the storm. that's where the moisture is. on the back side it is bone dry. you can go in a few places. about 70 miles to the west, they have picked up any rainfall. on the right, we have picked up 18 inches. right now winds at about 60 mirds. gusting upwards of 70 miles an hour. there's the center of circulation. west of baton rouge. the wind gusts up to about 40 to 50 miles an hour. we're going to see conditions improve here. the heaviest of the rain showers going to exit the picture. the biggest area of concern as we have tornado watches in effect. a couple lines of severe weather within the embedded thunderstorms and an isolated shot of tornadoes. we'll keep you out of the storms as it progresses.

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former secretary of state condoleezza rice left the white house nearly four years ago and has been leading a fairly low profile post government life back in academia. tonight her prime time speech put her back in the political spotlight. her main job was to make the case for mitt romney as a world leader. here are some highlights. >> i can remember as if it were yesterday when my young assistant came into my office at the white house to say that a plane had hit the world trade center. and then a second plane and then a third plane. the pentagon. and later we would learn that a plane had crashed into a field in pennsylvania, driven into the ground by brave souls who died so that others might live.

from that day on, from that day on, our sense of vulnerability and our concepts of security were never the same again. then in 2008, the global financial and economic crisis would stun us. and it still reverberates as we deal with unemployment and economic uncertainty and bad policies that cast a pall over an american economy and a recovery that is desperately needed at home and abroad. and we have seen, we have seen that the desire for liberty and freedom is indeed universal as men and women in the middle east rise up to seize it. yet, the promise of the arab spring is engulfed in uncertainty, internal strife and hostile neighbors. our challenging the young fragile democracy of iraq. dictators in iran and syria

butcher their people and threaten regional security, russia and china prevent a response and everyone asks, where does america stand? indeed, indeed, that is the question of the hour. where does america stand? you see, when friends or foes alike don't know the answer to that question, unambiguously and clearly, the world is likely to be a more dangerous and chaotic place. since world war ii, the united states has had an answer to that question. we stand for free peoples and free markets. we will defend and support them. mitt romney and paul ryan understand this reality. our well-being at home and our leadership abroad are inextrickbly linked. they know what to do. they know our friends and allies

must again be able to trust us from israel to columbia. from pole an to the philippines. our allies and friends have to know we will be reliable and consistent and determined. and our foes, our foes can have no reason to doubt our resolve because peace really does come through strength. our military capability and our technological advantage will be safe in mitt romney's hands. we must continue to welcome the world's most ambitious people to be a part of us. in that way, we stay young and optimistic and determined. we need immigration laws that protect our borders, meet our economic needs, and yet, show that we are a compassionate nation of immigrants.

mitt romney and paul ryan will rebuild us at home. and they will help us lead abroad. they will provide an answer to the question, where does america stand. the challenge is real. but america has met and overcome hard challenges before. whenever you find yourself doubting us, just think about all those times that america made the impossible seem inevitable in retrospect. and on a personal note. a little girl rose up in birmingham. the segregated city of the south where her parents can't take her to a movie theater or to a restaurant. but they have her absolutely convinced that even if she can't have a hamburger at the woolworth's lunch counter, she could be president of the united states if she wanted to be and she becomes the secretary of state.

[ cheers and applause ] yes, yes, yes. yes. yes, america, america has a way of making the impossible seem inevitable in retrospect. but we know it was never inevitable. it took leadership and it took courage. and it took belief in our values. mitt romney and paul rbi have the integrity and the experience and the vision to lead us. they know who we are. they know who we want to be.

they know who we are in the world and what we offer. that is why, that is why this is a moment and an election of consequence. because it just has to be that the freest and most compassionate country on the face of the earth will continue to be the most powerful, and a beacon for prosperity and liberty across the world. god bless you and god bless this extraordinary country. this exceptional country, the united states of america. >> former secretary of state condoleezza rice speaking earlier tonight. senator john mccain was also a speaker four years ago he beat mitt romney in the republican primary. tonight, he sang his former opponent's praises. those highlights ahead. that'll be $973.42.

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four years ago arizona senator john mccain was accepting his party's nomination in st. paul, minnesota. tonight one of the men he beat in the 2008 primary is preparing to do the same.

four years ago, mitt romney was an opponent. tonight senator mccain took the convention stage as a speaker. >> it is an honor as always, my fellow republicans, to join you at our national convention and add my voice to yours. as we nominate the next president of the united states, my friend, governor mitt romney. you know, i had hopes once of addressing you under different circumstances. but our fellow americans had another plan four years ago and i accept their decision. i've been blessed for so long to play a role in our nation's affairs that i'm conscious only of the debt that i owe america and i thank you for the honor.

when we nominate mitt romney, we do so with a greater purpose than winning an advantage for our party. we charge him with a care of a higher cause. his election represents the best homes for our country and the world. it is that that this election will turn on domestic and economic issues. but what mitt romney knows, and what we know is the success at home also depends on our leadership in the world. it is our willingness to shape world events for the better that has kept us safe, increased our prosperity, preserved our liberty and transform human history. at our best, america has led. we have led by our example as a shining city on a hill. we have led at the direction of patriots from both parties. we have led shoulder to shoulder with steadfast friends and

allies. we have led by giving voice to the voiceless, insisting that every human life has dignity and aiding those brave souls who risk everything to secure the inalienable rights that are endowed to all by our creator. [ applause ] we have led with generous hearts moved by an abiding love of justice to help others eradicate disease. lift ourselves from poverty. live under laws of their own and determine their own destinies. we have led when necessary with the armed might of freedom's defenders and always we have led from the front. never from behind.

this is what makes america an exceptional nation. it is not just a matter of who we are. it is the record of what we have done. it is the responsibility, the generation after generations of americans has affirm and carried forward. it is the cause that many americans have sacrificed everything, absolutely everything to defend and when they've gone into battle as they do today, they have done so with the conviction that the country that send them there is worth their sacrifice, that it stands for something more than the sum of our individual interests. may god bless all who have served. all who serve today as he has blessed us with their service. [ applause ]

we are now being tested by an array of threats that are more complex, more numerous, and just as deeply and deadly as i can recall in my lifetime. we face a consequential choice and make no mistake, it is a choice. we can choose to follow a declining path toward a future that is dimmer and more dangerous than our past. or we can choose to reform our failing government, revitalize our ailing economy, and renew the foundations of our power and leadership in the world. that is what's at stake in this election. unfortunately, for four years, for four years, we've drifted away from our proudest

traditions. of global leadership. tradition that's are truly bipartisan. we've let the challenges we face both at home and abroad become much harder to solve of we can't afford to stay on that course any longer. friends across the world, people are seizing control of their own destinies. they're liberating themselves from oppressive rulers. and they want manager's support. they want america's assistance as they struggle to live in peace and security, to expand opportunity for themselves and their children, to replace the injustices of despots with the institutions of democracy and freedom. america must be on the right side of history. the demand for our leadership in

the world has never been greater. people don't want less of america. they want more. everywhere i go in the world. people tell me that they still have faith in america. what they want to know is whether we still have faith in ourselves. i trust that mitt romney has that faith and i trust him to lead us. i trust him to affirm our nation's exceptional character and responsibilities. i trust him to know that our security and economic interests are in and trickbly tied to the progress of our values. i trust him to know that if america doesn't lead, our adversaries will. and the world will go darker, poorer, and much more dangerous.

i trust him to know that an american president always, always, always stands up for the rights and freedoms and justice of all people. [ cheers and applause ] i trust mitt romney to know that good can triumph over evil, that justice can vanquish tyranny, that love can conquer hate. that the desire for freedom is eternal and universal and that america is still the best hope of mankind. and now, my fellow americans, let's elect our next commander-in-chief and the next leader of the free world, my friend, governor mitt romney.

>> senator john mccain speaking earlier tonight in tampa. meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of people are without power in the gulf tonight. severe flooding from isaac has put many lives in danger. the national guard helped move dozens of nursing home residents to higher ground in louisiana. we'll have an update just ahead. ♪ (train horn) vo: wherever our trains go, the economy comes to life. norfolk southern. one line, infinite possibilities.

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some reports on the order of three tornado reports across the southern gulf coast states there in the last 24 or so hours. especially over portions of mississippi. the track takes it up the mississippi river delta. some good news when this is all said and done. we're about of course, major drought areas across the upper midwest. from missouri look lou, arkansas, working toward the ohio valley. some heavy rainfall in the forecast by the middle portion of the weekend. that's going to bring in much needed rainfall and we'll have more jump dates as it becomes available. natural vegetable laxative ingredient plus the comfort of a stool softener for gentle, overnight relief of occasional constipation. go to senokot-s.com for savings.

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the tea party favorite's speech was highly anticipated. here are some highlights. >> the great and abiding lesson of american history, particularly the cold war, is that the engine of capitalism, the individual, is mightier than any. american -- american inventiveness and desire to build developed because we were guaranteed the right to own our success.

for most of our history, no one dared tell americans, you didn't build that. in bowling green, kentucky, the tang family owns the great american doughnut shop. their family fled war torn cambodia to come to this country. my kids and i love to eat doughnuts so we go there frequently. the tangs work long hours. mrs. tangled us that the family works through the night to make doughnuts. the tang family have become valedictorians and national merit scholars. the tangs from cambodia are an american success story. so mr. president, don't you go telling the tang family that they didn't build that. [ cheers and applause ] when you say, when you say they didn't build it, you insult each

and every american who ever got up at the crack of dawn. you insult any american who ever put on overalls or a suit. you ensubtle any american who ever studied late into the night to become a doctor or a lawyer. you insult the dishwasher, the cook, the waitress, you insult anyone who has ever dragged themselves out of bed to trot to, to strive for something better for themselves and their children. my great grandfather like many came to this country in search of the american dream. no sooner had he stepped off the boat than his father died. he arrived in pittsburgh as a teenager with nothing. not a penny. he found the american dream. not great wealth. but a bit of property in a new land that gave him hope for his children. in america, as opposed to the old country, success was based on merit. probably america's greatest

asset was that for first time, success was not based on who you were, but what you did. my grandfather would live to see his children become doctors and ministers, accountants and professors. he would even live to see one of his sons, a certain congressman from texas -- a certain congressman from texas run for the presidency of the united states. republicans must acknowledge that not every dollar spent on the military is necessary or well spent.

democrats must admit that domestic welfare and entitlements must be reform. republicans and democrats must replace fear with confidence. confidence that no terrorist and no country will ever conquer us if we remain steadfast to the principles of our founding documents. we have nothing to fear except our own unwillingness to defend what is naturally ours. our god-given rights.

we have nothing to fear that should cause us to forget or relinquish our rights as free men and women. to thrive, we must believe in ourselves again and we must never, never trade our liberty for any fleeting promise of security. to lead us forward away from this looming debt crisis, it will take someone who believes in america's greatness. who believes in and can articulate the american dream. someone who has created jobs. someone who understands and appreciates what makes america great. someone who will lead our party and our nation forward.

i believe that someone is our nominee. governor mitt romney. still more to come. stay with us. ♪

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>> we would like to welcome our viewers in the united states and arnold the world. erin, we heard some powerful speeches tonight. >> we certainly have. and condoleezza rice, great job too. paul ryan just wrapped up his acceptance speech. it was one of many memorable moments tonight. take a look. >> ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the third session of the 2012 republican national convention. the convention will come to order. >> our nation is in desperate need of leadership. we believe mitt romney is the man for this moment.

after four long years, help is on the way. >> our great nation is coming apart at the seams and the president just seems to point fingers and blame others. president obama's administration will add nearly $6 trillion to our national debt in just one term. and i'm hoping it's just one term. >> everywhere i go in the world, people tell me that they still have faith in america. what they want to know is whether we still have faith in ourselves. i trust that mitt romney has that faith and i trust him to lead us. i trust him to know that an american president always, always, always stands up for the rights and freedoms and justice of all people.

>> where does america stand? you see, when friends or foes alike don't know the answer to that question unambiguously and clearly, the world is likely to be a more dangerous and chaotic place. we can only know that there is no choice. because one of two things will happen if we don't lead. either no one will lead and there will be chaos, or someone will fill the vacuum who does not share our values. my fellow americans, we do not have a choice. we cannot be reluctant to lead and you cannot lead from behind. mitt romney and paul ryan understand this reality. our well being at home and our leadership abroad are inextricably linked. they know what to do. they know that our friends and allies must again be able to

trust us. >> i'm the newcomer to this campaign. so let me share a first impression. i have never seen opponents so silent about their record. and so desperate to keep their power. they've run out of ideas. their moment came and went. fear and division is all they've got left. with all their attack ads, the president is just throwing away money. and he's pretty experienced at that. so here's the question. without a change in leadership, why would the next four years be any different from the last four years? what is missing is leadership in the white house.

the man assumed office almost four years ago. isn't it about time he assumed responsibility? >> and that was the highlight of this evening. paul ryan the vice presidential nominee clearly electrifying these people, these republicans here at the republican national convention in tampa. we all knew he had a lot of substantive background as a member of congress, chairman of the house budget committee. clearly i was surprised to hear how much of a speaker he would be although a few points will be disputed by his critics. john king is standing by. several points he made will be disputed, but no doubt he delivered a powerful speech. >> a powerful speech for the first time brought real convention intensity to this hall. paul ryan had this crowd engaged. they are now ready forrer in fight and he framed it that way. he framed it as much the republican waged back in 2010. about the size, the scope, the role of government and cast

president obama as somebody who four years ago had a lot of promises but a failure in the presidency. let's get a quick impression here in the box. let me start with you. we'll have a longer conversation later, but paul ryan to you the headline, the major accomplishment or lack thereof. >> start with the proposition the conservatives tonight will think maybe they have a new reagan. he threw down the gauntlet. this audience loved ann romney and condi rice. we're going to have a great debate this fall. >> i think that paul ryan did a great job. he had to do a couple of things. he had to portray president obama as two things. divisive and a disappointment. to look at those persuadable voters and say give mitt romney a shot here and i think that's exactly what he did tonight. and he was the first person we really heard in this convention take on president obama directly and repeatedly and say this man

has failed. >> volt of adrenaline. this was optimistic adrenaline that he delivered tonight. that's something the republican party needs. the decisions to take on the future. also keep your eye on health care. if it's a romney/ryan ticket can neutralize the historic advantage in health care and they may do it on this obama attack. huge changing issue in this election. >> james carville, after listening to paul ryan tonight will democrats be worried about this campaign? >> he's talking to you, james. never mind. i'll talk with him. >> just your impression. will democrats be worried after hearing this from paul ryan tonight? >> well, i think that democrats are worried right now. they were worried before this convention. it's a very tight race. if you look at it, obama's probably up one to three points. so who wouldn't be worried in that circumstance? but we're excited about our own

convention too. i thought tonight it was really striking how much different he was tonight than he was in norfolk when he was announced. he was measured, determined, a much slower cadence. the style was a lot different tonight than it was back in norfolk. i thought that was kind of interesting. i'm sure that was obviously this speech was planned out and thought out to be that way. i just thought it was an interesting contrast between him and a month ago or whenever that was. >> wolf, interesting at the end. of course he's speaking in the hall here to republicans who needed a bit of red meat with the appeal at the end to all americans said at least give us a luck. i think that forbodes in an election. it needs to make some converts in the weeks ahead. >> among those 10 percenters who are switchable. he was addressing them. let's go to the floor and switch around with the reporters. dana bash is down there.

you've got a guest. >> i do. i've got the governor of wisconsin. what did you think of paul ryan's speech. >> even though he talks about tough numbers, he talks about it. that's why he's going to get it done. thrilled. >> the paul ryan i covered z back in washington is a wonk. >> he's a wonk at home but he's a guy that got into this it came out of reagan and kemp. i'm glad people saw the paul ryan i know tonight. >> governor, thank you very much. back to you, wolf. >> let's go to candy crowley on the podium. you've watched a lot of these conventions over the years. what did you think of this paul ryan address? >> he brought it. he really did blow the roof off this place. this was the speech they were waiting for. ann romney was great, chris christie might have got mixed

reviews but they loved him here. but the spark in the air when he started to talk. and i just thought actually just in terms of words and the speech writing, anytime you've got a speech that has your mother in tears, your governor in tears, you close to it mentions ac/dc and zeppelin then talks about the sanctimony of planners, was a speech with a lot in it. it was well crafted and certainly mostly for this audience. but at the end there was again this kind of powerful drive to push out and say come and join us no matter what party you're with. so this was the tee-up for mitt romney tomorrow. and he certainly gave him a board to jump off of for sure, wolf.

>> and no doubt even though a lot of republicans are afraid of the medicare debate, what we heard from paul ryan, he said bring it on. you want to debate medicare, we want to debate medicare and we will win. >> look at the numbers. he and barack obama are not far off on medicare. s but the people we want to know what they think tonight are the independents. there aren't many that are undecided. but there are some that will decide who will win the white house in november. a gro up of undecided voters came here and watched the speech along with our tom foreman and literally it was a touch of the dial. everything they thought they rated it. what was the verdict? >> it was fascinating to watch it here. i have to say these voters, we listened to them a bit beforehand. they have a tendency to be a little bit more on the republican side in temples of their view of things. but all of them unconvinced republicans.

let me start with one big question if i can first. all of you here, after paul ryan's speech tonight, do you feel more positive about leaning toward the republican side with your vote? little bit? less positive? nobody. sort of in between a bit. take a look at this bite. one of the interesting things here if you look at the lines here. the pink represents the women, the blue represents the men. look how they reacted differently to an attack in the paul ryan speech. it's different than what you heard in the hall. take a look. >> nearly one in six americans is in poverty. millions of young americans have graduated from college during the obama presidency. ready to use their gifts and get moving in life. half of them can't find the work they studied for or any work at all. so here's the question. without a change in leadership, why would the next four years be any different from the last four years?

>> a big applause line there and you may have been able to see in the lines there that the men responded to the attacks better than the women did. how did you feel about the attacks in the speech? good thing or bad? >> any time there's any attack, i don't feel good about it. you've got to focus on the positive of stuff. but getting back to what you said about paul ryan, i really liked everything he said, but he's just going for v.p. he's not the main guy. >> what about you? did you like it when he talked tough about the economy and about the president? >> i think he spent a lot of time bashing predent obama and not enough time talking about what they're going to do for this country. i really do. >> all right. let me grab a guy in the back row here. what about you? when he went after the president and pointed out what he thought was wrong with the president's

programs, what did you think about that? >> i think he was spot on on what he pointed out there. i think he hasn't done enough in four years. if somebody gives him the opportunity, it's what they do with that opportunity. he was given the opportunity of being president of the united states and has not turned the country around. >> in the early parts of the speech, the women in your group here generally lagged below the men in terms of their approval of what was being said. but when he talked about his mother, rebuilding her life after the death of his father, everything turned around and stayed that way for quite some time. watch the lines on this. >> it wasn't just a new livelihood. it was a new life. and it transformed my mom from a widow in grief to a small businesswoman whose happiness wasn't just in the past. her work gave her hope. it made our family proud. and to this day, my mom is my role model.

>> let me ask you about that. when he started talking about his mother and her struggles and her family struggles to make things better, the women in this group by and large said good thing, positive thing. why do you think? >> just because there's a lot of single moms out there that are going through that same thing, and they lead -- they give a good example and we try to instill that in our kids as we're raising them. and that he respects her so much. >> let me bring in alex here. alex, come in this way if you will. i want to ask you something about it. come over here. when you listen to and you watch what went on here tonight particularly with the response and the differences between the women in this group and the men in this group, what do you think worked and what didn't? >> i want to ask these people here if i raise my voice a bit,

sss ds did you think this guy was a reasonable guy or did you guys think he was a scary too extreme guy? raise hands first for reasonable. tell me why. tell me why. >> i think he was calm, he was well spoken, and he made some very good points. i did not know a lot about him, but he impressed me. >> he didn't scare you? >> not at all. >> who did he scare? too extreme? too conservative? any hands? >> what does tt tell you? >> that's usually one of the reasons you see a split in male/female things. we saw it on government spending and a couple of other issues where men diverge from women tonight. >> so in general by the end once the women came up and let me ask you about this. when the women came up on this thing on that issue of his mother and struggling along, they stayed up. that was interesting. did that represent a turning point for you?

>> no. i like that he respected what his mother did to help set him up and what she did for her family. i felt more included when he recognized her that way. >> interesting. what about you? >>ty feel the same way. i had a favorable response because he was giving honor and respect to his mother for the work she's done. that's one thing the politicians really need to pay attention and realize that women are -- do carry the burden in the household and they do have a big say so in politics. >> all right. we're going to be back with more from our group here and alex as we go on. an awful lot. fascinating results here, wolf, from this group and their reaction. we want to talk to more of them later on. >> we're only starting getting reaction to paul ryan's speech. we're going to speak to some family members. there you see some members of his own family. who knows paul ryan better than members of his own family? when we come back, you'll hear what they have to say.

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the tampa bay forum is emptying out. buses are standing by. they're going to go home soon or go to their hotels. we're out on the floor with some family members from paul ryan.

jim, tell us what they're saying. let's hear from them. >> let's hear from them. i'm joined by two brothers and sister of paul ryan. and their respective wives and husbands and kids. and stan ryan, you were telling me a few moments ago. what was going through your find when you saw your brother up on stage there? >> well, it was paul, if you will. if i describe paul, he's just so natural as what he does. he's all in committed. all in committed to the cause. all in committed to what he's doing. he believes, we believe. and he's going to follow through. >> okay. and janet let me ask you. you're the oldest. they told me that, i don't know. i didn't guess that. i'm just saying. janet, tell me was paul ryan always this way as a youngster? was he just as incorrigible as he is now? >> he was. but he's always done what he thought needed to be done. he's kind of -- he's led by his convictions.

he's continued that today. >> and did you think one day my little brother is going to be vice president of the united states? >> no, i never did. >> this is a shocker for you? >> it was a surprise. >> was he good at ordering you around the house? what signs did you see at an early age? >> he was good at negotiating. he never ordered, he simply negotiated his way to what he thought he wanted. >> and he got on the ticket. >> he did. >> not too bad of a negotiator. toben, what is it about your brother that you think broht him to this moment? >> you know, paul is a guy who is an eternal optimist.

there is no challenge, i think, that keeps him down that he doesn't think he can overcome. and that kind of leadership, i think, is probably what mitt romney saw in paul. and together i think combined is the kind of leadership that i think that's really going to help this nation. >> okay. and mack ryan is with us. this is paul ryan's nephew. is this inspiring you perhaps one day to get into politics? is this what you want to do? >> you know, it really is. it's fantastic here. there's a lot of energy going around. it's a great place to be. you learn a lot of stuff. it's lots of fun being with my family having a great time. >> are you proud of your uncle? >> i'm very, very proud of my uncle. he's going to put america on the right track. >> all right. okay. this is a family, a ryan family here that is beaming with smiles and pride tonight. and for good reason. wolf? >> thanks very much, jim acosta on the floor. we'll be getting more reaction from various folks down on the floor.

we'll get some reaction from democrats as well. but john, you know, as you and i well know, the democrats and certainly the obama campaign, they were watching this speech. they were going through it line by line and you are getting and so i am, a lot of e-mail right now pointing out to what they claim are falsehoods, misleading statements, lies, if you will, that were made by paul ryan. and i guess those fact checking is just getting ready to begin. >> the fact checking is beginning. our cnn team is at it already. other news organizations will do it as well. that's how it goes in campaigns. some of it will be clear, you will say that was a stretch. other things will be debatable. one thing he talked about was the plant shut down in janesville. that was shut down under the bush administration. he spoke of president obama saying it may be reopened. but it was cloedsed under the bush administration. there was one about obama care. it does get savings from medicare and use them for their health care plan. there's a big debate about whether those savings come from

the program, the administration says no they come from payments that would go to democracy and other things. so you're taking money, but that would be debated in the campaign. let's continue the conversation here. >> can i say to your medicare point, the ryan budget also assumed the same $716 billion in medicare savings not for, of course, the president's health care reform plan but assume those savings for something else. another thing with paul ryan and he talked about the bipartisan debt commission. he was a member of the bipartisan debt commission. he voted against the product there, yet tonight he chided the president for doing nothing about it saying they came back with an urgent report. he thanked them. well the they, part of the they was paul ryan who didn't sign on to it. >> wouldn't sign on because they

would require higher taxes. if you're watching at home and remember that debate. it's a fascinating moment. he is the vice presidential candidate. erin, you wanted to make a point? >> i had a chance to talk to paul ryan the day his budget came out and asked him why did you vote against simpson bowles on that and his reason at the time was i didn't like how it was dealing with health care and health entitlement. it highlights the irony that gloria pointed out. that same $716 billion that the president would cut, so would paul ryan. their plans more similar in that sense than they are different. >> it highlights the choice of the next president. whether president obama is re-elected or mitt romney wins the election, you will have this debt and deficit crisis to deal with. and will we have what we've had the past four years. saying you must get some increased taxes from the wealthy and a republican party that says absolutely not. >> i think these factual checks are important. they should be held accountable and i think there were some misstatements in the facts. but let's not forget. this was a speech about big

ideas. we haven't had that very much in this campaign. that's what i thought was helpful about it. throwing down the gauntlet, he's inviting major conversation in the debates ahead about conflicting views. >> i want to bring ari and james in. this is the 2008 map for president right here. i want to let the camera come around. this is the 2008 map for president. look at this part of the section here. paul ryan is from wisconsin. mitt romney was the governor of massachusetts. this is 2008. this is. 2010. these are the senate races. these are the governorships. illinois has held on. what they are counting on in this pick is that this part of the country is listening to take the big issues on. about the size of government, the role of government, whether these decisions should be made

in washington or by your governor. 2010 was the midterm election, not a presidential election. they are apples and oranges, if you will. is that a safe bet or the only you can make? >> you nailed it. who's turn out to vote. a 2008 model, 2010 model or 201 model. a lot of sampled on a 2008 model which boggles my mind. still a 50/50 race. if this race is between the 2004 and 2008 presidential races, which probably will be. bush won in '04 big turnout. obama wins in '08. chances are mitt romney wins and that's the big issue area. michigan is in play and wisconsin was a battle ground before paul ryan. real battle ground now. >> one thing he did make a big

point. it's an accurate statement. under the obama administration, the national debt did increase by $5 trillion over these past nearly four years. what he didn't say is the national debt doubled during the eight years of the bush administration from $5 trillion to $10 trillion. and he didn't point out he as a member of congress voted for some of the biggest expenditures, biggest expansions of the federal government over those years including a prescription drug benefit for seniors including all the trillions of dollars spent in the wars in iraq and afghanistan, all those defense department spending as well. so this debate is only just beginning right now. on all of these issues. and there's no doubt that next week at the democratic convention in charlotte, we're going to hear a fierce response going after these republicans. >> but, you know, it's interesting. one thing i didn't hear from paul ryan was a huge call for tax cuts. paul ryan is really a fiscal conservative who likes to cut taxes. but we didn't hear that a lot to the audience tonight, wolf,

because he was talking much more about his differences with president obama. but i think that's going to become a big issue. when you have somebody who says we've got to get control of that debt. you have the debt clock up there. what do you do about repealing the tax cuts for the wealthy? >> the big speech comes tomorrow night. that will be when mitt romney accepted the nomination. paul ryan setting the stage tonight. when we come back, more from those voters. you see florida, that's where we are for this convention. it's a tossup state. more on this when our coverage continues. in communities across the country. whether it's supporting a delaware nonprofit that's providing training and employment opportunities, investing in the revitalization of a neighborhood in the bronx, or providing the financing to help a beloved san diego bakery expand, what's important to communities across the country is important to us. and we're proud to work with all of those who are creating a stronger future

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mitt romney. tom foren has been with a group of undecided voters. what i really liked about the paul ryan speech tonight, at least it dealt with the most important issues of the day. the substantive economic issues, jobs, health care, medicare. he didn't skirt those issues. yes, there would be a serious debate. but at least the focus was on the number one issues facing the american voter right now. and we asked these groups ahead of time with these dial tone. they told us the economy is the big issue here. and watch how the men and women reacted to another one of the big moments in the speech tonight. >> i was on my own path, my own journey, an american journey where i could think for myself, decide for myself, define

happiness for myself. that's what we do in this country. that's the american dream. that's freedom and i'll take it any day over the supervision and sanctimony of the central planners. >> alex, one of the things that excited you about this tonight was the reaction of this crowd to the idea that was also in the speech of will you be better off in four years or is it going to be the same. why? >> it's funny. this crowd seemed to react the same way when ronald reagan did. i'm wondering what do they think when they heard paul ryan say why are the next four years going to be better than the last. >> when paul ryan asked that question why will the next four years be any better, why would

you believe that, what do you think? was that a fair question to ask? >> it was a good question to ask. i believed him. i don't think they're going to be better without a change. >> what about you? >> i have the same feelings. i think that he thought the question that he's asking us is what have we heard that will make us believe that it will be any different. so far we haven't heard anything different. >> i move to you with the last one. president obama did very well with young people. question is, you're a young person right now looking at this. do you when you hear that question from paul ryan, will you be better off in four years what would make you believe any better. is that a good question, a fair question, and how do you feel about it? >> i think it's a fair question. i didn't vote for obama last election, i don't think i'm going to vote for obama this election. >> are you ready to vote for mitt romney at this point? >> i think a lot of things i did hear tonight are swaying me that way. i like a lot of things that getting the country back on track, shouldn't be punished for being successful. that was appealing to me. i feel like got to have jobs and

can't punish those people that make jobs. especially the small business owners. >> alex, one last quick thought here. you watch this group, you saw their reaction. you're in the business of deciding speeches like this had worked. do you think it worked with these undecided voters? >> i think b it began to plant a seed. one thing i'd love to ask these guys and we will maybe later is is he too young or did he speak about the future? did he say anything about the republican party moving forward? but i think was there optimism here? maybe in the beginning. >> i'm going to have you step this way. before we get back to you, wolf, let me ask you all. you came here undecided. how many of you feel that you're closer to a decision after hearing this speech tonight? well, a pretty good number there. some still holding out. and we'll see how it plays out, wolf. fascinating group here from southern methodist university they put them together.

but voters from here around tampa undecided voters. this is the gold in this election, wolf. whoever can win these voters can win in november. >> over at the cnn grill, thanks very much. we're going to do that next week in charlotte at the democratic national convention. we're going to do exactly the same thing. listen to the speeches. we'll hear when mitt romney speaks we'll have the focus group of undecided voters. see how they go forward as well. interesting stuff that was going on. and at least he didn't get into all the junk out there, all the stupid issues that politicians like to raise about the opposition. at least paul ryan focused in on the real meat, the real importance of this election. >> it was a substantive speech. >> jobs, jobs, jobs. has different views of course than the democrats but at least he focused on issue number one.

>> you talk about him as a person of substance and he is. and he does love policy. a lot of people may look at paul ryan and say especially with all the talk out there about his views on medicare, is he far to the right? one thing that may surprise people about his record in his willingness to go to the other side. he voted for the auto bailout. he voted for t.a.r.p. the bank bailout, everybody. and at the time he said i'm doing it to prevent a depression. so he cast both of those votes in that way. when i spoke to him this spring when he came out with his budget, he made it clear to me on repeated questions that he would allow taxes on the wealthy to go up. and their effective tax rates are going to be higher because i'm not going to allow them to shelter their income anymore. if you take those points you think is this the vice presidential nominee? but he is. this is the person who has shown the ability to compromise. >> and whether or not, john king, the critics out there will dispute his facts in the speech, there's no doubt he delivered for the republicans. it does set a high bar for mitt romney tomorrow night. can mitt romney deliver an even more powerful speech as he

accepts the republican presidential nomination? >> and that is the defining question of this convention. governor romney comes in to win this race. it is a dead heat race. paul ryan still introducing himself to the country in many ways. he is the star attraction tonight. americans vote for presidents, not vice presidents. governor romney has the bigger challenge tomorrow night. james carville, when you worked for bill clinton and he picked al gore. that was sending a statement. that the democrats were going to be different, that they were a new generation, that this was not dukakis' party. to what degree was paul ryan -- does he help mitt romney send this signal it's a new or different republican party? >> yeah, i think he does. and i think that what you've seen in the campaign is that the campaign is basically about activating the base.

that they believe that they're sufficient as 50 plus one if they had the turnout they had in 2010. clearly that was what was at work here. different generation. he looks different. if you watch him tonight, he's very different looking than anyone we've seen run for national office before. and whether that works or not, we'll see in november. but it is a very close race. people say are you nervous? of course i'm nervous. who wouldn't be in a race where you were two points up. anybody would. >> and incredibly likable guy. it's not an endorsement. the policies will be debated. romney has embraced much of that and as the romney budget of course that matters more than the ryan budget. but your thoughts on just what was he trying to do tonight and did he get there? >> i think he tried to set out a bolder more energetic and ari says a more optimistic vision of what the country could be. their theme as been we can do better than what we've been doing the last four years. i think he set up an indictment of president obama that is a spring board if you like for mitt romney tomorrow night. but mitt romney has got to take it. >> i also think what he did was he made this is generational argument, this issue of medicare. and he as somebody who's 42

years old said you know, i want this to be there. and i'm going to guarantee you if we win it's going to be there for my grandchildren. and i think what he did is say okay, i'm a young person and i want this to be there for my generation. and that's something we haven't heard. because it's risky. very risky. >> and wolf, we also learned tonight he listens to ac/dc to zeppelin. and romney listens to elevator music. >> i like elevator music. sometimes that elevator music is

pretty good. i will say this about the republican convention, they have a great band here that's going. the band here has been fabulous as someone who loves music and you know i do. i think this band has been terrific. >> we need music. it's very important. >> even elevator music from time to time. all right, guys. thanks to social media, we're giving you our viewers a chance to be part of cnn's convention coverage. go to facebook.com/cnn. answer. this question. does representative paul ryan make you enthusiastic about the gop ticket? we're going to give your results, that's coming up. go-gurt? yep...doh. [ boy ] slurpably fun and a good source of calcium. dads who get it, get go-gurt.

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>> e rin, i want to get quick reactions from our reporters and analyst. let's go to candy crowley. >> well, you know, you can watch this convention as most conventions do build to the finale and that is tomorrow night and mitt romney. i mean, we really have seen two successive days of ratcheting up the excitement level on this floor. paul ryan, i mean, just talking to folks as they're going out they are ecstatic. we saw several top level romney advisers. i said what did you think? they said awesome, great. they are very happy. it may -- obviously if you're

not inclined to like paul ryan and mitt romney, you won't find a lot to like. in fact it had a bit of everything, but i can tell you in this hall and on this day, he really did set the table for mitt romney. and that's what all this has been building for, after all, is to get their nominee out of here and on the road to what they hope are improved chances of beating president obama. >> yeah. there's no doubt about that. i think there's also -- for those who weren't familiar with paul ryan, didn't know who this congressman is and all of us news junkies know him. now millions of people will appreciate why mitt romney selected him to be his running mate. >> that's right. i think people who are familiar with him, i've been following him for years, people are getting a sense of the other side of him. people who knew him as a wonk, seeing his family and children gives a new picture. >> he likes music though. and he likes exercise.

and has a beautiful family as you can see right there. >> i have to say i love how his daughter had that sparkly head band on. she gave a wave of her own which i thought was precious. >> i thought it was adorable, i don't know if that's the right word, how his mother was brought into this. she's on medicare herself. she's got quite a compelling story and he told it. he lost his dad when he was 16 years old. >> and he used the personal stories not only to introduce himself to the american people but to make key points for the republican argument and to rebut, if you will, or provide some insulation against the democratic criticism. this is a guy after all, paul ryan, who is the new karl rove. when it rained in the bush administration, they blamed karl

rove. if the bus was late in the bush administration, they blamed karl rove. i'm being a little bit jokey. but paul ryan has been the synonym for scary. they say what he wants to do is scary. the challenge is we hathat big debate about the ideas. wall ryan tonight as a person ari i think it's safe to say was not scary. >> that's right. that's one of his greatest strengths. that's what i love about him. they talk too often like accountants, the republicans. they need to speak like ronald reagan with a jolt of adrenaline and confidence in what they do. paul ryan exudes that. which i want to fact check the fact checkers who began this segment. this is from the milwaukee journal sentinel, the hometown paper, september 2011 for politics and paul ryan entered the national seen. the janesville plant stopped production of suvs in 2008 and was idled in 2009 after it completed production of duty trucks. paul ryan was right. the fact checkers are wrong.

>> all right. >> we'll have to get on -- yeah. check it out. >> i'll just quote the milwaukee paper. what do i know? >> it's a legitimate point. hold your breath. we'll be back with tonight's takeaways. we'll give you a chance to be part of the conversation. go to facebook.com/cnn. answer this question. does paul ryan make you enthusiastic about the gop ticket? we'll give you results coming up. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] at&t. the nation's largest 4g network. covering 2,000 more 4g cities and towns than verizon. at&t. rethink possible. ntgomery and 000 more 4g cities and towns than verizon. abigail higgins had... ...a tree that bore the most rare and magical fruit.

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erin, you remember just a little while ago we asked our viewers to go to sour facebook page and tell us whether representative paul ryan makes you enthusiastic about the gop

ticket. here are the ruls. 51% of you say he makes you more enthusiastic. 33% say he makes you less enthusiastic. 16% says it doesn't change your opinion at all. >> really got the crowd enthused. >> if you will, the goal is to have paul ryan and have some people out there to give it another look. this is the strategic ark of a convention. he, paul ryan, they called him the turn around man. is the challenge i'm mr. nuts and bolts sth. >> i69 he needs to set a vision

of where we could go under his leadership. paul ryan put one wing on the plane. ann put one on last night. >> if some voters, those persuadable voters who are thinking about firing the president, they have to look at midst tomorrow night as his replacement. you can't fire somebody until you know who will take his place. that is what mitt romney has to do is make himself presidential. he need toes have people click and like him. the moment i am looking for is the elevator music.

humor is a big ingredient. >> and it's hard for him. >> you have a unique place in recent political history. bill clinton and george bush served two terms. >> i would rather see him establish. the favorables. i think that romney's challenge tomorrow night is to say this guy has it in him to do this. your wife and daughters. in the end, doesn't really count for a lot. the former about mitt romney's

religion. some might have questions about mitt romney's faith and took it head on. >> coming from him it's natural and what he would say. frankly, when you look. >> to do it. to invite it they must think it was something they wanted to have done. >> i think it's for the country at large. what he has to do, it has not been done yet is to lay out and plan for the economy that will get us there. ha is what reagan did to take it away from