WFMZ-TV 69 News Online | RNC

5 things we learned on final night of RNC

Mitt Romney accepted the Republican Party's nomination for the presidency on Thursday night, culminating a convention shortened to three days by Tropical Storm Isaac.

via www.wfmz.com

Some final thoughts from Karin

Now the real work begins. For the members of the Pennsylvania delegation, the Republican National Convention was the warm-up. It was the team meeting when everyone learns their assignments and the coach gives the pep talk before the big game.

All week, we talked with delegates who were excited to be in Tampa but even more excited to bring the message of the RNC home.

Sure, there were big balloons and confetti last night and parties that lasted into the wee hours of the morning, but local Republicans said the celebration shouldn't overshadow their purpose to put their party in the White House. They told us this is the most important election in their lifetime. And in politics, the score matters.

Heading home

We just boarded the plane for our flight back to Pennsylvania. We won't be home long before we're back in the air again and headed for Charlotte.

Covering the Republican National Convention made for a busy week in Tampa, with our work taking us from early in the morning to late at night each day. We expect it to be no different at the DNC in Charlotte.

Well, it's time to turn off our "mobile devices," so we'll be checking in later. Karin is jotting down some final thoughts on the RNC.

Romney accepts

Parting ways with convention tradition, Mitt Romney just entered the floor of the Tampa Bay Times Forum through the rear of the arena, walked through the crowd of delegates to the stage before them and accepted the Republican Party's nomination for president.

"I do so with humility, deeply moved by the trust you've placed in me," Romney said. "It's a great honor. It's an even greater responsibility. I ask you to walk together to a better future. By my side I have chosen a man with a big heart from a small town."

Some 120,000 balloons, inflated by local high school students, are scheduled to fall from the ceiling when Romney concludes his speech.

Romney's address followed remarks by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and, the night's "mystery speaker," actor-director Clint Eastwood, the latter of whom addressed the near-capacity crowd with an empty chair positioned by the podium. Eastwood imagined President Obama was seated next to him.

"I remember three-and-a-half years ago, when Mr. Obama won the election. And though I was not a big supporter, I  was watching that night when he was having that thing and they were talking  about hope and change and they were talking about, yes we can, and it was dark  outdoors, and it was nice, and people were lighting candles.

"I was even crying. And then finally — and I haven’t cried that hard since I found out that there is 23 million unemployed people in this country. Now that is something to cry for because that is a disgrace, a national disgrace, and we haven’t done enough, obviously — this administration hasn’t  done enough to cure that."

Eastwood concluded his speech, much of which was ad-libbed, by inviting the audience to join him in saying his famous movie line.

"Go ahead," Eastwood said.

"Make by day," the audience responded.

On the floor

I'm standing with the Pennsylvania and New Jersey delegates on the floor of the Tampa Bay Times Forum as they await Mitt Romney's acceptance of the Republican Party's nomination for president.

While the delegates have seats available to them, many are standing shoulder to shoulder with members of the media, dignitaries and guests authorized to be on the convention floor by the blue credential they're wearing around their neck.

A full schedule

Of course, there's much more on the schedule at the Republican National Convention than just Mitt Romney's acceptance speech.

We'll also hear from Newt and Callista Gingrich and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Just before Romney takes the stage, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, will speak. Rubio was once considered to be a possible running-mate for Romney.

Entertainment for the evening will include performances by Taylor Hicks and Bebe Winans.

Staging an acceptance speech

Delegates will find a few changes when they step inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum for the final night of the Republican National Convention here in Tampa. The stage has been expanded for Mitt Romney's acceptance speech. The larger stage takes up a bit more floor space and shifts the seating area for some state delegations.

For instance, Pennsylvania has moved from the center of the arena's floor to stage left, directly behind New Jersey.

This isn't the first time Republicans have altered their stage on the final night of their convention. In 2004, George W. Bush accepted his party's nomination for a second term on a large presidential seal in the center of Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Democrats seem to favor even bigger change on the final night of their conventions. Barack Obama delivered his acceptance speech in an outdoor stadium in Denver in 2008. He's scheduled to do the same next week in Charlotte, although inclement weather is a growing concern.

The hottest ticket in town

The CNN Grill is once again the go-to place at the political conventions, but the setting here at the Republican National Convention is a bit different than what we saw four years ago at the RNC in St. Paul and the DNC in Denver.

This time around, there was no existing restaurant close enough to the Tampa Bay Times Forum for CNN to convert into its popular Grill format. So, the network took over a large storage area in the lower level of a parking garage next to the arena and turned it into a studio/restaurant.

Guests of the CNN Grill this week have included the five Romney sons, Newt Gingrich and former New York City Mayor Rudy Guilani. There have even been some people you wouldn't expect to see at the RNC, including U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, chairwoman of the Democratic Party, and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, chairman of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte next week.

Speaking of Charlotte, the Vida Mexican Kitchen y Cantina will be home to the CNN Grill during the DNC.

The RNC live on 69.4-WFMZ

If you're not here with us in Tampa or you don't have a credential to get inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum, there's no need to worry. 69-WFMZ-TV will be bringing you the final night of the Republican National Convention, including Mitt Romney's acceptance speech, live on our digital channel, 69.4. If you can't receive that channel on your TV, you can see it all live on WFMZ.com. Gavel to gavel coverage will begin at 7 p.m.

Just remember that you can still catch Karin's reports from inside the arena on 69 News -- channel 69.1 -- at 10:00 and 10:30.

The mystery speaker revealed

Speculation has been growing here at the Republican National Convention over the past few days over the identity of a mystery speaker who will take the stage inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum tonight.

A block of time on the official convention schedule, between a performance by "American Idol" alum Taylor Hicks and a speech by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, is labled "to be announced."

Names being tossed around the RNC campus have included Sarah Palin, Donald Trump and George W. Bush. But it seems the cat is now out of the bag. Academy Award winning actor-director Clint Eastwood will address the convention tonight. He's expected to walk out on stage for a run-through any moment now.

Eastwood formally endorsed Romney's campaign for president during an event in Idaho earlier this month.

"Now more than ever do we need Gov. Romney. I'm going to be voting for him," Eastwood told Romney supporters on Aug. 3.

"He just made my day," Romney said. "What a guy."

Other Hollywood celebrities we've seen mingling among the media in support of Romney include actors Jon Voight, whom I interviewed at the 2008 RNC in St. Paul, and Stephen Baldwin.