Tin Man Romney still not putting enough heart into it
Friday 31st August 2012,
, Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty
Like the Tin Man heading for the Emerald City, Mitt Romney came to Tampa looking for a heart. It's been a long journey involving a few trips to Damascus as he ditched his moderate record and then to hell and back through the primaries. Thursday night was the final leg. His last chance to introduce himself to an American public that feels it already knows and doesn't particularly like him as a regular multi-millionaire that anyone can relate to. But wizards can perform magic not miracles.
Paul Ryan sets out Romney stall but no one is buying
Thursday 30th August 2012,
, Photograph: Benjamin J Myers/Corbis
For a party that has gone to extraordinary lengths to stress its links to small business, Republicans are terrible salespeople. They have had just one task this week: to market Mitt Romney. The trouble is no one's buying it.
The night Republicans had to get their voice above the hurricane
Wednesday 29th August 2012,
Primetime on Tuesday night took place not just on split screens but parallel universes. On one side of the Gulf of Mexico every agency of government was being marshalled to prevent hurricane Isaac destroying New Orleans. On the other side in Tampa speaker after speaker at the Republican convention implored government to get out of the way because it was wrecking the country. Between them hovered the ghost of hurricane Katrina – an episode Republicans would rather forget, botched by a president they no longer mention.
Republicans must change Romney from Forrest Gump into Tom Hanks
Tuesday 28th August 2012,
, Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
"Politics is theatre," said the late Harvey Milk. "It doesn't matter if you win. You make a statement. You say, 'I'm here, pay attention to me.'"
Mitt Romney embraces his Mormonism in public after years of discretion
Monday 27th August 2012,
, Photograph: Brian Snyder/Reuters
Philip Barlow does not recognise the descriptions of Mitt Romney, as a cold, stiff CEO. As Romney's church counsellor when the Republican presidential hopeful was a bishop in the Mormon church in Boston, Barlow saw him administer to the emotional and practical needs of all his flock.
Dan Rather on the Republican national convention – video
Dan Rather: 'There's nothing decided at the conventions now' – video
Carl Bernstein on the economics and motivations of US journalism – video
Tuesday 14th August 2012,
Carl Bernstein: 'The scourge of our era? I think it's the decline of a willing citizenry' – video