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Mitt Romney during his acceptance speech at the Republican national convention in Tampa. Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty
Tin Man Romney still not putting enough heart into it
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 speaking at the Republican national convention in Tampa. Photograph: Benjamin J Myers/Corbis
Paul Ryan sets out Romney stall but no one is buying
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
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.


Romney has been running as a CEO and to many that
Republicans must change Romney from Forrest Gump into Tom Hanks
"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 and his wife, Ann, attend Sunday
Mitt Romney embraces his Mormonism in public after years of discretion
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
Carl Bernstein: 'The scourge of our era? I think it's the decline of a willing citizenry' – video
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