TAMPA, Fla. --- An hour after the balloons and confetti fell, and the Romney and Ryan families left the stage at the Tampa Bay Times Forum, that talk at Google/YG Network's party at the city art museum was of the Republican nominee speech --- and then conversation very quickly turned to Clint.

The focus on Eastwood's now infamous @InvisibleObama speech is earning such outsized attention because so much of the rest of the convention seemed so carefully planned. It seemed so out of the ordinary not just for Eastwood, but for the Romney team, which up until now showed little indication that they even cared about Hollywood, and judging by Ann Romney's comments this morning, they won't be reaching out again any time soon. All I can think is that they just got star struck. Whenever there is an attack on Hollywood and its righteous liberals, they will always be able to say that at least they aren't speaking to an empty chair.

What was also surprising is that Eastwood came across as much more of a partisan that he probably really is, as he diverges with the GOP on a lot of social issues, and even criticized President Obama for not pulling troops out of Afghanistan quickly enough. He seemed to be making the case for why the audience should be listening to him, noting that Hollywood wasn't all just liberals, but said relatively little about Romney. He made fun of Oprah, but she had a different way of campaigning for Obama: Praise the candidate, but end it there.

The Republican delegates and Romney supporters I talked to liked Clint --- when he acted liked Clint, and not a comedian. "I liked it better when he came to the message at the end," said Phil Gramm, the former senator from Texas. "I didn't like so much the parody part." One observer at the Google party compared it to the time that Sammy Davis Jr. gave Richard Nixon a bear hug --- too much when a few words would have sufficed.

I don't believe all of the analysis that this hurt Romney, or even hurt Eastwood. As quickly as this became a social media frenzy, the trending topics will move on to something else. The campaign goes on, and Eastwood, at 82 and still making good movies, will just do his own thing. But it will be a long time before a political operation lets a star surrogate go onstage without a script.

Update: The reaction was fast and furious, but my favorite comes from @BobNewhart. "I heard that Clint Eastwood was channeling me at the RNC. My lawyers and I are drafting our lawsuit... #RNC #ClintEastwood #rnc2012 #GOP2012"

Then there was Clint Eastwood. The surprise speaker, who endorsed Romney earlier this month, took to the stage, talked of how unusual it might be to see a movie star at a GOP gathering, and then probably showed that there's good reason why campaigns don't like leaving anything to chance.

Eastwood engaged on a conversation with an empty chair and Teleprompter, a skit that was meant to offer snappy doses of snark but one that came across as a strange blend of "Harvey" and performance art.

Nevertheless, Eastwood did recover, earning standing ovation and cheers when he said of Obama, "When somebody does not do the job, we got to let him go."

One delegate then shouted, "Go ahead, make my day." After Eastwood said he did not "say that anymore," he relented and led the crowd in a chant of his catchphrase.

Twitter erupted with comment, only magnified because the convention was so otherwise carefully crafted. The comments about Eastwood were so quick that within minutes there was a new handle: @invisibleobama, which gained more than 22,000 followers by the end of the evening. A phrase called #Eastwooding, the act of talking to an empty chair, became a popular hashtag. And the Obama campaign sent out a message: "This seat's taken," with a photo of the back of the President's chair.

Eastwood's very appearance at a convention was unusual. Although he was once mayor of Carmel, Calif., and is a longtime Republican, he has rarely takes the active role in politics in the way that many major actors do for Democrats.

Yet he found himself swept up in this year's partisan politics when he narrated Chrysler's "Halftime in America" Super Bowl spot, meant to show that Detroit, and by extension America, was on the rebound.

After it ran, Eastwood denied that it was a veiled endorsement of the Obama campaign and its bailout of the auto industry.

Romney's speech cast a very different message than the Chrysler ad. The message was of America in decline, and that Obama presided over it. A film tribute to Ronald Reagan, heavy in Hollywood uplift, was followed by a duo appearance by Newt and Callista Gingrich, with Newt at several points comparing Obama to the administration of Jimmy Carter.

Romney, too, mentioned Carter, as he sought to recast a famous line that Reagan used against Carter in the 1980 campaign, "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?"

"How many days have you woken up feeling that something really special was happening in America?" Romney said. "Many of you felt that way on Election Day four years ago. Hope and change had a powerful appeal. But tonight I'd ask ask a simple question: If you felt that excitement when you voted for Barack Obama, shouldn't you feel that way now that he's President Obama?"

Much of the evening was spent trying to personalize Romney, who, according to recent polling, trails Obama in personal likability.

Romney's son Craig, talking about the family history, choked up for a few seconds, one of the few emotional moments in a convention in which speaker after speaker seemed carefully placed to drive home a theme --- and then to repeat it over again.

Friends, work associates and even Olympians talked of Romney, but perhaps the most marked speakers were those from the Mormon Church, where he was a senior leader. Romney has rarely talked of his Mormon faith on the campaign trail, but fellow church members highlighted his charitable act

Romney himself addressed his faith, talking up the sense of community that it brought,

"We prayed together, our kids played together and we always stood ready to help each other out in different ways," he said. "And that's how it is in America. We look to our communities, our faiths, our families for joy, our support, in good times and bad."

He also gave a response to the Obama campaign's aggressive attacks on his tenure at Bain Capital and the notion that the company was more concerned about profit than the lives of its workers.

"When I was 37, I helped start a small company," Romney said. "My partners and I had been working for a company that was in the business of helping other businesses. So some of us had this idea that if we really believed our advice was helping companies, we should invest in companies. We should bet on ourselves and on our advice. That business we started with 10 people has now grown into a great American success story."

The campaign looked to the convention as a way to introduce, or reintroduce, Romney to the American public. But reflecting his persona, his convention was cool, restrained and businesslike. Protests, kept blocks away from not only the convention but anywhere that the delegates may be wandering through the streets of Tampa, waned as the week wore on. Ron Paul delegates were upset by rules changes put forth by the Romney team, but their grievances on the floor were kept to the earlier part of the week.

Spontaneity was scarce, even when it was made to seem that way. On the convention's first night, some delegates waved what looked like homemade signs. But they all read the same thing, which happened to be the night's theme: "We Built It." On Wednesday night, a delegation took it upon themselves to march through the corridors outside the arena, but what they said was hardly anything controversial: "So goes Maine, so goes the nation."

That's why it's all the more ironic that the one figure who lives and dies by a good script, Eastwood, delivered the most unpolished performance of the week.

Clint Eastwood walked onto the stage at the Republican National Convention and then started to talk...to a chair. And a Teleprompter.

His quips were snipes at President Obama. At lawyers. He even evoked the f-word.

But after what seemed like an extended skit, or maybe even performance art, he recovered somewhat, drawing huge cheers when he told the convention,

"When someone does not do the job, we got to let him go," he said to cheers in the arena.

A delegate shouted "Make my day," and, after first telling the crowd that he "doesn't say that anymore," Eastwood led the arena in a group chant of his famous catchphrase.

Eastwood called himself a "movie tradesman" in a town that many Republicans assume leans left, but he tried to explain that Hollywood was more moderate than most people thought.

Nevertheless, his appearance drew bafflement on Twitter, where comments flew quickly. "Clint Eastwood became a huge star as a man of few words. As a surprise guest on the Tampa stage he had too many words (I say that as a friend)," wrote Tom Brokaw.

"Respect to Clint. 82 years old and putting Twitter over capacity," wrote Seth Meyers.

After three days of carefully staged and scripted events, it was a rare moment of chance --- and it may be the last time that a GOP convention takes one.

"I think I just drank Clint Eastwood's water," Marco Rubio quipped as he followed the actor.

Clint Eastwood, who recently endorsed Mitt Romney, will be the "surprise" convention speaker before the candidate accepts the Republican nomination.

Rumors swirled throughout the day that Eastwood would appear tonight.

Multiple news sources reported that the actor would appear at the convention, after endorsing Romney at a campaign fundraiser last month.

His appearance is significant because Eastwood is among the few A-list entertainment figures on the Republican side of the aisle. Although he has dabbled in politics --- he was mayor of Carmel, Calif. for one term in the mid-1980s --- and has been outspoken on certain issues, he doesn't come across as a partisan flame thrower.

He also could provide Republicans with the kind of star power support that President Obama has enjoyed. Although it is questionable whether such support actually can be correlated to actual votes, it can help convey a sense of momentum and enthusiasm for a campaign. The Obama campaign has drawn heavily on star support, with George Clooney, another A-list figure with positive popularity, having hosted a fundraiser for the candidate in May.

Eastwood was criticized by some conservatives for taking part in a Super Bowl ad about the comeback at Chrysler, because the spot looked as if it was also an endorsement of Obama's auto bailout. But Eastwood denied that it was such.

TAMPA, Fla. --- Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan may have sounded many of themes that other speakers have throughout this convention: Government waste, exploding debt, taxpayer handouts.

But his speech --- which, with its blend of personality and nods to policy went off very well in the Tampa Bay Times Forum --- also was an appeal to younger voters, the very ones who have remained among the most loyal demographic groups supportive of President Obama in polling over the span of his term.

"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," he said. "Everyone who feels stuck in the Obama economy is right to focus on the here and now."

At 42, Ryan is a generation removed from Romney, a fact that he underscored at several points in his speech, often to the point of irreverence. He's the first candidate on a major ticket born since 1970, part of Generation X who is trying to also appeal to Generation Y, or the group of "millennials" born in the two decades before the turn of the century.

"There are the songs on his iPod, which I've heard on the campaign bus and on many hotel elevators. He actually urged me to play some of these songs at campaign rallies. I said, I hope it's not a deal-breaker, Mitt, but my playlist starts with AC/DC, and ends with Zeppelin."

He also made multiple references to his biography, including the menial jobs he had while growing up in Wisconsin and going to school in Ohio.

"When I was waiting tables, washing dishes, or mowing lawns for money, I never thought of myself as stuck in some situation in life," he said. "I was on my own path, my own journey, an American journey where I could think for myself, define happiness for myself."

Ryan echoed earlier themes of the convention, that despite Obama's historic and inspirational presidential run in 2008, the reality of the last four years has been one of disappointment.

"It all started off with stirring speeches. Greek columns, the thrill of something new. Now all that's left is a presidency adrift, surviving on slogans that already seem tired, grasping at a moment that has already passed, like a ship trying to sail on yesterday's wind."

What remains to be seen is if Ryan can draw in the excitement of younger voters had in 2008, primarily for Obama. The convention is an opportunity to introduce him to a national audience, but it's the younger viewers who have to be watching. Ratings for the first night of the convention showed that two-thirds of viewers were over age 55.

A 21-year-old woman, sitting right next to our press section at the Republican National Convention, was escorted out of the Tampa Bay Times Forum as Paul Ryan addressed the delegates.

The woman, a member of Code Pink, waved a pink sign with the word "VAGINA" on it, and she shouted, "My body. My choice." Those around her tried to muffle her shouted by countering her with cries of "USA. USA."

Ryan continued his speech, even as some on the convention floor looked up to her section at the disturbance.

I captured this picture of her being escorted away.

This was Homocon, a heavily promoted latenight bash hosted by GOProud, a conservative action group pushing for gay rights. And the org's presence -- as well as that of several other right-leaning gay orgs, including Log Cabin Republicans -- is much more visible than in years past, even 2008.

That increased profile was underscored by the stream of conservative celebrity pundits who attended Homocon, including Dana Loesch and Margaret Hoover, as well as Grover Norquist and former congressman Mark Foley. And even with a tough party platform opposing same-sex marriage and calling for Constitutional recognition of nuptials as only between a man and a woman, there is a confidence, maybe even a near certainty, that the shift in public opinion -- driven in no small part by pop culture -- will only accelerate in the party.

GOP nominee Mitt Romney's stance against same-sex marriage and even civil unions is an irreconcilable deal killer to many in the gay rights movement; to many gathered at Homocon, the focus of the Obama campaign on it and other social issues is a distraction. The message: The economy trumps all.

Jimmy LaSalvia, GOProud's executive director and co-founder, took the stage early Wednesday morning and told the partiers, "Most of you know that I happen to support civil marriage for gay couples, and marriage is important, but before you can get married you have to have a date, and everyone knows you can't have a date without a job."

LaSalvia may sound flippant, but there was a degree of certainty among those in attendance that while Romney may hold a position on same-sex unions that defies their own, it will not make much of a difference if he is elected president and takes office with a laser focus on the economy.

"I just don't think he'll do it," said James Kolbe, a former Arizona Republican congressman who came out in 1996, of the prospects that Romney actually would press an anti-gay rights agenda. "I just hope to heck he doesn't because we've got other priorities like the economy and jobs and solving our fiscal crisis, which is why I remain a Republican."

Kolbe was speaking from the 41st floor of a downtown Tampa law firm on Wednesday morning, where the Log Cabin Republicans and Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry packed a law firm's conference room for an elaborate brunch at which speakers pressed gay rights as a conservative talking point, i.e. less government intrusion on personal rights. Several times, references were made to Dick Cheney's support of gay marriage. Copies of a newspaper ad placed in the local Tampa paper were handed out. Red cones were handed out as makeshift megaphones to make sure their voices are heard.

Kolbe himself called it a "generational issue" that was "not likely to be an issue" in future party platforms. The year he came out, the GOP's nominee Bob Dole returned a donation from the Log Cabin Republicans.

"That certainly doesn't happen today," Kolbe said. "They actively seek those contributions."

"The main things are that gays are more outspoken and willing to come out," Kolbe said. "As you come out, people know other gays. They realize that their perceptions of them are incorrect."

Kolbe acknowledged the influence of primetime TV in swaying opinion as "huge," and perhaps these was some comfort from a recent "Entertainment Tonight" interview with Ann Romney. Asked what her favorite TV show is, she said "Modern Family." That prompted the show's creator Steve Levitan to offer her, via Twitter, a role on the show to officiate lead characters Steve and Cam's wedding "as soon as it's legal."

R. Clarke Cooper, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, said the org has not yet endorsed Romney, a decision that will be made this fall.

Next week, when the Democrats convene in Charlotte, there will be a substantial focus from Hollywood celebrities and industry activists on President Obama's support for same-sex marriage. The party platform supports gay marriage, as well as a repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, and the contrast with Republicans will undoubtedly be underscored throughout the three days. In fact, the contrast is likely to be framed as a party progressing vs. one that's regressing. Romney in May said that he opposed civil unions "identical to marriage." President George W. Bush supported such unions in 2004.

Rather than struggling to resolve their position with their party, some gay conservatives said that the greater problem was with those on the left.

Kathryn Lehman, who pressed for same-sex marriage in the Republican platform, said that as it was debated, "I fully expected someone on the right to tell me, 'You're going to hell.' I'm still waiting. … No one has said anything like it."

"We get more anger from the left, and 'How can you be a Republican?" Lehman said.

Newsweek may have called Obama the first "gay" president, but that doesn't make a difference at the GOP confab. Anti-Obama rhetoric was still apparent in words and even a bit of snark over the Hollywood adulation that has come his way. At Homocon, as one partier looked to the stage, his focus was on two pairs of columns, props set up for the event.

"Where did they get those, from Obama's big speech in 2008?" he said.

Sarah Palin wrote on Facebook that she will not provide commentary tonight on Fox News, saying that the network "cancelled" her appearance even though she wanted to use the occasion to honor John McCain.

"I'm sorry Fox News cancelled all of my scheduled interviews tonight because I sure wanted to take the opportunity on the air to highlight Senator John McCain's positive contributions to America, to honor him, and to reflect what a biased media unfairly put him through four years ago tonight," she wrote.

Palin did appear on Fox News on Monday and Tuesday.

Bill Shine, executive vice president of Fox News, said that "our plans changed based on the fact that the RNC condensed the schedule of speeches from four nights to three. We look forward to having Governor Palin back as soon as we can."

Yahoo News terminated its Washington bureau chief, David Chalian, after he was caught on a hot mike during an online webcast this morning saying that Mitt and Ann Romney were "happy to have a party" while black people suffered during Hurricane Isaac.

The conservative blog Newsbusters posted audio of Chalian's comment, which immediate drew the ire of conservative media already frustrated by how the convention has been covered.

Yahoo issued a statement: "David Chalian's statement was inappropriate and does not represent the views of Yahoo! He has been terminated effective immediately. We have already reached out to the Romney campaign, and we apologize to Mitt Romney, his staff, their supporters and anyone who was offended."

Chalian was heard on the hot mike saying of the Romneys, "They're not concerned at all. They're happy to have a party with black people drowning."

Also generating blowback is Juan Williams, who on Tuesday night following Ann Romney's speech called her a "corporate wife" and said he didn't find her appeal to working moms credible.

At a press area that Google has set up in the Tampa Convention Center, a group of conservative supporters of Romney's even huddled in a circle and could be heard strategizing on how to counter, via social media, what one called media "meltdowns."

Two people were ejected from the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Tuesday night when they threw nuts at an African American CNN camera operator and said, "This is how we feed animals."

CNN reported on the incident, and released a statement: "CNN can confirm there was an incident directed at an employee inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum earlier this afternoon. CNN worked with convention officials to address this matter and will have no further comment.”

Organizers of the convention also released a statement. “Two attendees tonight exhibited deplorable behavior. Their conduct was inexcusable and unacceptable. This kind of behavior will not be tolerated."

David Shuster, reporting on the conventions for Current TV, first reported the incident on his Twitter account.

Ann Romney's speech, emphasizing "trust" and "love," was a highlight of the first full day of the Republican National Convention on Tuesday, but it also marked a new start in the campaign: Personalizing Mitt.

Aided by Madison Avenue and a bit of Hollywood polish, staffers for the Republican nominee talked of the opportunity the convention will give to develop a more intimate connection between Romney and voters.

The theme of the night was "We Built It," an attack on one of President Obama's quotes, and it was echoed by a series of speakers and even a country singer, who worked up a song over it.

Delivering the keynote address, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie offered a sometimes fiery explanation point to the message.

At times casual and even bubbly, Ann Romney's speech was largely a break in the repetitive rhetoric, as she shared stories of marrying her husband a young age, of them as a young couple who rented a basement apartment and living on meals of tuna fish and pasta, and then started a family that eventually blossomed into five sons and 18 grandchildren.

"I am still in love with that boy I met at a high school dance," she told the convention audience.

As she projected a more personal image of Romney, she also made an appeal to women voters, directing the early part of her speech at working moments, and that she understood that "it's the moms who have had to work an extra bit harder to make everything right."

At one point, she was even more direct: "I love you women!" she said as she pointed her fingers and looked directly in the camera. "And I hear your voices." The most memorable line of her speech: "You can trust Mitt."

Earlier in the day, at an event sponsored by ABC News and Yahoo News at the Tampa Art Museum, four senior Romney campaign officials talked of how they would "fill in the blanks" on Romney's life, in the words of campaign pollster Neil Newhouse.

"Governor Romney doesn't feel comfortable talking about himself," Newhouse said. "He's just not built that way. You are going to see other people talking about Mitt Romney."

Ann Romney told the convention that her husband didn't like talking about helping other people because he considered it a "privilege," a statement that generated cheers from the crowd.

Conventions are typically an opportunity for challengers to introduce themselves to a national audience that may not have paid much attention to the election race up to this point, but Romney's advisers suggested that was especially the case with Romney, who has been the subject of withering ads from the Obama campaign and SuperPACs characterizing him as rich, out of touch and even uncaring of the concerns of the middle class.

Even the Romney campaign acknowledges a reserve.

Newhouse talked of the convention week being an opportunity to "fill in the blanks about Mitt's background."

The importance of that was underscored on the importance that the campaign gave to Ann Romney's speech. It was originally scheduled for Monday, but when the broadcast networks refused to budge from their plans to not televise any primetime coverage that night, it was switched to Tuesday.

Eric Fehrnstrom, senior adviser to the Romney campaign, said that they are entering the fall campaign with voters "ready to fire the president, but we are making the case right now that they hire Mitt Romney."

"Ann Romney opens up a door to dimensions of Mitt Romney that most people don't know about," he said.

The challenge after Labor Day will be breaking through the advertising clutter, given that the airwaves in swing states already were saturated with spots in July. That is why it is probably even more important that moments of the convention stand out, particularly the speech the Romney will deliver on Thursday.

Romney is writing the speech along with senior adviser Stuart Stevens, a former screenwriter whose credits include "Commander in Chief," "Northern Exposure" and "I'll Fly Away."

The campaign also is looking for standouts in the 30-second spots. Last week, the Washington Post's Phil Rucker profiled a team of Romney ad makers that come from Madison Avenue, with the idea that they can sell the country on a "product that lacks a dominant market share" and to create an "emotional bond with the candidate who reveals little emotion and a still-unsure body politic."

But Ashley O'Connor, the campaign's director of advertising, said that the enlistment of Madison Avenue talent didn't mean that they were approaching fall ad buys like a corporate sponsor would try to sell a product.

"There's a bit of a difference when you are selling soap," she said. Noting the preponderance of campaign attack ads already on the airwaves, she explained, "Ivory is not being attacked by Dove."

TAMPA, Fla. --- Janine Turner, one of the stars of "Northern Exposure," spoke before the Republican National Convention in a speech that attacked President Obama for "stifling the American dream."

Turner, now a conservative radio talk host, called herself a "constitutionalist" who saw Obama as out to "destroy" free enterprise.

She told the enthusiastic crowd here, "Patrick Henry said, 'Give me liberty or give me death.' Today Obama enables an entitlement society that says, 'Give me liberty and gimme, gimme!'

"Why? Because Democrats depend on dependence.    
    
"America was not born with a gimme, gimme mentality, and American liberty cannot survive with a gimme, gimme mentality.    
 
"America was built with her hands at work, not with her hands out."

The parade of convention speakers reinforced the message of "We Built It," an attack on an Obama quote that the Romney campaign has tried to use to press the message that the administration is stifling business growth.
Country singer Lane Turner even wrote a song, "I Built It," and sang it to the delegates, along with a music mix of patriotic and country tunes as well as the Oak Ridge Boys singing "Amazing Grace."

Conventions long have resembled infomercials more than events with genuine suspense, and producers have struggled with the lack of spontaneity. This year, delegates held what looked like random, homemade signs, but they didn't leave too much to chance. They all seemed to bear the same wording, the night's theme: "We built it."

TAMPA, Fla. -- Tropical Storm Isaac forced the networks to retool their plans for coverage of the Republican National Convention, but inside the sprawling air-conditioned convention complex that is base camp for thousands of journalists the kind of theater typical of such media-saturated events was already taking shape on Monday.

Anticipating Isaac's arrival, Fox News on Sunday dispatched Shepard Smith to do his nightly show from New Orleans. Smith opened his Fox News show on Monday with images of strong winds and hurricane preparations, as he talked of the storm situation getting more serious than originally thought, and even posited a "worst-case scenario" for New Orleans.

CNN's Anderson Cooper and Soledad O'Brien headed to New Orleans on Monday, altering original plans to be among the star talent in Tampa. The broadcast networks were mobilizing coverage in the Big Easy as well.

Sam Feist, CNN's Washington bureau chief and senior vice president, said the cable network was monitoring the situation with its meteorologists to determine how coverage will play out over the next few days. "We have a convention to cover and we will cover it," Feist said. "We will cover both stories."

Feist held out the prospect that Cooper and O'Brien could return to Tampa if the storm story turns out not to be significant. That is to a large extent what happened in 2008, when the first day of the Republican convention (held in St. Paul, Minnesota) was canceled out of respect for the residents of the Gulf Coast facing Hurricane Gustav. But the weather turned out to be not as great a disaster as had been feared.

Nevertheless, convention planners face the prospect of having images of a revelatory convention floor juxtaposed with video of major news talent reporting on hurricane-force winds.

"We expect not to change" the schedule, said Russ Schriefer, a senior advisor to Mitt Romney's campaign, adding that convention organizers planned to proceed with a lineup on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday but were watching the weather for any developments that might force a change in plans.

Monday's convention events were brief -- RNC chairman Reince Priebus gaveled the proceedings to order and almost immediately recessed -- but the delegates on the floor were in a celebratory mood. They erupted in cheers as a short film ran with the voice of Mitt Romney saying, "We love America. We believe in America."

Planners over the weekend had canceled most of the first day of the convention when it looked like the tropical storm was headed toward Florida's west coast, but it turned out that the day was marked by bursts of sunlight at some points and fierce winds and short downpours at others. Refuge was sought between venues in air-conditioned, tented walkways, set up not for storms but to cope with humidity.

The media saturation in the early going felt more like a soaking, as reporters tracked down any recognizable figure for interviews on an otherwise scant day for convention news. A half-dozen reporters surrounded Jon Voight as he headed for a Sirius XM interview along radio row, the avenue of dozens of talkshow hosts that is a convention version of the red carpet.

As handlers tried to pull Voight away from the throng for the pressing radio interview, Voight talked of helping out Mitt Romney. He talked about the fallout from the era of Vietnam War protests. And he talked about the media's responsibilities.

"Let me just say this: If you are on the left and you are going to try to get something from me you are going to twist, it is not smart," he said to one reporter, although he was speaking to all. "It is not smart to lie, you know. It is the poison that has taken us down. Don't do it."

He added, "Think of the country, think about what your parents have told you about being upstanding, about being of character. Go that way, don't go this other way. It's very dangerous."

Finally, he got in a plug. "And go see '2016,'?" he said, referring to the anti-Obama documentary that was an unexpected box office hit over the weekend. (Producer Gerald Molen and the film's co-directors, Dinesh D'Souza and John Sullivan, are due here Tuesday for a series of screenings at film festival called the Troublemaker Fest.)

One of the few political figures here who had positive things to say about President Obama, perhaps, was Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who walked the halls to do a series of TV appearances countering the rhetoric expected throughout the week. ("Is that Rubio?" said one passerby, watching as Villaraigosa talked to a Spanish-language outlet. "No..." said the man with him, who apparently still wasn't sure who Villaraigosa was.)

Protests returned to the convention, but they were far removed from the venues and even from the security perimeter. A couple dozen twentysomethings gathered on one street, chanting, "We are the proletariat!" and carrying a banner that read "Dump both parties of Wall Street." Other demonstrators held up banners supporting Ron Paul.

But by far the biggest presence was that of the police -- in riot gear, squad cars and on horseback -- surrounding the protesters.

The maze of security is so extensive, in fact, that many businesses in downtown Tampa have closed for the week, bringing an eerie quiet to any spot away from the convention.

Also silenced, at least for Monday, was Donald Trump. "The Celebrity Apprentice" host had cryptically promised a big "surprise" at the convention, although the plans were dropped because of the suspension of activities ahead of the storm.

Trump told reporters on Sunday when he went to Sarasota to accept the local Republican party's Citizenship Award that he was headed back to New York.

As is often the case with Trump, that may not be the end of it. On a conference call with reporters, Romney adviser Schriefer was asked about Trump's plans. "Just because he's not here doesn't mean he's not going to be showing up," Schriefer said.

To a greater degree in this election cycle than last, the major party conventions will be more scripted than spontaneous, aiming to deliver suspense via showmanship rather than anything truly unexpected. And with the broadcast networks devoting just three primetime hours to each gathering, convention producers face many of the same challenges of showbiz kudocasts, most notably, how to make a heavily formatted event relevant in the digital age.

Most home viewers will still tune in via traditional broadcasts, but the trick to keep them watching may be less one of winning them over with ideas than drawing them in with flash.

Rather than tap a showbiz vet to produce the Aug. 27-30 convention in Tampa, Fla., that will nominate Mitt Romney, Republicans went in another direction: They picked Phil Alongi, a media consultant who spent three decades at NBC News producing or overseeing big events like the funeral of Ronald Reagan, the election of Pope Benedict and the Olympics -- as well as conventions of both parties going back to 1984.

The tropical storm bearing down on the Gulf Coast only added to the typical producers headaches, as convention officials try to lock down a schedule as much in advance as they can. It already forced major changes to the schedule, forcing them to cancel Monday's events and fold them in to the convention's remaining days.

Alongi says he approached the Tampa convention as a news event, but one that will have to engage not just broadcasters but a broader mix of bloggers and social networks. "We hope with a little more buzz, we will get more people to watch," he says.

Alongi understands that modern conventions face a home audience with a shorter attention span and a greater number of channels armed with alternative programming. "Viewers are very fast with their (remote control) fingers," he says. "I want them to say, 'That is sort of cool,' and stay with us. Visually, I want to make sure that (we have) something that will keep your interest."

Long gone is the fortress-like podium jutting out above a moat of delegates; in its place is a stage with steps reaching down into the audience. Last week, the Republican National Committee unveiled the convention set, a spatial homage to Frank Lloyd Wright in geometry and hue, intended to convey warmth and openness, with 13 giant LED screens to provide an elaborate display of video storytelling. The cherry on top is a canopy of screens that convey the impression of a ceiling above a warm living room. Control Freak Systems, which has been responsible for the graphics display for concerts featuring Jay-Z, Journey and Kenny Chesney, is in charge of the video in Tampa.

Russ Schriefer, senior adviser to the Romney campaign, describes the screens as "another character in the play." Multiple images allow for greater storytelling, with, for example, shots of delegates on the convention floor mixing with video of a factory floor or a town hall to help contextualize a speaker's message. Even a Twitter or Facebook post could show up onscreen, during breaks between speakers, as a way to interact with the audience outside the hall, he says.

A mistake of conventions past, Schriefer notes, is to stack too many speeches in a row. Republican Convention producers aim to use video and other elements to keep things moving "in a way that keeps it interesting."

Even if Republicans seem a rare breed among entertainers, there will be celebrities in the mix. Janine Turner, the star of "Northern Exposure," who is now a conservative talkradio host, has a speaking slot; and the Oak Ridge Boys will kick off the opening night with the National Anthem. A house band led by G.E. Smith, guitarist for Hall & Oates and former musical director of "Saturday Night Live," will be visible on one of two entertainment stages, unlike past conventions where the musicians have been hidden behind camera stands.

CNN's Anderson Cooper and Soledad O'Brien are headed to New Orleans to cover the approaching storm Isaac, expected to be upgraded to a hurricane by the time it reaches landfall.

Their detour to the Big Easy is the latest shift in news network resources from the Republican National Convention in Tampa. On Sunday, Fox News dispatched Shepard Smith to do his show from New Orleans, rather than Tampa as had originally been planned.

Cooper already was doing live reports on Sunday from the floor of the Tampa Bay Times Forum, and was to have been among the anchors primetime coverage. O'Brien was to have done her show, "Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien," from the CNN Grill, a makeshift restaurant and studio that the news network has converted from a parking garage just outside the arena.

As the Republican National Convention gets off the ground Tuesday, and next week as the Democrats gather in Charlotte, several filmmakers are screening their projects in hopes of building similar buzz for their politically minded projects.

In addition to box office, the goal is a genuine impact on the race.

That's the case with "The Hope and the Change," debuting Tuesday at a Tampa venue. Pic chronicles the deflated hopes of supporters of Barack Obama. Previewed on Fox News' "Hannity" on Friday, it comes from director-writer Stephen K. Bannon and producer David Bossie, two prolific conservative filmmakers who say they set out to interview Democrats and independents who have soured on the president.

The model is 2004, when Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" took off at the box office, with a worldwide gross of $222 million, proving that people will pay for political documentaries when the promise is a passionate mix of partisanship and entertainment.

While some critics have dismissed some of the conservative docs as more infomercial than entertainment, there's proof that the right mix, at the right time and with the right marketing, can strike a chord. The question is what happens after Labor Day, as partisan messaging reaches a fever pitch. It's one thing to debut a politically charged title in the summer; it's another to debut it in October, when 30-second campaign spots will soak the airwaves. In mid-October 2010, Freestyle Releasing distributed "I Want Your Money," with posters featuring President Obama pointing his index finger, Uncle Sam-style, but it failed to fully capture Tea Partier enthusiasm at the midterms, perhaps because they were otherwise engaged in campaign activities on the weekends.

The same seems to be true for scripted fare. David Zucker screened his comedy spoof "An American Carol," a star-studded satire on Moore, at the Republican Convention in 2008, but its take after its October debut that year hardly matched the election excitement. The same goes for another pic that debuted that month, from a perspective on the other side of the spectrum, Oliver Stone's "W."

"There is a confluence of factors that you have to have in place. The Michael Moore 9/11 movie was lightning in a bottle. The Swift Boat situation was lightning in a bottle," said Democratic strategist Chris Lehane, who consulted on the rollout of Moore's movie, referring not just to "Fahrenheit 9/11" but the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth book and mini-documentaries that came later in 2004. "Those things are difficult to come around again."

Lehane co-wrote "Knife Fight" with director Bill Guttentag. While IFC recently picked up the drama about the harder edges of a political campaign for distribution, it is eyeing a release in January.

"There was sort of a sense that people were saturated with stuff, that people were going to be tired of the campaign at that point," Lehane said. "Every ad is a negative ad. The thinking was January is less cluttered and people have a chance to digest what is going on."

"Knife Fight" will get a screening during the Democratic Convention, sponsored by Tom Steyer and a California ballot initiative to close a corporate tax loophole and use the proceeds to create clean energy jobs. Two of the film's stars, Eric McCormack and Richard Schiff, are expected to attend.

There also are a host of issue-oriented films aiming to get some buzz out of the conventions. The Impact Arts and Film Fund is sponsoring a film festival in Tampa and Charlotte, with highlights including an appearance by Jeff Bridges introducing the childhood hunger documentary "Hunger Hits Home" and a screening of the Weinstein Co.'s comedy "Butter." The education reform org StudentsFirst is planning screenings at both conventions of "Won't Back Down," which stars Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis as mothers trying to turn around their children's failing school. Goal of the screening at the party gatherings is to stir even more debate about education reform, as already was apparent when the New York Times' Frank Bruni wrote a long column about it earlier this month. Fox will release it in late September.

The biggest hurdle, Lehane noted, is "distribution. Ultimately that comes back to having some kind of content that viewers find interesting that is beyond the 5% who are true believers."

"The Hope and the Change" will have a limited release, but Bannon and Bossie say they are intent on major distribution on TV platforms. It will screen on Tuesday at the RNC, as well as at the Democratic National Convention next week, in a theater near Bank of America Stadium where President Obama will deliver his acceptance speech.

"'The Hope and the Change' is not geared toward conservatives. It is not geared to rallying the base. Our film is targeted toward Democrats and independents who voted for President Obama," Bannon said.

A movie that may have even more of a political charge is "Occupy Unmasked," another effort from Bannon and Bossie that is one of the final projects featuring the late Andrew Breitbart. It will be get a limited theatrical and day-and-date VOD release in late September from Magnet Releasing, co-owned by Mark Cuban.

The message of "The Hope and the Change" is disappointment in Obama, and that will be out there whether viewers watch the film or merely see its ads. The film, its marketing and its TV deal is "exactly the reason I went to the Supreme Court," Bossie said. He's referring to that fact that before the high court's landmark Citizens United decision, he might not have been able to put out advertise for it, perhaps just as important in messaging as the film itself. The Federal Election Commission in 2004 deemed the promotion and broadcast of Citizen's United's "Celsius 41.11" as electioneering communication too close to the election and prohibited under campaign finance reform laws. So in 2008 Bossie made "Hillary, the Movie" and intentionally challenged those laws, arguing that he should be able to advertise his movie just as Moore would be able to, and the result was the high court's landmark 2010 ruling.

This cycle Bossie finds himself up against not just other documentaries but what is expected to be an avalanche of ads from campaigns and outside groups, the latter of which have fewer restrictions after the Supreme Court's ruling. Nevertheless, he thinks "The Hope and the Change" can cut through the clutter and be "able to break through a bit."

"You have all these cable platforms. You certainly have a lot of television ad competition," Bossie said of the coming months. "But our ads are for a movie. People may tune out when they hear 'My name is Barack Obama and I approve this message,' or 'I am Mitt Romney and I approve this message.'"

Photo: "2016: Obama's America."

Tampa, Fla. --- Up toward the rafters of the Tampa Bay Times Forum is an electronic board spinning numbers on split seconds. It is to underscore the theme of the stratospheric national debt, a messaging backdrop as network cameras pan the arena.

But as if to further the a main talking point of Republicans this week, the plans now call for another debt clock, this one showing the amount of national debt accumulated on Monday, when Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus will bang the gavel to open the convention, to when he closes it on Thursday evening.

Priebus will call the convention to order on Monday, then will adjourn within minutes. That is because convention events were cancelled on Monday as Tropical Storm Isaac approached the Gulf Coast.

By Ted Johnson

TAMPA, Fla. --- Tropical Storm Isaac is raising questions among the media horde and planners here about how the Republican National Convention will proceed this week, especially if the storm develops into a hurricane and wreaks havoc on the Gulf Coast.

Already, the Republican National Committee cancelled Monday's events, and shifted speakers who were scheduled then for the three remaining days of the convention, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

But some of the major news media here are already shifting resources. A spokeswoman for Fox News said that Shepard Smith was on his way to New Orleans, where he will anchor his show. He had been scheduled to his nightly newscast from Tampa, along with the rest of the news channel's nightly lineup.

Russ Schriefer, senior adviser to Mitt Romney's campaign, said that they continue to proceed for convention days on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, but that they are monitoring the situation.

"Our concern is with the people in the path of the storm, and all this has to be taken into consideration," he said.

He declined to say whether an option would be extending the convention into later in the week. He said that under current plans the major "headliner" speakers have been kept on the convention schedule, even after canceling Monday. He also said that they have not changed their plans at all for speakers scheduled from 10 to 11 p..m. ET on each of the three nights, a key given that the three broadcast networks are only devoting those slots to primetime convention coverage. Ann Romney is among those scheduled for Tuesday; Chris Christie, Condoleezza Rice, Susana Martinez and running mate Paul Ryan for Wednesday; and Marco Rubio and Romney for Thursday.

Although the brunt of the tropical storm appeared to be heading west of Tampa, expected rains were enough to force the cancellation of some convention-related events, including a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert on Sunday evening.

But even if the storm largely bypasses Tampa, there are questions of what tone the convention should take as it hits landfall elsewhere.

The prospect of a split screen of a convention jubilation, as news networks also switch to updates from the hurricane, was too much of a politically perilous juxtaposition for Republican convention planners back in 2008. The first day of that convention, from St. Paul, Minn., was cancelled as a hurricane headed toward New Orleans, which once again appears to be in a path of a treacherous storm.

Downtown Tampa on Sunday had occasional gusts of wind and drops of rain, but inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum, things were proceeding. Media from around the country did preview stand ups on the convention floor, former "Saturday Night Live" band director G.D. Smith practiced rock standards with a house band, and producers set up the stage's 13 LED screens with a tribute to Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon who died Saturday. Showing off one of this convention's innovations, a galaxy of swirling stars swirled on screens covering a portion of the stage with other screens featuring photos from Armstrong's career.

Security, as could be expected, is tight, perhaps even more so than in 2008. The maze-like walk from the security perimeter to the metal detectors inside the Times forum is 3/5ths of a mile long. Portions of the walkway to the arena are covered by an air-conditioned tent, lit by red, white and blue bulbed floor lamps but giving the sound and feel of a descent into a futuristic industrial plant.

There were some protests on the streets of downtown, under a watchful police presence, including one featuring a dummied caricature of Romney and the sign "King of the 1 Percent."

With dozens of journalists arrested in security sweeps as they covered the convention in 2008, as they checked in to get their credentials on Sunday, they were given a one page instruction manual from the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press, with a hotline number for legal aid.

The Republican National Convention announced its entertainment lineup, a list that includes Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Oak Ridge Boys, Taylor Hicks, BeBe Winans, Jack Blades of Night Ranger, Neal Boyd and Randy Owens.

GE Smith, the lead guitarist of Hall & Oates and former musical director on "Saturday Night Live," will lead the house band.

In addition, on Tuesday night, the band 3 Doors Down will premiere their new single "One Light."

Meanwhile, Ann Romney will be getting a Tuesday speakers slot, apparently ending a standoff between the campaign and the broadcast networks. She was originally scheduled to speak on Monday, but the networks announced that they would not televise any convention coverage that evening. The campaign had urged the networks to reconsider, before altering their schedule today.

The complete entertainment lineup, via the RNC, is below:

Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin is critical of the GOP platform on gay rights, but the org and Freedom to Marry plan to run an ad in Tampa next week highlighting the support among Republicans for same-sex marriage. The ad features San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, who cites support from Dick and Lynne Cheney, Laura Bush, Ted Olson and Cindy McCain.

The gay GOP group GOProud is hosting a party on Tuesday night, called Homocon, with a guest list they say will include a "who's who" of the conservative movement. with Grover Norquist, Margaret Hoover, S.E. Cupp and Dana Loesch among those on the guest list. Paul E. Singer, a big conservative donor to the same-sex marriage movement, is among those sponsoring the event.

Today the American Foundation for Equal Rights, the org of political and show biz activists pursuing the federal case against Proposition 8, filed a brief with the Supreme Court urging them not to take the case. Supporters of Proposition 8 last month asked the Supreme Court to hear the case, after the Ninth Circuit upheld a lower court's decision that the ballot initiative is unconstitutional.

AFER's legal team, led by ted Olson and David Boies, argues that the Ninth Circuit's reliance on an earlier Supreme Court precedent, a 1996 case that invalidated a Colorado ballot initiative that would have prevented state and local governments from recognizing gays and lesbians as a protected class.

"That holding, which necessarily is bound up with the particular state action effectuated by Proposition 8 and the legal backdrop of substantive rights otherwise accorded to gay men and lesbians under California law, does not—indeed, could not—conflict with any decision of this Court or any decision of a court of appeals or state court of last resort," their brief stated.

The Supreme Court is expected to decide in late September or early October whether to take the case.

The full brief is here.

Tonight former U.S. chief technology officer Aneesh Chopra (and candidate for lieutenant governor of Virginia) and Michael Slaby, chief innovation and integration officer for President Obama's reelection campaign, appear at a fundraiser at Hollywood "incubator cafe" io/LA. Tickets start at $44, with guests who pay $2,444 getting a post-event dinner at the home of Hill Harper. Chopra and Slaby will speak at a panel moderated by Kevin Winston. The event is co-chaired by Yolanda "Cookie" Parker, Cate Park and Lora O'Connor, via T4O, i.e. Technology for Obama.

On Aug. 31, John Legend is scheduled to perform a concert at the Holmby Hills home of Colleen and Bradley Bell, with tickets starting at $1,000 per person.

On Sept. 22, James Taylor will perform at an event at the Montecito home of Vicki Riskin and David Rintels, with tickets starting at $1,000 per person, going up to $5,000 for a photo op and private dinner with Taylor.

Univision said that it will hold "Meet the Candidate" events with President Obama and Mitt Romney that will address issues of importance to Hispanics.

Both candidates have confirmed their participation, Univision said, although details have not been announced.

When the Commission on Presidential Debates announced their lineup of moderators, Univision objected that a Hispanic was not chosen. Instead, it proposed that the commission add another forum aimed at the Hispanic audience, but the idea was rejected.

Univision's events will be moderated by Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas, and will be produced in partnership with Facebook.

The Obama campaign's No. 1 star surrogate, Eva Longoria, will appear with Vice President Joseph Biden at a counter-convention rally on Monday in Tampa --- barring a hurricane striking the coast at that time. Longoria also will have a speaking role at the Democatic National Convention the following week in Charlotte.

Google has announced a series of events in Tampa, including a day of programming on Aug. 29 tied to "the Internet economy and free expression online." Bloomberg is the co-sponsor. The next night Google will host a party at the Tampa Museum of Art to celrbate American innovation, with YG Network as a partner.

And David Bossie and Stephen K. Bannon, the two conservative filmmakers, will debut a new anti-Obama documentary in Tampa, called "The Hope and the Change," with a preview planned on Fox News on Friday. Bannon is perhaps best known for the Sarah Palin doc "The Undefeated," released in theaters last year, and Bossie's "Hillary, the Movie," and his attempts to show it on pay TV during the 2008 primaries, is eventually led to the Supreme Court's landmark Citizen's United decision.

Larry David has taped one of the more unusual get-out-the-vote PSAs, this one from the org Our Time. (Via TPM)

Russ Schriefer, senior adviser to Mitt Romney's campaign, said that they still plan for Ann Romney to speak to the Republican National Convention on Monday, even though the broadcast networks are not planning to air any convention coverage that evening.

"Rather than ask whether we are going to change; I think the question to ask is whether they (the networks) are going to change," Schriefer told Variety.

The networks instead plan to cover just three nights of the Republican Convention, for an hour of primetime each evening. The next week, CBS and ABC are covering three nights of the Democratic Convention. NBC is covering two, devoting Wednesday, Sept. 5 to an NFL football game.

Schriefer added that he thought it was a "mistake" for all three networks to essentially all cover the same three nights of the convention. "Why don't they cover the night no one else is covering, and be the draw for that night?"

Nevertheless, he predicted that the convention will draw bigger numbers on cable, "much bigger than you have seen in the past."

Updated

Major media outlets are about to embark on a two-week blitz of political saturation, seizing on opportunities for branding and promotion as they cover the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., next week and the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., the following week.

All that may be missing is actual news -- there hasn't been genuine suspense over a presidential ticket since 1980, when Ronald Reagan's team made overtures to former president Gerald Ford to join the ticket but the talks eventually collapsed.

The dearth of breaking stories is reflected in the way that the three major broadcast networks will cover the conventions: With star anchors in place, ABC, CBS and NBC are planning three hours of primetime coverage of the Republican convention and three hours of the Democratic convention. They are not even planning coverage of the first night of the GOP convention, on Monday, when Ann Romney is scheduled to speak. NBC won't even feature primetime coverage of the Democratic Convention on Sept. 5, a Wednesday, and instead will air an NFL football game.

But even if the nets' coverage is a whisper of what it once was, you'd be hard pressed to argue that they're actually backing away from what has become each major party's primary promotional platform.

In fact, Sam Feist, CNN's Washington bureau chief and senior VP, said he thinks "these two conventions are as important ...as wehave seen in a long time." His point is that much of the public will now be just starting to focus on the presidential contest in what amounts to a "reset button" to the campaign. The networks' coverage will reflect that, he said, and they will make extensive use of fact-checking segments of speeches and analysis via such things as CNN's Magic Wall, among other technology.

MSNBC president Phil Griffin said that news cabler is taking a different approach, with an emphasis on analysis and its team of personalities. It will offer coverage not just from Tampa and Charlotte abut also from swing states like Virginia, Ohio and Wisconsin.

"Some people are treating this like it is 1950; we are treating this like it is 2012," he said. "We are sending about half the people we sent before because we want to keep it national."

No matter where resources are deployed, the 24-hour news networks have ambitious plans for what will amount to nearly round-the-clock coverage. Bret Baier and Megyn Kelly are anchoring Fox News' primetime coverage; Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Erin Burnett, Candy Crowley and John King are leading CNN's nightly coverage, and Rachel Maddow and Chris Matthews are hosting MSNBC's coverage.

Anxious to make a mark, other news nets are expanding staffs. Bloomberg Television is doubling the number of reporters, editors analysts and producers it is sending, with a special focus on business and the economy. And there are a dizzying array of plans for the use of social media and iPad apps, to the point where the conventions may start to resemble a software developer conference, with Facebook and Google each planning a substantial presence including seminars and even product demonstrations. Current TV will devote half of its screen to give a "nonstop sense of social media conversations," said its president, David Bohrman. "We will be able to identify and isolate interesting strands of conversation from millions of Twitter messages," he said.

There also will be hints of ventures to come. ABC News, which announced in May that it will launch a 24-hour news and lifestyle network with Univision, will feature Jorge Ramos in Tampa and Maria Elena Salinas in Charlotte.

Other highlights:

Past nominee pundits: Sarah Palin will not have a speaker slot at the convention, but she will be among the commentators on Fox News, along with Karl Rove, Joe Trippi and many others. Former VP Al Gore, the Democratic party standard bearer in 2000, will lead a panel of Current TV anchors and commentators on the network he co-founded. But Gore will be in New York, where Current's coverage will be based, as it would have been awkward to have him onsite on the convention floor.

Stream dreams: The recently launched HuffPost Live is planning a convention push, as is Politico and a host of other sites aiming to gain an online video foothold in 2012. And while broadcasters' gavel-to-gavel coverage is a thing of the past, the three broadcast nets are all providing substantial streaming coverage. ABC News is planning 30 or more hours of live streamed coverage on digital platforms and Yahoo, CBS News and NBC News are providing gavel-to-gavel streams.

Site bites: CNN is again building an actual eatery, the CNN Grill, just outside the convention venues in Tampa and Charlotte, with a fully outfitted broadcast studio and menus for convention goers that reflect local fare. MSNBC is planning what it calls a "consumer marketing experience" at each convention, with "Morning Joe" viewing parties that include personalized button making, photo booths and free coffee. Foxnews.com is planning a "backstage" look to the Republican convention, including not just streaming coverage but behind the scenes video of how its team covers the events.

Photo: Getty Images.

The org Full Frontal Freedom --- which bills itself as a group of artists and media execs promoting civic engagement and marriage equality --- released this video parody of One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful." Instead, the group is Wrong Direction, and the lyrics are a dig at Mitt Romney and his refusal to disclose his tax returns. The video stars Colby Melvin, Quinn C. Jaxon, David Brackett, Brandon R. Brown and Johnathan Myers.

Eva Longoria, one of the co-chairs of President Obama's re-election campaign, will have a speaking role at the Democratic National Convention.

Still to be announced is what day of the convention she will appear. The convention runs Sept. 4 to 6, with the first two nights at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, and the final night at Bank of America Stadium.

Longoria has been one of the campaign's highest profile Hollywood surrogates, often speaking about Obama's record on immigration and education, and has spoken before Latino groups in get-out-the-vote efforts.

Dee Snider tells Talking Points Memo he's objecting to Paul Ryan's use of the Twisted Sister song "We're Not Gonna Take It" at a recent campaign rally.

It's unclear what kind of clearance the Romney campaign has to use the song. Increasingly, musicians are speaking out when politicians they do not like use their music, although campaigns do obtain blanket licenses to use all sorts of songs at rallies.

Snider told TPM, "I emphatically denounce Paul Ryan’s use of my band Twisted Sister’s song, 'We’re Not Gonna Take It,' in any capacity. There is almost nothing he stands for that I agree with except the use of the P90X."

Common will perform at the Democratic National Convention at a charity benefit for Musicians on Call, which brings music to wounded soldiers. Gavin DeGraw will perform at the org's concert at the Republican National Convention.

The Recording Industry Assn. of America, the Auto Alliance, Viacom and CQ Roll Call are co-sponsors of the benefits.

Common said in a statement, "I'm not only excited to be able to support our President at this year's Democratic National Convention, but also Musicians On Call, an organization that brings the healing power of music to hospital patients all over America."

The event during the DNC will be held on Sept. 4 at the Fillmore concert venue in Charlotte. Jermaine Dupri will be the official DJ.

The event during the RNC will be held on Aug. 28 at the Dallas Bull concert venue in Tampa. DJ StoneRokk will be the official DJ.

Billionaire donors --- in Los Angeles and elsewhere --- complain about getting short shrift from President Obama, a lack of attention given that their role in helping to bankroll his campaign. The New Yorker's Jane Mayer writes about it this week, and Bill Maher and Chelsea Handler debated whether Obama will lose the election because he didn't send thank you notes. But in an interview with "Entertainment Tonight," Obama praises one of his star supporters who hasn't complained a bit, George Clooney. And in so doing, he seems to suggest that Clooney gets the pitfalls of Obama spending too much time with the super rich and the Hollywood elite.

"He's very protective of the fact of not bothering me," Obama told "ET," below. "And I think he is also sensitive to the fact that if he's around a lot then some how it will be tagged as 'Obama hanging out with Hollywood stars,' and that's not who he is."

What is a bit ironic is that Obama has been on a record fundraising blitz, he's drawing on show biz to make up for a decline in contributions from Wall Street and, to the chagrin of the D.C. media, he's giving interviews to "Entertainment Tonight" and People (today Obama did have an impromptu press conference). His opponents have and will accuse him of hobnobbing with the elites even if those supporters are keeping or being kept at a safe distance. In other words, Obama is at once captive to Hollywood but also detached from it.

Politico reports that Jessica Alba and Cash Warren will host Super-O-Rama, a bash for the final night of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. The event is being put on by three of the bigger Democratic SuperPACs: Priorities USA, Majority PAC and House Majority PAC. Pitbull and Scissor Sisters will provide entertainment.

Facebook is planning a big presence at both conventions, including events called "Apps and Drinks" from policy and product teams to mix with journalists, briefings hosted by National Journal and The Atlantic, and "Innovation Nation" receptions "honoring pro-technology legislators and highlighting the contributions of leading high-tech innovators to the strength of the American economy." With CNN they will be launching an "I'm voting" app, and Tampa delegates will be able to swipe a special badge at Facebook photo spots and upload commemorative photos to their timelines. More here.

MSNBC announced that Chris Matthews and Rachel Maddow will anchor their primetime coverage of the conventions, with coverage starting on "Way Too Early" and "Morning Joe" and continuing throughout the day. The network is producing profiles of each candidate --- A special on Mitt Romney airs Aug. 24 and a special on President Obama will be shown on Sept. 3. They network also is planning what it calls "interactive fan experiences" in both cities: a "Morning Joe" viewing party at the Boat House Bar at Channelside, with "personalized button making, interactive photo booths, a latte artist and free coffee." In Charlotte, viewing parties will take place at Enso restaurant in the EpiCentre courtyard, including meet and greets and button making, photo booths show giveaways and free wifi.

The Impact Arts & Film Fund will again hold film festivals during the Republican and Democratic conventions, with a lineup of documentaries and other issue films designed to draw interest from politicos.

The films will screen at the Channelside Cinemas in Tampa from Aug. 27 to 30, and at the Mez & EpiCentre Theaters in Charlotte from Sept. 3-6. Among those expected are Jeff Bridges, narrator of “Hunger Hits Home,” about the problem of childhood hunger in America.

Other pics screening at both conventions: “How to Survive a Plague,” about ACT UP and other AIDS activists; “The Invisible War,” about rape and sexual assault in the military; “The House I Live In,” the story about America’s war on drugs; and “Electoral Dysfunction,” about voting laws and ballot confusion. In addition, “41,” about George W. Bush, will screen during the RNC and “Ethel,” the portrait of Ethel Kennedy, will screen at the DNC.

Also expected to screen is “Butter,” the Weinstein Co. comedy about competitive butter sculpting in Iowa, with similarities to the state’s caucuses.

The Impact Arts and Film Fund, co-founded by Jody Arlington, Kimball Stroud and Jamie Shor, launched at 2008 conventions.

Univision's Randy Falco today sent a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates, expressing disappointment that no Hispanic journalists were selected as moderators of the upcoming presidential and vice presidential debates. Instead, the commission selected Bob Schieffer, Jim Lehrer, Candu Crowley and Martha Raddatz.

"This November more than 20 million Hispanics could play a critical role in electing the new President of the United States and it is important that they make an informed decision," Falco wrote to Janet H. Brown, executive director of the Commission on Presidential Debates. "The debates announced yesterday presented an ideal opportunity to tap one of the two best journalists in the business who have a broad understanding of the domestic and international issues impacting this country, understand the Hispanic community better than anyone else and are fully bilingual: Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas."

Falco said that the commission "should entertain the notion of adding an additional debate," and that Univision would be willing to create a forum for the candidates to "address this sector of our society."

Update: To little surprise, the commission will not add another debate. But now Univision is going to try to sponsor its own forum.

In an interview with Fortune, Mitt Romney says that he will eliminate government outlays to PBS, the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Romney has said this before. In the runup to the Iowa caucus, he signalled that these were programs he would cut, albeit he would obviously need to convince Congress to do away with the appropriations, which have survived despite a history of threats from conservatives through the years.

Romney told Fortune, per an excerpt in Politico, "[T]here are programs I would eliminate. Obamacare being one of them but also various subsidy programs -- the Amtrak subsidy, the PBS subsidy, the subsidy for the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities. Some of these things, like those endowment efforts and PBS I very much appreciate and like what they do in many cases, but I just think they have to standon their own rather than receiving money borrowed from other countries, as our government does on their behalf."

Federal government funding for public broadcasting is primarily channeled through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which distributes money to stations, and makes up for an average of 15% of their budgets. The most recent appropriation was $445 million. Conservative orgs have long argued that private sources could make up the difference. Aggressive lobbying has saved CPB funding in recent efforts, and it recently released a Booz & Co. report concluding that "the loss of federal funding will mean the end of public broadcasting."

"Federal money is the foundation upon which stations build and raise, on average, at least six times the amount they receive from the federal government," the report stated. "This nonfederal money lets CPB know that stations are receiving a positive ―report card from the communities they serve."

The CPB has been saved by mounting an aggressive lobbying campaign. Last year, a drive to zero out funding in the House was stopped in the Senate, where public broadcasting has enjoyed even bipartisan support.

What will be interesting to see is the extent to which PBS funding becomes an issue in the presidential campaign, expected to be dominated by debates about jobs, the deficit and Medicare. But public television and arts funding obviously has particular resonance in entertainment, not only because CPB, NEA and NEH draws on industry figures as activists, but because of where it puts the chairman of the CPB. That is prominent attorney Bruce Ramer, a longtime supporter of Republicans who also has given to Romney's campaign and has raised money for Republican candidates. In the past, sources say Ramer has quietly lobbied Capitol Hill Republicans to make the case for CPB funding.

The NEA and NEH have long been targets, but they also have survived severe cuts despite efforts to scale back arts funding. Conservatives are particularly suspicious of Rocco Landesman, the chairman of the NEA who supported President Obama in 2008, and whether the projects the NEA supports have a political bent.

Wyclef Jean is performing at a concert sponsored by veterans org Got Your 6 and Lifetime Television at the Republican Convention on Aug. 29. Meghan McCain will be special guest.

Proceeds from the event, to be held at the Glazer Museum, will go to Got Your 6's campaign for veterans support.

Got Your 6 and Lifetime also are teaming for an event at the Democratic Convention in Charlotte, with Flo Rida the headliner. The event will take place on Sept. 5, the second night of the convention.

CNN announced its convention, with much of the coverage based from the CNN Grill, a makeshift restaurant and gathering spot that the network found hugely popular in 2008. A studio set up at the Grill will be the base of shows such as "Early Start" (starting at 5 a.m.) and "Piers Morgan Tonight" (in a special midnight edition.

CNN's complete lineup below:

First Lady Michelle Obama, appearing on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on Monday night, said that she had not given much thought to Mitt Romney's choice of Paul Ryan, but said, "we welcome [the Ryans] to the campaign because as I said, this is a privilege.”

Per CNN, she also said she sees healthcare reform as the proudest achievement of her husband's term.

“I hope that he and his family embrace the opportunity, which I know they will, to get out there and meet people in this country," she said.

Another guest on the show was Olympic star Gabby Douglas, and Obama teased her when she admitted eating fast food after the competitions. "You're setting me back, Gabby," Obama told Douglas.

Full video to come.

NBC debuts "Stars Earn Stripes," the latest celebrity reality competition show that sends stars through military exercises, but Nobel  laureates say it glorifies war.

Archbisoph Desmond Tutu, Jody Williams, Mairead Maguire, Shirin Ebadi, Jose Ramos-Horta, Adolfo Perez Esquivel, Oscar Arias Sanchez, Rigoberta Menchu Tum and Betty Williams sent a letter to NBC's Robert Greenblatt and producer Mark Burnett, accusing the show "of trying to somehow sanitize war by likening it to an athletic competition," per the AP. They asked the network to stop airing the show, which debuts tonight.

The series is hosted by retired Gen. Wesley Clark and features Dean Cain, Todd Palin and Nick Lachey, among others.

The Creative Coalition is hosting two galas at the upcoming conventions, with B-52s slated for the Democratic National Convention and Journey skedded for the Republican National Convention.

The DNC event will be on Sept. 5, the Wednesday before the final night of the convention. The RNC event will be on Aug. 30 at Liberty Plaza. Others on tap for RNC events: Willie Nelson, Kid Rock and Trace Adkins.

By the way, Journey and its original lead singer Steve Perry have been aggressive about stopping campaigns' unauthorized use of "Don't Stop Believin" at events --- including an instance where Newt Gingrich used it at an event.

Kirk Douglas, 95, talks to Variety's David Cohen about the blacklist and how it relates to today:

"The blacklist period was so divisive in the country, much like the period now. For example, years ago McCarthy was shouting about communists in the Congress, and right now we have Allan West, a representative from Florida, saying there are communists in Congress. And when you say 'Name them,' he refuses. That's fear-mongering.

"And you have (Michele) Bachmann criticizing the Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, who I think is doing a very good job, because she has a Muslim assistant, who (Bachmann) thinks is like a terrorist. And that's unsubstantiated.

"So in many ways, when I made 'Spartacus' the climate was similar to the climate we're having now. And what I mean by that is, there are too many Republicans, too many Democrats, and not enough Americans."

CNN's Candy Crowley will moderate one of the three presidential debates, joining "Newshour" anchor Jim Lehrer and "Face the Nation" host Bob Schieffer in the lineup.

ABC News' Martha Raddatz will moderate the vice presidential debate.

The moderators were announced today by the Commission on Presidential Debates, a bipartisan org that sets the schedule for the fall campaign ritual.

Lehrer moderates the first debate, with a focus on domestic policy, on Oct. 3 at the University of Denver.

Raddatz moderates the vice presidential debate on Oct. 11 at Centre College in Danville, Ky.

Crowley moderates a "town meeting" debate, on Oct. 16 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.

Schieffer moderates the final debate, with a focus on foreign policy, on Oct. 22 from Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla.

Updated

First Lady Michelle Obama, appearing at a casual Sunday fundraiser geared to families at the home of Gwen Stefani, appealed for support not just from adults but from the kids in the crowd --- with a dose of humor.

"Barack can't do it alone. He's not Spider-Man. He's not a superhero. He's a human, so we need your help," she said to the crowd of about 400 people, per a pool report. "I am not just talking to the adults here today. I am talking to all the young people here as well. All of our young people, you might not be old enough to vote. You vote at school, I know, I met several young people who are going to be voting for my husband, who are 10 and under, we accept those votes."

The crowd cheered and laughed.

"But you can play an important role in this election, too. I want you all to feel empowered."

The First Lady is going on to a reception later this afternoon at the home of Barry Meyer, the chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. A fundraising source said that both events have sold out.

The scene at the Stefani event --- held in the back lawn of her home in a gated estate off of Mulholland and billed as a family fun day --- was akin to a small carnival, with children getting fake tattoos and holding animal balloons, as well as pieces of paper reading "High Five for President Obama!" and bearing a spot for their palm prints. Stefani's tennis court was decorated with a bridge of red, white and blue balloons arranged in the form of an American flag.

Stefani was there with her two children, but her husband Gavin Rossdale was touring and not present. Also there were No Doubt bandmates, along with their children, as well as Jeffrey Tambor and Alyson Hannigan. Nicole Richie and Joel Madden also were there, each holding one of their two children.

Tickets to the event started at $2,500 per family.

A photo of Michelle Obama and Gwen Stefani at the event is here.

Update: The First Lady echoed some of the same points in her appearance at the Meyers' Spanish-style home, located in a gated community near the J. Paul Getty Museum. Tickets started at $2,500 per person, and about 150 were expected.

"This is not a spectator sport. Barack cannot do this alone," the First Lady said. "That was never a promise."

She made several quips, including a joke about the Los Angeles traffic at the time of a presidential visit, so frequent they have now taken on a name: Obamajam. "We always find that traffic here in L.A. is fine," she deadpanned.

Meyer and his wife, Wendy, delivered introductory remarks. Barry Meyer urged guests to appreciate "a country that doesn't dictate who you can and can't marry" and praised the U.S. for "aiming more carefully now, and firing less."

The First Lady, who changed her outfit from the earlier event, spoke from a small stage in a white tent set up near the Meyers' swimming pool. Among the guests in the crowd were Nicole Avant, former Ambassador to the Bahamas, and her husband, Ted Sarandos of Netflix, as well as Ann Globe, marketing chief at DreamWorks. The pool reporter noted an interesting detail of the event, a sign that read "Artists for Obama," with the names John Baldessari, Frank Gehry, Jasper Johns, Ed Ruscha, Ellsworth Kelly and Richard Serra. Gehry hosted a fundraiser for the Obama campaign last week.

"As president, you are going to get all kinds of advice," Michelle Obama told the crowd, prompting one person in the crowd to utter "Mmm Hmm." Her husband has, on occasion, made the same point, something very familiar to a show biz crowd with no shortage of opinions on how things should be done.

Her complete remarks from the Stefani event, followed by those at the Meyers' home, are below:

Here's a survey across the spectrum of entertainment industry figures and their view of Mitt Romney's selection of Paul Ryan as his running mate:

Rupert Murdoch, via Twitter: "Thank God! Now we might have a real election on the great issues of the day. Paul Ryan almost perfect choice....Romney choice of Ryan looking better and better. Romney re-energized and speaking better. Now we can choose between Greek and US dream."

Lionel Chetwynd, director screenwriter, via e-mail: "I thought I was past being excited by politics and politicians, but this has me so thrilled and enthusiastic!  Paul Ryan  -- a small town boy, a great American success story -- is one of the most intelligent and thoughtful men I know.  More than that, he's principled: what you see is what you get, no deviousness there.  He understands, profoundly, what is destroying our economy and driving us over the cliff.  He believes American decline is a choice not an inevitability.  He's the only politician I've ever had a long and detailed conversation on how Churchill handled "the five days" -- May 26-30, 1940 -- when he turned the political trend and gained the commitment of the British people to take up an almost hopeless cause and fight for their beliefs.  He's the real thing.  He's won elections when the top of the ticket went Democrat.  He really is the real thing.  It will, I hope, force the Obama-Biden campaign to stop slandering and start debating the issues and defending their dismal record-- though they have not an ounce of his intelligence or wisdom." 

Craig Haffner, producer, via email: "Paul Ryan --- not MY 1st choice, (my cell dropped the call right when they were asking me!) but I "get" the strategy of this selection to solidify the base. However, Mitt still has to step up his "game" if he's going to grab the Undecided vote."

Roger Simon, screenwriter and Pajamas Media editor, via Pajamas Media: "Mitt Romney did something that a lot of supposed wise men said he wouldn’t — pick a vice presidential candidate who is more charismatic than he. In choosing Paul Ryan, Romney took the risk he would be outshone, but he did America a favor. He selected the brightest young politician we have."

Alec Baldwin, via Twitter: "Another center-right Republican Pres'al candidate tries to burnish his right wing cred with a fringe right running mate."

Kal Penn, an Obama campaign co-chair, via Twitter: "This is awful. I was hoping it would be Jindal so I could play him in the HBO movie."

Bill Maher, via Twitter: "Paul Ryan: first off, his plan is not "brave" - its growth estimates based on magic beans plus f--- the poor/blow the rich. Not "brave".

George Lopez, via Twitter: "VVLV's @MittRomney I believe you just locked down the Latino Vote!"

More to come...

Mitt Romney's campaign conveyed excitement and passion in their introduction of Paul Ryan this morning. The Wisconsin congressman spoke to the crowd about a vision for the future in a way that others in the GOP field, Romney included, have had trouble articulating. The GOP presidential nominee even signalled a switch in his campaign to a "positive governing agenda that will lead to economic growth," a bid to inherit Ronald Reagan's playbook of running against Washington while remaining a sunny figure.

The one problem this morning --- outside of a few minor gaffes --- is that this announcement was very early in the morning on the West Coast (6:30 a.m.), and I suspect that few outside the media or very politically attuned set their alarms. The Romney campaign may have concluded that coverage would be extensive enough in the coming days and weeks, or that staging it at that hour guaranteed them the maximum amount of surprise and focus.

Now the attention will be on whether a largely negative race turns into a positive one about two competing visions for the country, something that President Obama's campaign says it has wanted all along. That may happen, but even genuine debates on issues have a way of devolving into scary ads about the future of Medicare. Two months from now, the debate may even be about whether Ayn Rand took government benefits.

Ryan's speech is below.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

NBC News was the first with the report, via sources, that Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan will be Mitt Romney's vice presidential pick. The network interrupted coverage of the Olympics in London.

Romney's campaign said that the VP announcement will be made tomorrow morning in Norfolk, Va., at a visit to the U.S.S. Wisconsin.

The conventional wisdom so far: A bold pick but also a lightning rod.

The pro-Obama SuperPAC Priorities USA Action released a controversial web spot this week that links Mitt Romney to a GST Steel worker and the death of his wife. Now a conservative site is going after some of the Hollywood donors to Priorities, publishing their phone contact numbers for guilt by association.

Buzzfeed's Michael Hastings reported that an e-mail sent by Grassfire Nation included the names of Bill Maher, Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams, Jeffery Katzenberg and Morgan Freeman, all of whom have given to the SuperPAC. Romney has blasted the ad, and his campaign unveiled a new spot today questioning Obama's character when his campaign "tries to use the tragedy of a woman's death for political gain." The ad has yet to air on commercial television, but the SuperPAC has said that it would be part of a $20 million TV and online ad buy in swing states.

Grassfire Nation asks that "Hollywood elites" be called to ask that they "use their influence and demand that this despicable ad be withdrawn."

At least publicly, there is little if any sign of a backlash to the ad among Priorities donors from show biz,
if they are aware of the spot at all. Earlier this week, a spokesman for Morgan Freeman said that the actor "doesn't comment on these situations."

Andy Spahn, political adviser to Katzenberg and Spielberg and a fundraiser for Priorities, said that their office had received three or four calls on Friday, with the callers appearing to be reading off a script. He said that he has not heard of any donors upset over the spot. "Every day that Romney is off message is a good day," he said.

'The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" spoofed the Priorities USA ad that infers that Mitt Romney was somehow responsible for the death of a GST steelworker's wife, with a satirical response video that ties President Obama to the deaths of three of "The Golden Girls." The "SuperPAC" behind it is Americans in Favor of Keeping Betty White Alive."

At this time during the last presidential cycle, Barack Obama's campaign was being dogged by John McCain's "Celebrity" ad, the spot that linked the Democratic nominee's huge crowds and adulation to the fame given to stars like Paris Hilton.

As the Los Angeles Times points out today, the Obama campaign this cycle is going all out on using celebrities on the trail as surrogates. The same thing happened in 2008, even after the "Celebrity" ad, the difference is that the Obama campaign is much more audacious about tapping its show biz supporters this time around.

In a recent video, Elizabeth Banks talks in very personal terms what Planned Parenthood means to her. In fact, she discusses her use of birth control, a talk that she says that she would only want to have with her doctor and not her employer, illustrating the need for coverage in health insurance plans. This is a new twist on the way that the celebrities are used, as it is much more targeted in conveying a message. The Banks spot, in fact, could have just as well been a PSA for Planned Parenthood, but it is tailored to the campaign.

GOProud, the org of gay conservatives, is holding an event at the Republican National Convention called "Homocon 2012."

The org's executive director Jimmy LaSalvia said that the event at Tampa's Honey Pot nightclub will bring a "who's who of the conservative movement." It will be held on Aug. 28, the second night of the convention.

Among those listed as "special guests" for the event are Tea Party Express chair Amy Kremer, commentator Dana Loesch, MSNBC's S.E. Cupp and CNN contributor Margaret Hoover. Richard Grenell, the former UN spokesman who had a brief tenure as a foreign policy spokesman for the Romney campaign, also on the list.

The complete release is here.