Presidential candidate Mitt Romney delivers his acceptance speech on the final day of the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Thursday, August 30. See the best photos from the Democratic National Convention.
Tampa, Florida (CNN) -- Monday was supposed to be Obama-bashing day to launch the Republican National Convention, and GOP organizers showed they were not going to let something like bad weather totally derail their agenda.
While the full proceedings of the first day were canceled because of Tropical Storm Issac, effectively cutting the planned four-day convention to three, Republican officials kept up their efforts to frame President Barack Obama's leadership as a failure in terms of achievement, direction and substance.
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus gaveled the convention to order at 2 p.m. ET to cheers from several hundred delegates who showed up to witness the brief session that then went into recess until Tuesday.
He pointed out a digital clock in the convention hall tabulating the amount of additional national debt accrued during the proceedings, telling the delegates and journalists, "We also wanted to draw your attention to the unprecedented fiscal recklessness of the Obama administration."
The original schedule called for targeting Obama on the first day to set up the desired contrast with MItt Romney at the gathering that will formally nominate the former Massachusetts governor as the Republican candidate against the incumbent president in November. Despite the lost day, GOP officials said criticism of Obama's presidency would be a consistent theme throughout the week.
"What we would want to do is define what President Obama has done over the last four years, how and why he's failed, and why his leadership has really failed the American people," said Russ Schriefer, a strategist for Romney's campaign. "Stagnant economy, increasing debt, you know, and more importantly, the disappointment that many Americans feel in President Obama that he just hasn't lived up to the promises of the past four years."
Isaac could hinder GOP chance to define Romney at convention
Schriefer acknowledged at the same time Monday that convention organizers were keeping a nervous eye on Tropical Storm Isaac. Forecast to reach hurricane strength, Isaac churned through the Gulf of Mexico on the same path as Hurricane Katrina, a storm that devastated New Orleans seven years ago this month.
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Full proceedings are now scheduled to begin Tuesday, when the convention's 2,200-plus delegates will adopt a conservative platform and endorse Romney and his running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, as the GOP ticket. Romney will arrive in Tampa on Tuesday, his campaign said.
"We are continuing to go ahead with our program with Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday," Schriefer said, adding that "we're gonna make sure that we monitor the storm as it proceeds and see what happens over the next few days."
The concern is the perception of a celebratory convention atmosphere with colorful balloons and soaring rhetoric as a hurricane slams into the Gulf Coast, evoking memories of the havoc caused by Katrina and the ensuing criticism of the Republican administration's response.
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"Obviously, our first concern is for the people who are in the path of the storm," Schriefer said, describing "a wait-and-see attitude to see what happens with the storm."
Romney has shown no inclination to further delay the proceedings that offer his best chance to define himself to Americans who, according to polls, think Obama is more in touch with their daily lives and needs.
"Our sons are already in Tampa and they say it's terrific there, a lot of great friends," he told reporters in a brief exchange Monday, adding: "We're looking forward to a great convention."
Delegates who found themselves with an open day attended state meetings and talked about travel challenges getting to Tampa, as well as packing for a possible hurricane.
"I packed a flashlight! Never done that before," Cyndy Aafedt of North Dakota said. "I even went and bought batteries before I came."
So far, the biggest casualty of the shortened schedule has been a planned appearance by Donald Trump. The real estate mogul and outspoken conservative was going to take part on Monday, but has scheduling conflicts the rest of the week, Schriefer said. He added it was still possible that Trump would show up before the convention ends Thursday night.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, considered a rising conservative star in the Republican Party, also will not attend because of the storm bearing down on his state.
Members of the Louisiana delegation in Tampa sounded torn over being away from loved ones under possible threat.
"I think that for Louisiana people, we know that the political part of it is important, what we're here for, but it is hard to celebrate in some ways when you have your heart in a different place," delegate Adonica Duggen said.
A more reclusive Republican backer, Nevada billionaire Sheldon Adelson, is expected to attend the convention, a source with knowledge of the plan told CNN. Adelson and his wife are expected to listen to many of the speeches, especially ones by Ann Romney on Tuesday night and Mitt Romney on Thursday night.
Together, Sheldon and Miriam Adelson have given at least $36 million to various organizations and candidates this campaign season, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks the influence of money in politics.
Adelson, a casino magnate and one of the nation's richest men, has told friends he is willing to spend up to $100 million this election season to make sure a Republican is elected to the White House and to support GOP congressional candidates.
Such unlimited backing from private and corporate donors has helped Romney and Republicans gain a big fundraising advantage over Obama and Democrats.
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In a new ad on Monday, the liberal MoveOn.org's political wing attacked Romney for what the group claims is his focus on the rich. The 30-second spot, titled "Stepping on the Middle Class," features Romney and Ryan look-alikes stepping on people dressed as typical middle-class Americans -- firefighters, students, seniors and children -- as they walk across the convention floor to accept the GOP nomination.
"The ad is aimed at conveying to voters how Romney and Ryan would raid the middle class to transfer wealth to the top 1%," the group said in a statement.
While the CNN/ORC International Poll indicates a dead heat between Romney and Obama, the new numbers released Sunday show that likely voters believe Obama is more in touch with their needs.
"The public gives Obama a big advantage over Romney on questions on caring about people and understanding their concerns," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland, adding that Romney's strong points in the minds of poll respondents are his managerial skills and having a clear plan to solve the country's problems.
According to the poll, 53% of likely voters say Obama cares about the needs of people, with 39% feeling the same way about Romney. Obama leads by an equal margin when it comes to being in touch with the middle class, and six in 10 say Obama is in touch with the problems facing women today, with just over three in 10 feeling the same way about Romney.
Romney has a 48%-44% margin over Obama on managing the government effectively and a 6-point advantage on having a clear plan for fixing the nation's problems. Both are within the survey's margin of error.
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"The challenge facing Romney at the GOP convention is to build on those managerial strengths while at the same trying to convince average Americans that he is in touch with their problems. Obama's personal characteristics, for the moment, outshine Romney's," Holland said.
On specific issues, the poll results show a similar dynamic: Obama is generally ahead on foreign policy and social issues while Romney is generally preferred on economic issues.
According to the survey, likely voters prefer Obama's policies on gay and lesbian issues by 59%-33% and choose Obama over Romney on abortion by 53%-40%. The president also has a 51%-44% advantage over Romney on foreign policy and a 50%-43% margin on terrorism.
The candidates were statistically even on the economy, with Romney's 50%-46% advantage within the survey's margin of error, and Romney holds a 10-point advantage on handling the federal deficit.
Another new poll released Monday showed Romney and Obama neck-and-neck in Florida, a battleground state, and North Carolina, where the Democratic convention will take place next week.
The CNN/Time Magazine/ORC poll had both races statistically even, with Obama's 50%-46% advantage in Florida and Romney's 48%-47% lead in North Carolina both within the margin of error.
Republican organizers say the shortened convention schedule provides enough time for all the planned major speeches, though some will be shortened to fit the revised schedule.
Sen. John McCain, the Republican nominee in 2008 who had the first day of his nominating convention in Minneapolis shortened because of a hurricane then threatening the Gulf Coast, agreed that losing one night is manageable. However, McCain told NBC on Sunday, "It could be harmful if we lose more than that."
In a sign of how badly the party wants to hold the convention to showcase Romney, GOP officials have not ruled out extending it by a day to Friday if necessary, a Republican source told CNN.
On Sunday talk shows, Republicans said the convention must focus on Romney's character and show how he can lead the nation to economic prosperity, which is the top issue with voters.
"It's the vision of Mitt Romney versus the record of Barack Obama, and facts just are stubborn things," Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell told ABC, adding that "the middle class is hurting" and people want "results, not rhetoric."
The Obama campaign, anticipating the Romney branding effort by Republicans, released a movie trailer-style video Sunday that previewed a "do-over" moment for Romney.
In a statement accompanying the video, the Obama campaign said it is "presenting Americans with an epic cinematic preview of Mitt Romney's 'convention reinvention' -- the Do-Over moment that voters have grown to expect -- because they've seen this movie before."
Responding to the video, Romney's campaign said Sunday the president was relying on "negative attacks" as a way to distract from his own record.
However, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa told ABC that Romney is vulnerable to being portrayed as a political opportunist because of the right-wing positions he adopted during the rugged primary campaign against conservatives such as Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich.
"I suspect that they are not going to be able to Etch A Sketch their way out of this campaign," Villaraigosa, a Democrat, said in a reference to a Romney aide's comment earlier this year about resetting the campaign message. "They're not going to be able to put away all the things they said in the primary and all the things they have in their platform right now."
Last week, controversial comments by conservative Republican Rep. Todd Akin of Missouri ignited a political firestorm about rape and abortion as the Romney team sought to build momentum up to the convention.
Akin, who won Missouri's Republican Senate primary to challenge Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill in November, told an interviewer that women have an undefined biological response to what he called "legitimate rape" that oftentimes prevents pregnancy.
Romney and a full spectrum of GOP politicians, from the RNC to tea party groups, condemned Akin's comments and called for him to drop out of a race considered crucial to Republican hopes of winning a Senate majority.
Akin apologized and called his remarks incorrect, but he has refused to end his Senate bid. The imbroglio has given new life to McCaskill, considered the most vulnerable Democratic senator running, and caused chagrin within the Republican establishment.
Republican strategist Karl Rove kept up the criticism of Akin on Monday, telling a breakfast in Tampa hosted by Politico that Akin is a good man with a good heart who "said a really stupid, indefensible thing from which there is no recovery, and if he really cares about the values of conservatism and pro-life, he will not go down for defeat as the biggest loss by a Republican candidate for Senate in modern history."
Some conservatives, including former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, have defended Akin's decision to stay in the Missouri race, but Rove was unmoved.
"I talk to some conservatives who say, 'It's not fair. We have to stand with him,'" Rove said. "Well, it is unfair. I get that. But it was also incredibly wrong, and there was no recovery from it. It would be one thing if it was some minor misstatement. But this was pseudo-science and morally incomprehensible."
A further concern is that Akin's comments focused attention on the volatile abortion issue in the run-up to the convention, when the Romney campaign wanted to talk about the candidate's prescriptions for high unemployment and slow economic growth under Obama.
Instead, Romney and Ryan, the conservative House Budget Committee chairman, have been asked repeatedly about differences between their personal views on whether abortion should be banned in all cases or permitted only for pregnancies from rape, incest or that threaten the life of the mother.
Romney's Mormon faith supports the narrow exceptions, while Ryan -- a devout Catholic -- supports a blanket ban. The campaign has made clear the ticket supports Romney's stance, which also contrasts with the party platform that convention delegates are scheduled to vote on this week.
In an interview with Fox broadcast on Sunday, Romney again answered questions on the Akin comments, saying "it obviously is being used by Democrats to try and cast a shadow on our entire party, and it's not."
At the same time, Romney noted that Democrats are "wise enough to understand" that Akin's comments can hurt Republicans.
Meanwhile, a new Romney ad Sunday continued his campaign's aggressive stance on another potentially vulnerable issue: Medicare.
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Like previous Romney spots, the new ad includes a claim that, "As president, Barack Obama cut $700 billion from Medicare to pay for Obamacare," the 2010 health care reform law despised by Republicans.
The claim cites a report from the Congressional Budget Office that shows repeal of the president's health care law would mean an additional $716 billion in spending on Medicare. However, it ignored the same report's finding that the additional spending would come from rising costs and inefficiencies that the health care law would have addressed, rather than restoring money cut from Medicare.
The Obama campaign has called the Romney claim on Medicare false, citing the CBO report, and repeatedly attacked the Medicare reform plan proposed by Ryan that would partially privatize the government-run health care program for senior citizens. Democrats claim the Republican proposal would "end Medicare as we know it," while Ryan says his plan is the kind of reform necessary to ensure Medicare's long-term solvency.
According to the poll results released Sunday, likely voters are evenly divided between the candidates on the Medicare issue.
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CNN's Kevin Bohn, Paul Steinhauser, Dana Davidsen, Ashley Killough, Dana Bash, Deirdre Walsh, Halimah Abdullah, Martina Stewart and Mark Preston contributed to this report.
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Attendees celebrate as confetti and balloons drop after Romney's speech.
Romney and vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan take the stage with their families at the end of the night.
People bow their heads for the benediction to wrap up the GOP convention.
Romney and Ryan wave to the audience after Romney's speech, which described a future of opportunity and promise for the nation.
Romney greets supporters as he enters the arena Thursday.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio introduces Romney after his speech.
Delegates wave signs on the final day of the RNC.
Actor Clint Eastwood speaks as a surprise guest.
Mitt Romney's wife, Ann, and son Josh sit in the VIP box.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush speaks on stage.
A man holds an American flag in the audience.
Pam Finlayson speaks during the convention.
Jane Edmonds, the former Massachusetts secretary of workforce, delivers remarks.
Olympians and gold medalists Michael Eruzione, Derek Parra and Kim Rhode stand on stage at the convention.
A woman clasps her hands during the program.
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and his wife, Callista, speak during a tribute to former president Ronald Reagan on Thursday.
Callista and Newt Gingrich take the stage during the final day of the Republican National Convention.
Delegates listen to the national anthem at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry applauds during the final day of the convention.
U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, R-Florida, speaks on stage during the final day.
Law enforcement officials work to free protesters with Earth First, who had connected themselves to each other in front of the Big Bend TECO Power Station in Apollo Beach, Florida. Substantially fewer protesters took to the downtown Tampa streets Thursday.
GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan addresses the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night.
Paul Ryan's wife, Janna, is flanked by her sons Charlie, left, and Sam during Ryan's keynote address Wednesday night.
A woman grasps her hands during speeches on the third day of the GOP convention.
Paul Ryan and his wife and children exit the stage after the biggest speech of his political career.
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice speaks at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Wednesday. She accused President Barack Obama of yielding the nation's leadership role in the world.
George Engelbach, dressed as President Abraham Lincoln, attends the GOP convention.
Mike Huckabee, a Republican candidate in the 2008 presidential primaries, backs his one-time rival Mitt Romney.
A woman snaps an image with her iPhone during Wednesday night's events.
Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty takes the convention stage.
Delegate Carlos Mendez of Puerto Rico watches Wednesday night's program.
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez delivers remarks. Her speech emphasized her belief in the American Dream.
Delegate Crystal Berg of Hartford, Wisconsin, cries while watching the George H.W. Bush tribute Wednesday night.
Arizona Sen. John McCain, who was the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, speaks to the audience.
As Sen. John McCain speaks, some audience members display happy birthday posters.
Sen. John McCain, who was a POW during the Vietnam War, addresses the crowd.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky speaks during the third day of the Republican National Convention.
Col.Oscar Poole of Georgia puts his arm around Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky speaks during the third day of the Republican National Convention. His father, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, was one of the hopefuls for the 2012 nomination.
Former President George W. Bush is shown on the giant screens at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
A woman gestures during the third day of the Republican National Convention.
Rosemary Edwards of Austin, Texas, kisses the face of Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
Sen. John Thune of South Dakota speaks during the third day of the Republican National Convention.
A woman holds a campaign sign.
Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio speaks at the podium.
Delegates from Maine and supporters of Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul chant "As Maine goes, so goes the nation" after they staged a walkout at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
Paul Ryan speaks during a soundcheck Wednesday.
Ryan waves with daughter, Liza Ryan, and sons, Charlie Ryan, right, and Sam Ryan from the stage during a soundcheck.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney exits a vehicle before boarding his campaign plane. As the Republican National Convention continues, Romney will travel to Indianapolis to address the American Legion.
Laura Bowman accepts Bradley Thompson's proposal on the stage. Thompson is a production manager and Bowman is a production coordinator for the convention.
Arizona Sen. John McCain walks the floor.
Bradley Thompson kneels down to propose to Laura Bowman, who accepted, on the stage.
Journalists and media work the third day of the Republican National Convention.
Ryan gives the thumbs-up during a sound check at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
Ann Romney, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's wife, greets a crowd of supporters on Tuesday.
Mitt Romney joins his wife on stage shortly after she addressed the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Tuesday, August 28.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie delivers the keynote address to wrap up the first full night of the convention.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney sits between his wife, Ann, and former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during Gov. Chris Christie's speech.
Concluding the first night of speech, Chris Christie declared Republicans were willing to face the tough issues and find solutions that work.
Delegates watch Gov. Chris Christie deliver the keynote address.
A delegate snaps a photograph of Chris Christie just before his speech.
As the crowd cheers, Mitt Romney embraces his wife, Ann, on stage during the convention.
An excerpt from Ann Romney's speech is displayed on a teleprompter Tuesday. She repeatedly referred to her first date with Mitt Romney in urging Americans to trust him to fix the nation's problems.
A veteran claps during Ann Romney's speech.
Ann Romney addresses the crowd in the biggest political speech of her life. She concluded by declaring "you can trust Mitt."
Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum addresses the crowd Tuesday.
Leslie Jones of Virginia Beach, Virginia, wears a hat with tea bags attached.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich waves as he takes the stage.
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich walks the floor.
American pop opera singer Neal E. Boyd performs at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
American country and gospel vocal quartet Oak Ridge Boys perform.
Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz, who is running for the U.S. Senate, speaks.
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley waves on stage.
Former U.S. Rep. Artur Davis speaks. He changed his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican earlier this year.
Delegates crowd the floor after the tallying of votes during the roll call for nomination of president of the United States at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
Delegates display signs in support of Mitt Romney after the tallying of votes during the roll call for nomination of president of the United States.
Scott Romney, brother of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, cheers during the roll call.
People cheer as the screen displays "Over The Top" during the roll call of delegates.
Supporters flash posters supporting Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
People hold signs that say "Mitt!" as U.S. Speaker of the House Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, speaks.
Delegates from host state Florida face photographers and cameras as they pose for the official convention photograph.
A delegate takes a picture of the floor at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
Ann Romney, Republican presidential candidate former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's wife, stands onstage with stage manager Howard Kolins during a soundcheck.
People from the Texas delegation say the Pledge of Allegiance.
A delegate from Wisconsin sports a cheese hat at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
Ann Romney leans on a seat aboard the campaign plane en route to Tampa.
Karl Rove, former deputychief of staff and senior policy adviser to President George W. Bush, talks on a phone at the convention hall.
Republican candidate Ron Paul waves to supporters at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
A woman cheers during the second day of the Republican National Convention.
A delegate checks out the convention floor before other delegates arrive at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
A convention attendee carries a bag with a Time magazine featuring Mitt Romney on the cover.
A participant walks the convention floor before the start of proceedings Tuesday. Organizers pushed events back a day because of concerns about Isaac.
The Republican National Convention officially began Monday, August 27, but the bulk of the action was delayed until Tuesday.
A woman captures the goings-on with her phone before the start of the shortened first day of the Republican National Convention.
The chairman of the Republican National Committee, Reince Priebus, convenes the convention with a bang of a gavel.
Priebus raises the gavel as he convenes the Republican National Convention.
Lynne David walks behind a group of law enforcement officers as they patrol the streets before the convention.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie walks through the convention center before the start of the abbreviated first day.
Last-minute adjustments are made to the main stage at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on the abbreviated first day of the GOP convention.
An elephant logo is featured on the side of a tent outside of the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
Two convention-goers wear plastic bags as shelter from the rain caused by Tropical Storm Isaac.
A man reads a newspaper in the empty seats of the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
Former New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu, left, stands at the podium with stage manager Howard Kolins before events begin Monday.
Men wearing cowboy hats stand on the arena floor before the start of the abbreviated first day.
Convention staff hang a Romney-Ryan sign at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Sunday, August 26, in preparation for the Republican National Convention.
A tribute to NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong, who died Saturday, August 25, is displayed at the GOP convention as preparations continue.
Donald Trump, who accepted the Statesman of the Year Award from the Sarasota County Republican Party, answers questions in Sarasota, Florida.
A microphone is in place at the front of the convention hall in Tampa.
Former Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul speaks in the Sun Dome at the University of South Florida in Tampa on Sunday.
Activists hold signs mocking President Barack Obama at the Tea Party Unity Rally at The River at Tampa Bay Church.
Police officers question protesters carrying an effigy of Republican Party presidential candidate Mitt Romney during a demonstration in downtown Tampa.
Rachel Bolch Thach tries to shelter herself from the rain in Tampa. Tropical Storm Isaac is expected to bring rain and wind to the area and has caused convention officials to delay the start of the convention until Tuesday.
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