TAMPA, Fla. – Mitt Romney was formally nominated Tuesday as the Republicans' presidential candidate, hitting the magic number of delegates late in the afternoon -- capping an eight-year quest for his party's nomination.

Shortly before 6 p.m., Romney notched the 1,144 delegates needed to claim the party nomination going into November. The New Jersey delegation, whose governor is giving the keynote, delivered the final delegates that put him over the top.

The proceedings, as per tradition, were part pep rally for the individual state delegations that one-by-one took the stage and jazzed up the crowd before announcing their delegate totals. But they also concluded what for Romney has been a protracted and hard-fought battle for the nomination -- he is here in Tampa only after warding off a rotating field of feisty primary challengers ranging from Rick Perry to Newt Gingrich to Rick Santorum to Herman Cain.

The nomination sets into motion a convention that until a few hours ago was fairly lifeless. Tropical-storm-turned-hurricane Isaac delayed the convention start by a day and continued to overshadow the event. But the atmosphere at the Tampa Bay Times Forum late Tuesday was ebullient. Concessions were flowing in the halls of the arena, and delegates -- some in state-specific costume -- had been streaming in all day in advance of the nomination and later a slew of major speeches.

Romney and his family, as well as running mate Paul Ryan and his family, touched down in Tampa earlier in the day.

Romney's wife Ann, upon landing in Tampa, immediately went to the convention site for a walk-through ahead of her speech Tuesday night. She did a quick sound-check, reading the opening of the Gettysburg Address from a teleprompter placed at the back of the room.

On the flight to Tampa, she described her speech as "heartfelt."

The former first lady of Massachusetts is one of several big speakers on deck whose task is to rally the party around Mitt Romney.

With Mrs. Romney poised to tell the American public a bit about her husband's personal side -- and perhaps rebut the Democratic narrative that his candidacy is a threat to women -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is in town preparing for his keynote.

Speaking to the Michigan delegation Tuesday morning, Christie joked that his staff had done "a fabulous job of lowering expectations."

Far from it, the anticipation has been building around his speech, with the party relying on Christie to light a fire under delegates and viewers -- and send everyone home eager to hear the rest of the Republican 2012 story from Ryan tomorrow and Romney himself on closing night.

The entire affair has competition, though, not just from now-Hurricane Isaac, but President Obama.

The president was beginning a three-state counter-programming tour Tuesday with two visits in Ames, Iowa, and Fort Collins, Colo.

Though planned visits by Vice President Biden to Florida this week were canceled due to the storm, Obama is charging ahead with rallies aimed at depriving the Republicans of coverage all to themselves.

Polls show Romney and Obama running about even, but each man holds significant leads with voters in important subtexts that could sway the roughly 10 percent of Americans who say they haven't settled yet on one man or the other.

Obama holds a big lead as the candidate who best relates to the needs of poor and middle-class Americans. That advantage could come into sharper focus as Isaac moves slowly toward the U.S. Gulf Coast after forcing Monday's convention opening to be delayed.

The storm was expected to come ashore late Tuesday or Wednesday somewhere near New Orleans. That resurrected the ghost of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the city and killed 1,800 people exactly seven years ago.

Trying to balance leadership with campaigning, Obama delivered a brief update on Isaac from the White House before leaving. "Now is not the time to tempt fate," he said. "You need to take this seriously."

Partisanship had not subsided with Isaac's gathering strength. Republicans were determined to play to Romney's strengths this week. He is more highly regarded as the candidate who can restore the economy, the top issue for voters.

Ultimately, it will be up to Romney himself "to let the American people see who he is," said Christie.

Meanwhile, Republican leaders will try to convince Americans that Obama is a failed president, unable to keep his promise to restore economic vitality and reduce stubbornly high unemployment -- still at 8.3 percent three years after the Great Recession.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/08/28/romney-nominated-president-convention/#ixzz24tAHYtDk

Hmmmmmmmmm, I was waiting for the big shock the Paultards said was gonna happen at the convention with their skewed delegate math to a surprise win they were saying would happen with Paul.

Just shows how insane they have been.

Mitt who?

Whoopee!

I'm breaking out that bottle of Scotch I've been saving for thirty-five years waiting for some rich white guy to get the
nomination.

Waiting to hear Ann Romney give her speech at the convention...Always watch both conventions just to feel part of history.

Time to tune out...Ann Romney says she understands the stress Americans are facing but she kind of "glossed" over all of it in a "sing-song" kind of way...She reminds me of my well-to-do Aunt. Oh well!

What does his race have to do with anything?

Her speech was really good I thought!

now thats Stewart/Colbert funny,,,,lol

good stuff

Just goes to show that if you have enough money to run in corrupt circles, are willing to phuck the American people, have no morals or scuples, and are willing to sell your soul to a corrupt oligarchy of banksters and corporations..... you can be allowed the nomination for POTUS in a corrupt 2 party system that changes the rules to fit the moment....

But then Obozo had already proven that hadn't he?

From the Las Vegas Sun...

TAMPA, Fla. — Despite a determined and frenzied effort, delegates making a last ditch push to put Texas Rep. Ron Paul’s name on the presidential nominating ballot fell just short of the eight states they needed to make it happen.

Paul supporters, lead by Nevada delegate Wayne Terhune, succeeded in putting together petitions from six states to put Paul’s name up for nomination. But earlier this week, the Romney campaign won a critical rules change requiring eight states to put a candidate up for nomination.

At the last moment, Paul supporters handed the petitions to the convention secretary. Then, the convention voted to adopt the eight-state rule, crushing the Paul effort.

“They said to us, you have no voice,” Paul delegate Cindy Lake of Las Vegas said. “Tea Party, you have no voice. Liberty movement, you have no voice.”

They striped the RP delegates of their "elected" status won at state conventions, and gave the seats at the RNC to Robme supporters who were NOT elected by popular vote (many who weren't even at the caucuses) and still they were able to provide a 5 state plurality! So what does the RNC do? Change the rules of course...as they have always done!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1WBBgcvSmg&feature=youtu.be

An illusion of choice is no choice at all!

And look what America got for believing and going along....

How stupid we have become!

My heart cries for America as she enters her final death throws

I have never liked Romney much. He seems wooden. However, Governor Christie's speech said everything about the Democrats that should have been said. I think he would have made a MUCH better candidate.

I think Ann Romney did a great job selling Mitt as a person. Too bad Mitt can't do for himself.

I think all interested in the election should should read or watch the two speeches. They tell some mighty truths about Obama and the Democrats.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/chris-christies-rnc-speech-rallies-gop-honest-leadership-17101420

Glad somebody got it.

I love colbert and stewart, they address flubs from EVERYBODY with quite a bit of wit

much better than the bitter, hateful, 'the other candidate is the devil who wants to destroy us' type of rhetoric,,,


lol, thanx for the laugh

I felt that Ann Romney went a bit overboard trying to reach and appeal to women at the beginning of her speech..And same goes for the "I feel your pain" stuff...But it's hard for me to trust Michelle Obama too. (Or any politician and/or their spouses right now.)...Words are cheap! Anybody can (and will) say anything in order to win votes and get elected!

one thing that creeps me out about the Romneys is their silver spoon upbringing COMBINED with the attitude and belief that everyone else is capable of doing what they were able to do, but without the resources and assistance they had to do it


the drama of being upset over having been described as not having 'worked' a day in her life (because being a mother is a job,, with which I agree),,,

while the party downplays and minimalizes other women as needing to 'work' who are likewise 'mothers' (but without the financially successful husband to allow them to stay home)

irritates me,, as a struggling mom myself,,,

I can relate. I was a "struggling" single parent myself for many years. And now I'm the only widow among my circle of friends...Life is hard for so many families these days. My friend's husband just got laid-off again for the umpteenth time. (And they still have small kids to support somehow and some way even though jobs are hard to come by around here right now.)...Ann Romney sort of "glossed over" the plight of others during her speech. I know she "meant well" but I don't feel that she really "gets it."

Im in agreement here too. They are both probably decent folks who mean well but just happen to be too out of touch to 'do well'

Hey if you're okay with the RNC having to outright cheat to win, then that just shows everyone the type of person you are. And what's that say about Romney anyhow? I imagine you don't care, as long as you're on the winning side.

No wonder you proclaim a "winning record" when picking the president. You lost Cain and Newt, now you act like you have sided with Mitt the whole time. It's easy to pick a winner when people cheat for him and you already know the answer.

When people "move-up" in life they usually spend their time with other "rising stars." (Versus going back to visit family members and friends in the "old neighborhood" very often.)..I guess this is to be expected. But they can definitely lose touch with the lives of "average folks." And it shows...It seemed to take President Obama quite awhile to realize how much the country was "suffering" during his first years in office. How well would Mitt Romney do?

According to what they are saying at the convention and the convention news coverage, your "silver spoon" comment is false. It is the "line" being spread by democrats.

I'll have to go with the one who has more managerial and political experience.

And, it ain't Hussein o'Sama.