Kiplinger Live Chat

Where have all the grand political orators gone?

On the tube, Mitt Romney's first appearance at this convention, hugging wife Ann Romney after her speech, seemed remarkably subdued.

Here's the Chris Christie sound bite: "Our ideas are right for America and their ideas have failed America."

Remember George W. Bush? He used to be president, but there is scant evidence of his two-term tenure in the White House here in Tampa at the Republican National Convention. Bush-Cheney are not the messengers Team Romney had in mind to highlight as part of an argument to take back the White House.

However, Tampa will not be a completely Bushie-free-zone this week: Condi Rice, one of the few rock stars of the Bush 43 administration will claim the podium tonight. Expect Condi to try to poke some holes in the Obama foreign policy record, while trying to sell the country on the idea that Mitt Romney is a global leader-in-waiting.

Condi shares the vaunted nationally televised 10 p.m. Slot with rising-star Republican Susana Martinez, the governor of New Mexico, and House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan, Romney's pick for vice presidential nominee. Ryan gives good oratory, so folks should be wowed when he takes the stage as the capper to tonight's lineup. Expect the pundit class of the mainstream media to quickly compare Ryan's speech to the audacious address last night by Gov. Chris Christie, so far the highlight of the storm-abbreviated convention. Ryan will hold his own.

The convention also will get another blast-from-the-past this evening when the still popular maverick(ish) Sen. John McCain delivers remarks to the GOP faithful. Unlike his running mate Sarah Palin, McCain is still a welcome member of this political tribe gathering in Tampa. Palin has her supporters here, too, but she's too much of a wild card and lightening rod to share this stage. Maybe in four years lipstick on a pig will be back in vogue.

I couldn't shake the feeling last night that I should have been watching Ann Romney's speech on a black and white television because it had such a 1950s feel. Her approach isn't likely to do anything to close the gender gap.

Worth noting for November, the central Florida swing counties of Hillsborough, Orange, Pinellas, Seminole and Volusia have a home foreclosure rate averaging 11 percent. That compares with the national rate of 3.4 percent. That probably won't change much by November.

Hillary Clinton will be as far away from the Democratic Convention in Charlotte next week as humanly and physically possible -- in the South Pacific, Asia and then in the Russian port city of Vladivostok.

In so doing, Clinton will adhere to a long honored tradition that Secretaries of State remain above the fray of party politics and campaigns since their primary job is intenational diplomacy and representation of the U.S. abroad.

It's probably a smart move on her part to skip Charlotte, even though she has millions of fans, especially among professional women, who would love to see her hold forth at the convention in prime time.

She's retiring in January, so this possibly is the last big-time convention address she would have given. Unless, of course, she runs in 2016. She says she has no plans to do so. That's a whole other story though.

In the meantime, convention attendees will have party lion Bill Clinton to cheer. He'll no doubt mention Hillary Clinton's work in his address.

High stakes for Paul Ryan tonight. He's well known inside the Beltway, but this will be his first chance to define himself to a national audience.

It's the olive branch undercard tonight as freshman Sen. Rand Paul gets a prominent spot in the lineup at the Republican National Convention here in Tampa.

The Kentucky tea partier scored the prime speaking slot as part of a deal with the Romney camp to placate the loyal libertarian-leaning followers of his father, Ron Paul. The insurgent campaign wanted time at the podium for Ron Paul, but the Texas lawmaker refused to allow the Romney campaign the right to review his speech before delivery. It was a deal-breaker before there was even a deal. So Rand gets the spotlight, instead.

In another nod to the Paul faction, Romney also adopted Ron Paul's clarion call to audit the decision-making policies at the Federal Reserve. That was a major agenda item in Paul's doomed bid for the GOP nomination. It's a smart move by Romney. A Fed audit is something with bipartisan appeal.

While everyone is playing nice, don't expect to see Ron Paul get too warm and fuzzy toward Romney. That won't happen, but Paul will tone down some of the criticism aimed at the GOP ticket and at least try to keep his supporters in line. Ron Paul isn't going to rock the boat at this point. His son, Rand, has too much to gain, like maybe a shot at the White House in 2016 or 2020. That suits Ron Paul just fine. He'll gladly take a pass in Tampa in order to pass the torch to his son down the road.

Watching John McCain's convention address on the tube reminds me that in an alternate universe he'd be getting ready to accept the GOP nomination again and run for a second term.

Condi Rice on CNN says she has no interest in being part of a Romney Cabinet. "I've been secretary of state."

And here's McCain's speech for those of you who missed it

Condi Rice came on strong, thoughtful and studious. It was first extensive convention address on foriegn policy, more than McCain. She was first speaker to talk at some length about the prior Bush administration, too.

Don't be surprised if she fans some talk about her future plans.

Ryan: "We need to stop spending money we don't have." Reality: His highly touted budget plan will add to the deficit. Expect to see that quote in an ad...from Obama and the Democrats.