(Newser)
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After a rained-out Day 1, Republicans will finally get to speechifying today at their national convention in Tampa, with things officially kicking off at 2pm. Here are the biggest names on the docket today, according to USA Today:
- The star will be Ann Romney, who has the perhaps unenviable job of humanizing her husband. Expect to hear about the Romney family struggles, including Ann's multiple sclerosis diagnosis and cancer scare, Politico reports. Asked yesterday how his convention prep was going, Mitt replied, "I like my speech. I really like Ann's speech."
- Chris Christie will deliver the keynote, and it could be an interesting one. In a Morning Joe interview airing this morning he warned that he may "stray a little" from his prepared remarks, Politico reports. "I don't use text almost ever," he explained. This time he is, but he wants to be himself. "If that means I stray a little off the prompter … that's the way it goes."
- Former rival Rick Santorum will speak today as well, in a speech that Real Clear Politics reveals will hit heavily on welfare. "Rick was a primary author and the floor leader in the Senate on" welfare reform, his former campaign manager points out. "I'm sure it will be unmistakably Rick."
- Ex-Democrat Artur Davis will deliver a speech targeting fellow disillusioned Obama supporters. Davis is black, but says he's specifically not targeting black voters. "The word race does not appear in this speech," he tells the Huffington Post.
The convention schedule also holds a prime spot Thursday night for a "TBA" mystery speaker, notes the
Wall Street Journal, who will appear just before Marco Rubio and Romney himself.
