(Newser)
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It's the final night of the Democratic National Convention, and that means it's time for the president himself to take the stage. No one seems entirely sure what he'll say, though USA Today believes he'll use the chance to define himself in his own words—in contrast to the "fictional Barack Obama" he says Republicans are running against. The AP wonders if he'll give any second-term policy specifics, and whether he'll join the Democratic pile-on on Mitt Romney. Here's what else to watch for:
- Joe Biden is on tonight, and while it's unlikely he'll venture off-script into gaffe-town on a stage this big, it's perhaps telling that he'll speak before many TV networks tune in (NBC will carry the speech, but CBS and ABC won't). But for all his foot-in-mouth moments, the New York Times says Biden is a vital part of Obama's campaign. "He always looks out for the average Joe," says the rep prepping for debates with him. "He connects well with hard-working Americans."
- John Kerry is expected to lavish praise on Obama's foreign policy record, in what USA Today speculates might be an audition for secretary of state if Hillary Clinton steps down in Obama's second term as advertised.
- GOP turncoat Charlie Crist gets his turn at the podium as well, in a speech that could help Obama in Florida. Analysts tell Watchdog.org that Crist is likely laying the groundwork to run for governor again—this time as a Democrat.
- What you won't see tonight is the open sky. Democrats moved their final convention night from its planned open-air stadium to a smaller indoor venue, annoying thousands who now can't attend. "With it being hurricane season, I definitely feel like they could have prepared for it more," one Charlotte resident tells the New York Times.
