TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Around the 2012 Republican National Convention and its host city with journalists from The Associated Press bringing the flavor and details to you:
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TAMPA-BOUND
Mitt Romney will be on the way to Florida on Tuesday — the day his wife's scheduled to give her speech at the Republican National Convention.
The presumptive GOP nominee for president will arrive in Tampa on what's effectively the first day of the convention. Although it was called to order Monday, it was immediately adjourned until Tuesday because of Tropical Storm Isaac.
— Thomas Beaumont — Twitter http://twitter.com/tombeaumont
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POLLS: A TIGHTER RACE
Pre-convention polling has wrapped, and neither candidate for president begins the race to Nov. 6 with a head start.
President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney begin the campaign's high season about even. Modest advantages for Obama had begun to look like the norm, but four new surveys in the last week along with Gallup's daily tracking poll found a tighter race with no discernible edge for either candidate.
An Associated Press-GfK poll puts the contest at 47 percent Obama to 46 percent for Romney among registered voters. Fox News, NBC/Wall Street Journal, Washington Post-ABC News and the Gallup tracker all report similar findings among that group.
Other common themes across this wave of polling include Obama maintaining his advantage as the more likable or empathetic candidate, while Romney continues to have his strongest performance against the president on handling the economy.
— Jennifer Agiesta — Twitter http://twitter.com/jennagiesta
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VIEWPOINTS: PROTESTS
One viewpoint, from Tampa's police chief, Jane Castor: Protesters around the GOP convention can say and do whatever they wish "as long as they don't cross the line into criminal behavior."
And another, from Cara Jennings, a voter outreach organizer from Palm Beach County, Fla.: "They've militarized Tampa."
So far, protests have been muted and only two people have been arrested. That's in stark contrast to four years ago, when hundreds of protesters were arrested at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn. In Tampa, protesters, who for months planned to converge on Tampa to showcase their gripes and messages, have been peaceful and small in number.
— Mike Schneider and Tamara Lush — Twitter http://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP and http://twitter.com/TamaraLush
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STAR-SPANGLED ENCORE
He performed on the "Today" show, sang the funeral Mass for Tim Russert and belted out the national anthem for the Republicans during their last convention in 2008. On Tuesday, New Jersey-born tenor Philip Alongi Jr. is back in the political spotlight when he again sings "The Star-Spangled Banner" for the Republicans.
The young Alongi has performed more than a dozen operatic roles across the United States, including productions of Carmen, Madama Butterfly and La Traviata. Since his last convention appearance, Alongi has released the debut albums "Heritage," a collection of songs and arias of Italy, and "New Life: Songs of Faith," a collection of sacred works spanning eras from the 17th century to today.
— Leanne Italie — Twitter http://twitter.com/litalie
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NEW JUST TRY GETTING HOME
Many Republican National Convention attendees put up with delayed, diverted or canceled flights on their way to Tampa, some blamed on Tropical Storm Isaac. They can expect a bumpy ride home, too.
Airlines are already warning about the crush of passengers heading out of town at week's end. Delta Air Lines is advising travelers to arrive at Tampa International Airport at least two hours early to deal with security, crowds and assorted delays "outside of our control."
— Brian Bakst — Twitter ?http://twitter.com/Stowydad
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TRUMP'S TEASE
For weeks, showman Donald Trump has been doing the slow tease about his plans for the GOP convention.
He was asked to speak, he says, but decided to do something "bigger." Something "very, very major." Something "hopefully quite amazing."
Trump was in Sarasota, Fla., over the weekend to accept an award, but headed back to New York when Monday's convention activities were pared down due to Tropical Storm Isaac.
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