Patrick Semansky / AP Photo

Sara Kilker isn’t normally one to pick up a sign and protest in the street. But the idea that her friend, a nearly 80-year-old elderly African American widower, won’t be able to vote because he doesn’t have an official photo ID prompted her Tuesday to join about 1,000 chanting protesters who marched down the main drag of Tampa’s Ybor City.

Donna Svennevik, ABC / AP Photo

Yahoo abruptly fired its Washington bureau chief on Wednesday after he was caught on a hot mic taking a racially charged swipe at Mitt Romney and his wife. David Chalian lost his job after he was overheard saying that the Romneys are “happy to have a party with black people drowning.

(Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

For her debut at the Republican National Convention, Ann Romney selected a perfect TV look: a simple red Oscar de la Renta dress with a face-framing collar.She was styled as a classic vision of a first lady in a dress with a slim bodice and full skirt and matching belt with a sparkling buckle.

Mark Wilson / Getty Images

“It’s gonna get more negative, it’s gonna get more vicious, it’s gonna get nastier.”Haley Barbour wasn’t talking about the Republican National Convention—where the former two-term Mississippi governor graced the Politico Playbook Breakfast on Wednesday—although perhaps he could have been.

David Goldman / AP Photo

The moment that everyone here is buzzing about is when the cameras cut away from Chris Christie's speech and captured Mitt Romney looking on.He appeared, well, sour. A bit peeved, maybe. Impassive. No nod or acknowledgment of the crowd.

Mary Altaffer / AP Photo

There’s been a lot of GOP spin about how this convention is Mitt Romney’s chance to “introduce himself to the American people.” This is ridiculous: the man’s been running for president for five years. If polls show he has a likability deficiency at this point, it’s his fault, not the public’s lack of attention.

Jae C. Hong / AP Photo

As we’ve learned, nothing really good happens at this shindig before 7 p.m., so here’s what to look for after the Republicans get the party started on Day Two of the Republican National Convention in Tampa.Ron Paul VideoThe congressman’s supporters may have caused a bit of a ruckus on the convention floor Tuesday, but Mitt Romney’s campaign will honor his former opponent Wednesday.

Charlie Neibergall / AP Photo

When loud booing broke out on the Republican National Convention floor in Tampa on Tuesday, it wasn’t just coming from die-hard Ron Paul supporters. An obscure change to party rules exposed a larger rift between Mitt Romney’s Republican establishment and the GOP grassroots.

Carolyn Kaster / AP Photo

There were quite a few Todd Akin for Senate stickers at the lunchtime gathering cosponsored by the Family Research Council and RNC for Life on Tuesday. It was an event that felt like a flashback to the primaries, with speeches by Rick Santorum, Rick Perry, and Michele Bachmann—candidates who rallied the hopes of voters eager for a culture-war campaign.

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On the first night of the Republican convention, Ann Romney tried to make Americans like Mitt Romney. Then Chris Christie took the stage and reminded them that, ideologically, this campaign isn’t about Mitt Romney. It’s about Paul Ryan.

Charles Dharapak / AP Photo

New Jersey’s governor found himself in a room full of emotional people Tuesday after Ann Romney delivered a heartwarming speech to the Republican National Convention in Tampa. But he plowed through his address anyway, attacking Democrats and the Obama administration with the bravado that has come to define him—and he threw in a few touches of warmth and humanity to round out the keynote.

Charlie Neibergall / AP Photo

So, did Ann do it? Do you see Mitt as more of a regular guy now? What about likable? Human, maybe?Tough call.No question Ann cut quite the appealing figure. Golden. Glorious. Giggly. And how adorable was it when she put her hands to her mouth to show how overwhelmed she was by the crowd’s super warm welcome?The speech itself—aimed directly at women and blatant in its beatification of moms—was solid.

AP Photo (2)

The spouse and the would-be running mate faced similar challenges on Tuesday night, to do for Mitt Romney what he has been unable to do for himself.Ann Romney, by far the warmer of the couple, had some success. Chris Christie, who flirted with a presidential run, did himself a whole lot of good, but maybe not much for Romney.

Well, that was a good speech for Chris Christie, wasn't it?That was kind of shocking, actually. Of course he mentioned Mitt Romney. A good whopping five or six times. But it sure took him a while. Rachel Maddow just said this was a 2,600-word speech in which he didn't mention Romney until 1,800 words in.

As the Republican convention heats up in Tampa, Beast TV will be offering LIVE pre-game coverage of the main events, streamed on The Daily Beast’s homepage from 12 to 2 PM and 5 to 7 PM EST on Wednesday and Thursday. Join political columnists John Avlon, Howard Kurtz, Michelle Goldberg, David Frum, Lloyd Grove, Peter Boyer, Meghan McCain, and Martin Amis as they dissect the week's developments with insiders including Sen.