The crowd cheered for Cindy McCain and her family Thursday night.

ST. PAUL (CNN) — The people closest to John McCain are beginning to appear on the podium as we approach prime time and the Arizona senator's acceptance speech. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who has been there since the beginning, turns the subject to Iraq and the surge. The Iraq war overwhelmingly unpopular in the country — but largely supported in this room of GOP activists.

Sarah Palin is set to speak at the RNC tonight at 10 p.m.

It's nowhere near a full house inside the stadium, but it will certainly fill up with delegates as "prime time" nears.

It doesn't look like they will be disappointed with the speech of John McCain's designated No. 2 Sarah Palin.

For sure, Sarah will not come quietly into this great convention hall. Excerpts include the following:

"Here's how I look at the choice Americans face in this election. In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change."

And this:

"I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a 'community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities."

Team McCain has called this a night to "more sharply define the differences" — that's political speak for "go after the other team."

Enter Sen. Joe Lieberman, the 2000 Democratic vice presidential candidate at the 2008 Republican Convention.

"I'm here because country matters more than party," he said to a standing ovation.

Fred Thompson, the actor and former presidential contender, is now performing the way people expected he would when he ran for president last year: relaxed, eloquent, and good pacing.

Definitely not the Fred Thompson that showed up on the campaign trail last fall — His heart seems more into this ode to John McCain than any speech he ever gave running for president.

There was an incredibly moving tribute to Navy seal, Michael Monsoor, who threw himself on a grenade to save fellow seals in 2006, in the process giving his own life.

He received the Medal of Honor posthumously. His sister is here. She received a sustained standing ovation. Several other medal recipients from previous wars are also being honored — leading to the most exercised this crowd has been so far tonight. Now two dozen former POWs from Vietnam are being honored — old soldiers make for poignant moments.

Laura Bush, in her second appearance at this convention gets big applause too. She is the most popular person in the White House right now — her approval rating is over 60 percent.

She puts her seal of approval on Sarah Palin: "I'm proud the nation's first female vice-president will be a republican woman."

The Bushes received a standing ovation at the RNC tonight.

George H.W. Bush (the Dad) and Barbara Bush just walked into the auditorium of the Republican National Convention and got a standing ovation.

They'll soon listen to their son, slated to beam in via satellite from the White House.

Next up, a first responder to the Minneapolis bridge collapse last year. They are currently showing video of her crawling into a partially submerged car.

Coleman is running for the Minnesota senate against Al Franken.

The hometown boy, Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman, is getting some almost-prime time exposure at the podium now.

Coleman is a big GOP hero for winning a Senate seat in the 2002 race against former senator, vice president, and 1984 presidential candidate Walter Mondale.

He was once a member of the Democratic Party (known in Minnesota as the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party), and is a former mayor of St. Paul — the site of the this years Republican convention.

Coleman currently faces a tough senate re-election race against former Saturday Night Live comedian Al Franken.

Read Coleman's full speech after the jump

Read the rest of this entry »

Republicans are handing out homemade signs.

Hurricane Gustaf turned out to be less a disaster than originally thought, so things are finally under way at the 2008 Republican Convention.

It's a pretty full arena for an opening night but a different crowd than the Democratic Convention: more ties, fewer crazy hats, and less milling around while the speakers speak.

The party has been passing out "homemade signs," mass produced by volunteers with paintbrushes and poster boards.

Machine produced signs at the ready in every floor seat reading "Country First."

Thousands of Democrats await Obama's acceptance speech.

DENVER (CNN) – The crowd at Invesco Field is now almost at capacity. Beachballs are being bounced overhead as the crowd does the wave.

Team Obama wanted a show and it has one.

It will be interesting to see how all of this plays outside of the stadium after tonight.

Watch: 'American needs Obama,' says Richardson

A familiar name just spoke — Susan Eisenhower, grand daughter of the very Republican late president Dwight (“I like Ike”) Eisenhower.

My colleague Jessica Yellin also just witnessed quite a moment. Civil rights hero Rep. John Lewis and Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., son of civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, hugging each other and weeping on this historic night — the anniversary of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and the night a biracial man accepts the nomination of the Democratic Party.

On top of everything else, a number of military types are currently on stage testifying to Obama's ability to be the next commander in chief.

Al Gore spoke to the crowd Thursday.

DENVER (CNN) – Al Gore walked in, and the feet-stomping, flag-waving crowd went crazy. Now an Oscar and Nobel Prize winner, he is garnering the kind of excitement he struggled to get during his presidential bid in 2000. A source says Gore has offered to campaign for Obama, and that he will.

Watch: Gore explains why he thinks the race is close

Sheryl Crow performed for the crowd Thursday.

DENVER, (CNN)–Will.i.am, John Legend and Sheryl Crow in that order. Down on the field, in a semicircle around the platform where Obama will speak, two rows of volunteers from each state. No state or elected officials. Grassroots folks.

Watch: "Yes We Can"

Watch: Crow plays for 'a change'

They will be no more than 30 feet away from Obama.

The sun has gone down behind the stadium now and it has gotten much cooler.

The stadium’s still not full but it’s getting there.

Watch critics are hitting Obama hard for this stage. CNN's Jessica Yellin reports.

DENVER (CNN) — Camp Obama is stinging over Republican barbs that the stage tonight, surrounded by thousands of spectators, is "the Temple of Obama."

His campaign manager came out to say GOP has it all wrong — that Obama wanted as many people as possible to be involved in this night because the election is about them. I think. Also gave some hard sell on how to get involved. Obama-ites are all over the place, passing out volunteer cards.

DENVER (CNN) — It’s 4:15 Mountain Time — about four hours until Barack Obama’s speech — and Mile High Stadium is just beginning to fill up, although there are still lots of empty seats in the second and third tiers. It’s an all-star rollout for the last session of the convention. Iowa gymnast Shawn Johnson — who won the Olympic gold — made an appearance, and Jennifer Hudson of "Dream Girls" sang the National Anthem.

John Kerry speaks at the DNC.

DENVER (CNN) — John Kerry gave the speech Democrats wish he had given at his own convention four years ago. It was very tough: "how dare they…" suggest who is a patriot and who isn't. The surprise guest: Barack Obama's uncle, a World War II hero.

Bill Clinton back in 1992.

DENVER (CNN) — They played Bill Clinton's signature 1992 song as he walked into the convention center in 2008. The refrain: "Don't Stop Thinkin' About Tomorrow."

Watch: Bill Clinton says Obama's right for the job

The other part of that refrain sticks out tonight: "Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone."

Bill Clinton will reportedly not attend the convention Thursday night.

DENVER (CNN) – Hillary Clinton will be on hand for Barack Obama's acceptance speech, but according to a source close to former President Bill Clinton, he will not: the source tells CNN that Clinton will not join his wife at Invesco Field Thursday night.

Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius got a warm welcome Tuesday night.

DENVER (CNN) — Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius garnered the most applause since Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich's 'wake-up America' riff.

DENVER (CNN) – The hall is now teeming with people, and rumors are swirling they may stop letting them in. Folks are still not paying too much attention to what's happening on the podium, and as you go through the crowd all you hear is "Hillary" and "Clinton." Right now a stream of 'real people' are taking the stage — speaking now is Gloria Craven, a North Carolina Republican and a laid-off textile worker.

DENVER (CNN) — Two Hillary Clinton aides tell CNN that the New York senator will be at Invesco Field Thursday night to hear Barack Obama officially accept the Democratic presidential nomination, regardless of whether she is asked to join him on stage at any point.

Dennis Kucinich got the crowd going Tuesday.

DENVER (CNN) – The place is filling up, but everybody is moving around — it looks like an ant hill The truth is, during the early evening speeches, nobody pays much attention except the home state delegation of the speaker. They are little pods of wild enthusiasm amidst a sea of disinterest.