#DNC2012: Live tweeting Obama and Biden’s speeches

So far, speakers at the Democratic National Convention have tried mainly to cast President Obama’s tenure in a better light, while warning about what GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney might do if he ascended to the White House. There has been precious little said about what Obama has planned for a second term in office.

On Thursday night, Obama is expected to provide a clearer picture of what he’d like to do if reelected. It’s a crucial task; as effective as the president’s campaign has been at raising voters’ doubts about Romney, at the end of the day they still need someone to vote for, not just someone to vote against.

Not that Obama’s been silent on his second-term agenda. The president has backed a series of initiatives to increase employment and promote economic growth, as in the “Blueprint for an America Built to Last” he announced in his State of the Union speech in January. But the ideas seem scattershot and small-bore -- so much so that Obama’s campaign website doesn’t make a detailed pitch for any of them.

The official convention schedule has Obama following Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) to the mic at some point after 7 p.m. Pacific. That comes after a pair of speeches by Vice President Joe Biden -- the GOP’s favorite source of gaffes on the campaign trail -- and his wife Jill. Others slated to speak Thursday include Caroline Kennedy and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Perhaps the mayor will offer a tutorial on how to amend a party platform.
My colleagues Michael McGough, David Horsey, Patt Morrison, Doyle McManus and Dan Turner will be joining me on Twitter to comment about the convention’s proceedings Thursday evening. You can follow our tweets here, starting at 6 p.m.

#DNC2012 Coverage

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Follow Jon Healey on Twitter @jcahealey