The Democrats respond in Charlotte

Greetings from Charlotte. After a couple of days of down time, we're geared up for our week of broadcasts from the Democratic National Convention. It's been nice to have a few days here just to get acclimated and figure out where we need to be and how to get there. And have some good barbecue. If you're ever in Charlotte, I'd highly recommend Midwood Smokehouse.

The mood in downtown Charlotte seems pretty festive, even as the security became more intense. The security presence was pretty prominent in Tampa, but given that the city is hosting a sitting president, they've taken it up a notch here in Charlotte. But people here seem pretty excited, despite the disruption to their daily routine. Charlotte is apparently the smallest city to host a convention, and you can feel the civic pride.

We've got a good week of shows planned for our DNC broadcasts. Today, we looked at the battles over abortion and contraception, and asked whether there's room in both parties for compromise on these issues. On Wednesday, we'll look at money, politics, and the conventions. Will any of the money spent on wining and dining politicians during these conventions help lobbyists gain influence in the next administration? On Thursday, we'll examine whether Americans, no matter who they support, feel that anything will change over the next four years. And on Friday, we'll take stock of everything we've heard over the last two weeks and look ahead to what the big themes of the campaign will be. Tune in.

-Chris Dall, senior producer

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