There are some local Republicans in Tampa, Florida this week for their party's nominating convention. One of them is Frederick County Delegate Kelly Schulz. "I think it's a great time for Republicans from across the country to get together and talk about shared goals and ideals. However, we differ geographically we come together when it comes to what our ultimate objectives are," she says.

Other local Republicans are Delegates Michael Hough and Kathy Afzali.

The Convention on Tuesday nominated Mitt Romney as the GOP presidential candidate for 2012. Congressman Paul Ryan (Wisc)  was also picked as the vice presidential candidate. Romney is set to give his acceptance speech before a national audience on Thursday night.

Schulz says she has things she wants to hear when Romney makes his speech on Thursday. "I want hear optimism for the future," she says. "I want to hear that he can do something that I believe fully that he and Paul Ryan can."

Romney has emphasized that he has the experience to turn the economy around, and he hopes that will take him to the White House. But he needs to convince an audience outside of the GOP party faithful. "One thing I know for sure is that Mitt Romney can do it, and Barrack Obama cannot," says Schulz.

The Republican Convention was cut short on Monday due to the threat from then-Tropical Storm Isaac. But the storm has moved away from the Tampa area.  Isaac was upgraded to a hurricane on Tuesday.

While the storm was churning away in the Gulf of Mexico, the GOP was busy approving their party's platform. It calls for a ban on all abortions and gay marriage. It also changes Medicare to a voucher-like program, and rejects federal spending to boost the job market. But delegates supporting the presidential run of Congressman Ron Paul (Tx)  booed when new party rules were adopted to limit the ability of insurgent presidential candidates to amass delegates to future Republican Conventions.

The Democrats hold their convention next week in Charlotte, North Carolina.