Politics

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RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And after delivering a tribute to her husband on the opening night at the Democratic National Convention, First Lady Michelle Obama yesterday by reaching out to groups of minority delegates there in Charlotte. NPR's David Welna reports.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Let's give a rousing welcome for the first lady, Michelle Obama.

DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: The African-American caucus was fired up yesterday when Mrs. Obama got there just hours after she brought down the house at the convention arena. She was still getting going.

If you missed the second night of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., we live blogged it here.

But if you want a quick review, we've compiled five things that struck us about the night:

It's Not What You Say, It's How You Say It: In other hands, the very wonky speech that former President Clinton delivered on Wednesday could have been a snoozer.

On Wednesday, NPR's Frank James hosted a live chat during the Democratic convention. He was joined by Neal Carruth, NPR's elections editor; Matthew Continetti, contributing editor at the conservative Weekly Standard and the Washington Free Beacon; Jamelle Bouie, a fellow at the liberal American Prospect and Nation Institute; S.V. Dáte, the congressional editor on NPR's Washington Desk; and William Neikirk, a longtime Washington correspondent with the Chicago Tribune.

Read below to see how it unfolded.

Hello from Charlotte, N.C. Today is all about Bill Clinton.

Walking around Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, the former president was the talk of the town. Today marks the second day of the Democratic National Convention.

We're in the arena and we'll keep tabs on the proceedings. Make sure you refresh this page to see the latest.

Update at 11:25 p.m. ET. A Wonky Speech, With A Clinton Delivery:

The night ended with President Obama taking the stage, once President Clinton finished his speech.

States using a federal immigration database to purge noncitizens from voter lists are starting to get results, which so far include few illegal voters.

In Florida, which was first to gain access to the database after fighting the federal government in court, an initial run of roughly 2,600 names has turned up "several" violators, according to a spokesman for Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner.

Four years ago black voters threw all their might behind sending Barack Obama to the White House. Today, their support remains high but their enthusiasm is not what it used to be.

And at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., some blacks who voted for Obama are not nearly as excited as they were in 2008.

Charlotte, N.C., host of the 2012 Democratic National Convention, is the nation's biggest financial center outside of New York. But Charlotte and surrounding Mecklenburg County have the highest foreclosure rates in the state, and many thousands of homeowners owe more on their homes than the properties are worth.

As thousands of Democrats converge in Charlotte for the convention, some troubled homeowners have also gathered, lamenting that the foreclosure crisis has not been sufficiently front and center in the presidential campaign.

What's usually a formality turned a bit dramatic today at the opening of the second day of the Democratic National Convention.

A motion for a voice vote to amend the party platform to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel — and to reinsert the word "God" into the document — was met with many delegates shouting "no" and with loud boos when the motion was deemed to have passed.

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ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

NPR's Debbie Elliott was on the convention floor last night, and she reports the sentiment there seems to be that a speech from the Comeback Kid will be a shot in the arm for Democrats.

DEBBIE ELLIOTT, BYLINE: To get a preview of what delegates are anticipating from President Clinton tonight, I climbed high above the convention floor to find his home state delegation.

DEBBIE WILLHITE: Hello. How are you? Welcome to Arkansas.

ELLIOTT: Thank you.