Tens of thousands of words were uttered onstage at the Republican National Convention this week. Some words cropped up repeatedly: "Jobs." "Economy." "Families." "Obama." Others, such as "Afghanistan," received far less attention.

It’s simple, but true. We vote for people we like. Presidential candidate Mitt Romney has run on the platform that he’s a businessman, who will run the country like a boss runs a company. But do people like the idea of a boss as president?

In all of the speeches, hubbub, and storylines coming out of the Republican National Convention, it sometimes seemed the leading man of the show would be overshadowed by the rising stars of the Republican Party. But presidential candidate Mitt Romney finally had the stage to himself last night.

Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan headlined the Republican National Convention last night. Ryan is considered by many to be the face and brains of the party’s political course. His pick as VP was seen as an attempt to energize voters and a way to shore up conservative support for Mitt Romney, who some Republicans find too moderate.

As Humvees rolled into New Orleans yesterday and officials urged Gulf Coast residents to leave their homes, you couldn’t help an eerie sense of familiarity. The details are similar, and the fears are as well.

Over 90 percent of Washington, D.C. voted for President Obama in 2008. Two D.C. delegates at the Republican National Convention explain why their voice still matters to the Republican Party.

From the Republican National Convention, Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich speaks with John Mica, the Republican head of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee who has represented Florida’s 7th District on the state's east coast since 1993.

The U.S. will convert up to 40 percent of its corn crop into ethanol this year. But as the country faces its worst drought in more than 50 years, can we afford to turn that food into fuel?

New York Police Department's controversial surveillance of Muslim and Middle-Eastern communities did not generate any new leads or investigations related to terrorisms, according to the latest in a Pulitzer Prize-winning series by the Associated Press. The NYPD, in turn, contends no leads were developed because that program did not conduct investigations.

These are tough times for the U.S. and NATO campaign in Afghanistan. So called "insider killings," in which U.S. and NATO troops and trainers are attacked by the Afghans working with them are on the rise. These killings have contributed to the sad milestone of 2,000 American troops that have lost their lives in the war.

This week: Kristen cheats on Robert Pattinson at the Summer Games while the neighborhood watches. No, that can't be right. Rafer is an expert on Olympic events. No, that's certainly not right, either.

We're all so upset over Kristen Stewart's diss of R-Patts, we don't know what's what. All of that will get ...

For many American companies, outsourcing has become a standard practice because lower cost countries can provide cheaper labor. But America's own immigration system might also be contributing to outsourcing.

The 2008 financial crisis and the great recession exposed Americans' flawed understanding of personal finance. Now the Obama Administration is making a push for financial literacy, starting with children as young as three years old.

In this special Independence Day-week edition, Kristen and Rafer show their patriotism by reviewing three movies, Oliver Stone's "Savages," "Katy Perry: Part of me," and "The Amazing Spiderman."

Can the city become a symphony? After learning that electric cars have engine noise added for safety reasons, Mark McKeague, a sound designer, gave them a different tune.

Kristen and Rafer bare it all in this edition of Movie Date...all their feelings about "Magic Mike," that is. Also, a TED talk about "Ted" -- Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane's first film.

When President Roosevelt ordered in 1942 that the Marine Corps be integrated, around 20,000 African-Americans signed up and were accepted for service. The first African-Americans in the Air Force and the Army — that’s the Tuskegee Airmen and the Buffalo Soldiers — have some renown, but the Montford Point Marines have remained relatively unknown.

There’s no doubt that a charismatic Latino and Tea Party favorite in a battleground state could be attractive to the Romney campaign, but Rubio comes with some baggage, including misleading statements about his Cuban parents’ immigration to Florida.

The Democratic Party has long curried the favor of gay voters, and President Obama's endorsement of gay marriage has helped solidify Democrats as the gay rights party. On the other side, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has opposed even civil unions. Due to the stark ideological contrast, has being gay become fundamentally incompatible with being Republican? In an interview with John Hockenberry, openly gay U.S. spokesman Richard Grenell says it is not.

This week, Kristen and Rafer spray up their hair and pull out their leather pants for the new movie "Rock of Ages." Featuring Tom Cruise, Russell Brand, Alec Baldwin, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, the movie is a port of the Broadway musical, written from a pastiche of classic 80's rock songs--got all that? Also on the Date: special guest Robin Goodwin, lead singer of the first all-female Motley Crue tribute band, Girls Girls Girls.