Filler: Paul Ryan's RNC acceptance speech stands out on a slow night

All in all, a very mediocre (at times even painful) night, with only Ryan and Rice standing out. Neither are great speakers, but both struck a real chord with this crowd.

To be honest, the response still was not the frenzied tumult a real political star gets, even for those two, but it was pretty good.

After two nights it's clear this is a quiet convention, and the participants are drawn to not by their love of the candidates but by their dislike of Obama. There is no hero worship here, except perhaps for Ann Romney, and Ryan's mom, a potential star in the making.

So let's see what Mr. Romney can bring tomorrow night.

Excitement and a plan are what we're hoping for.

11:04 p.m. - He ends on a good note, with a long round of applause, and some whoops that die fairly quickly. Though his family gets another good round going when they hit the stage.

10:58 p.m. - This may be about as impassioned a speech as a middle-aged Midwesterner can give.

He's not Jesse Jackson, but he's bringing this crowd to their feet on cue, raising his voice, hitting his stress syllables.

Says Obama offers a country where everything is free but us.

Nifty enough phrase.

Calls them central planners, and fists are pumped right next to me.

A lot of these people really hate Obama, and when someone hits the right note, it comes out fast

And he wants everyone to know he loves AC/DC and Zeppelin.

Now he's talking Romney, and why he should be elected.

Pictures of the two of them are alternating on the screens around the arena. Ryan could definitely be the sixth Romney son.

10:52 p.m. - "Yes you did build that," he says, with a lot of emotion and timbre.

Now he's talking plan: 12 million new jobs, federal spending at 20 percent of GDP or less.

We still need to know the how...maybe Mitt will lay it out tomorrow night.

Jack Kemp reference, I loved Kemp, who Ryan worked for coming up, and you didn't hear his name shouted out much. He was sort an early Rand Paul, a libertarian smoothie working within the party.

10:49 p.m. - The crowd loves Ryan's mom. She is sort of the Ann Romney of the evening.

10:46 p.m. - Simpson-Bowles talk. Not sexy.

He says all Obama does is attack the opposition, which may be a form of irony, given the tone of the speech, but I may be the only one feeling that irony.

10:44 p.m. - Ryan is getting more animated, ramping up his emotion and delivery. It looks like he's going to try to whip the crowd into a frenzy in the next 15 minutes, and that's what they want, too.

More emphasis with each paragraph.

10:42 p.m. - Pledging to save Medicare, to applause. They will protect and strengthen Medicare. it's probably not the night for details, though.

He's staying on the "raiding Medicare" thing but it's disingenuous. Obama cut Medicare reimbursements to doctors and hospitals, not services. It won't work, but that is Obama's plan, and it's not the same as raising Medicare.

10:39 p.m. - The protester refocused the audience and put them behind Ryan.

And now Ryan is accusing Obama of taking $716 billion from Medicare. Every mention of Obama is booed like he's Haman, and it's Purim.

10:38 p.m. - Chants of "USA USA" drown them out.

10:37 p.m. - Protesters screaming, and getting shouted down by crowd.

10:36 p.m. - Even a so-so joke gets big guffaws.

He does intros of the family, shown on the big screens. Ryan is going to talk about his dad, who died when he was 16.

There is a certain preppy earnestness about Ryan. He's not an emotional speaker. His facial expression is sort of a constant. But he's smooth and polished,

The fever pitch of the crowd has faded a bit, but it will be a long speech and they know it.

Solyndra talk gets a medium response, but he has their full attention.

10:29 p.m. - Flashes are popping on smartphone cameras throughout the arena, a constant pop of little lights.

10:27 p.m. - It's Paul Ryan time, and he enters to a standing ovation. The crowd, after a rough convention night, desperately wants to be wowed.

They won't sit down, or stop clapping.

10:25 p.m. -  Martinez is on to introduce Paul Ryan, and she's getting respectful attention, but not the rapt type Rice received.

She does get a big cheer talking about carrying a 357 Magnum while working for her parents' security company.

So far tonight, even the candidates who've gotten good applause, haven't made anything like the personal connection Ann Romney did last night. Even Rice, with her huge response, didn't have anyone whispering "she's so cute" and "I just love her," both phrases I heard more than once last night.

Tuesday night was a lot of personal stories, while tonight has been more about ideas and policies.

Right now it feels like everyone is just waiting for Ryan, and Martinez is keeping the stage warm for him.

Check out Lane's live blog for the delegate's reactions to earlier speeches.