The  Democratic National Convention kicked off today in Charlotte, North  Carolina. A large number of speakers are slated to speak not just today,  but over the next 3 days leading up to the acceptance speech of  President Barack Obama on Thursday at the 75,000-seat Bank of America  Stadium.

The  2 most anticipated speakers on the agenda for tonight are addresses by  First Lady Michelle Obama and San Antonio, Texas Mayor Julian Castro.  Castro provides the keynote address after the First Lady re-introduces  her husband to the nation and expected to portray the family-side of the  man who also happens to be President.

The  speeches from both the First Lady and Castro  are the 2 which should be  of the widest interest and insight for the Ameican people.

Of  the 2, the one I most look forward to hearing from is Castro. I know  already that the First Lady will provide a passionate and  well-thought-out speech on her husband and why the father of her 2  daughters should be provided the opportunity to continue the programs  and policies he has started over the last nearly 4 years.

Castro,  however, is a face that Americans may not be familiar with, but one  which Americans may get to know very well over the next few years. There  is already talk that the Texas mayor may be on the fast track to a  presidential bid as soon as 2016.

Born  in 1974, Castro is a member of the next generation that is superceding  and inheriting the mantle of leadership from the "baby boomers" in much  the way the "baby boomers" took the mantle from the "greatest  generation". Castro is the youngest Hispanic mayor of a major city in  the US of A.

Castro won re-election in 2011 against 4 opponents. He beat back the opposition with a whopping nearly 83% of the vote.

Look  for Castro to highlight growing up as a person with Mexican-American  heritage. What is interesting is that Castro understands Spanish much  better than he can speak the language. As he noted in an interview on  CNN earlier today, Castro grew up in a household where his mother and  grandmother spoke predominantly English with little Spanish spoken.

From  the Cornfield, I am looking forward to seeing what San Antonio's Mayor  has to say tonight and if he gives a speech that will remind people of  the speech given by a younger Barack Obama in 2004 that catapulted him  to the national stage.