If it’s August, and it is, that means it is convention time for the Democrats and the Republicans will follow shortly thereafter. Politics is one of those professions that have been around forever, and thanks to the conventions, every four years the pomp and circumstance associated with it is delivered right to your living room. Political conventions have changed over the years to the point that they are nothing more than speeches and balloons dropping. Politics itself has changed so much over the years that Ronald Reagan once said, “Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.”
The Democrats will hold their convention in Denver Aug. 25-28, while the Republicans will hold theirs in Minneapolis-St. Paul Sept. 1-4. Both conventions will see the nomination of their respective presidential candidates – Senator Barack Obama for the Democrats and Senator John McCain for the Republicans. There is no real mystery about who will be nominated – these are decisions that have been made months prior. By the time the conventions come around the vice presidential choices will be made, the order of those speaking will be determined, and everything will be well orchestrated for prime-time television.
Both Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul have hosted the conventions before, but the first time these cities did so, conventions had real meaning and purpose. In 1908, William Jennings Bryan was nominated in Denver as the Democrat presidential candidate. In 1892, Benjamin Harris was nominated in Minneapolis as the Republican presidential candidate. The biggest difference between then and now is that no one knew who the nominee would be – this was decided at the convention. The campaigns generally started about six to eight months prior to the convention – not two years prior. Delegates actually debated, argued and compromised on whom to nominate.
Today, the conventions have become nothing more than “made for TV” events, with every detail determined well ahead of time – including the more than 100,000 biodegradable balloons that will be dropped at each convention after the nominee becomes official. Protesters, demonstrators and parade participants have to apply early for permits and then wait months for approval. Often, like in Denver this year, these individuals are kept at a distance from the delegates so as not to become too disruptive – no political party wants a “black eye” on its message. Keeping protesters at a distance can be directly attributed to the Chicago riots at the Democrat Convention in 1968.
Political conventions in the modern era have been, until recently, business meetings. They still are to some degree, but for the most part they are a series of media events. The business side of the conventions includes the selection of party leaders and the writing of the platform. Most of this is also predetermined now, but there are instances and issues that arise and cause a stir among the delegates. For example, Republicans are often portrayed by the media as a party divided because of the abortion issue and what exactly to include in the platform. The truth is that both parties have this discussion and similarly heated debates. Other divisive issues also appear at the conventions, as any delegate can make a proposal for the platform.
Regardless of what anyone might think of the conventions, the fact is that millions of Americans watch them. Political parties work to bring in celebrities to attract large viewing audiences, and they schedule their most prominent speakers for prime-time television. Every network will carry the conventions live during prime time, and the news channels will likely carry them live around the clock. Once the conventions start, the news will be all conventions all the time. Americans, and those around the world, will watch with anticipation to see the nominees speak. Aristotle said it best when he said, “Man is naturally a political animal.”
So, come convention time, watch a little here and a little there. Keep in mind, though, that every detail – from the speeches to the types and colors of balloons being dropped – is orchestrated from beginning to end. It’s like watching a Broadway show, in that the director knows exactly what is supposed to happen at any given moment. After each convention the respective nominees will see a bump in their popularity as a result, but shortly after reality will begin to set in again.
Watch and enjoy, but then research on your own and make your own decisions about whom to vote for – don’t let these Hollywood-like produced conventions influence you too much.
