Unconventional

So the primaries have almost come and gone, and we've hit the homestretch of the long Presidential Campaign. A few odd days left in a race that seems to have begun in 2001. All the signs are being packed up, the funny hats have been put in the suitcases, and all the balloons have are just waiting to be blown up, lord knows there's plenty of hot air around for those. To the average person, not a whole lot has been solved, but to those of us that study these things, I can say without fear of contradictionnot a whole lot has been solved. It may be time to end the whole silly practice of these conventions, or maybe of the primaries. I realise that this may seem a bit extreme to some, but let me point out a few things to explain my thought process.

Of Primary Concern

The Primary system has rendered the convention pretty useless. We usually all know who is going to win, because they came in with the correct number of delegates to secure the Party's nomination. No need for a nominating convention now is there? Kerry knew going in (as did Bush, but the incumbent is usually pretty set) that he was the guy, because he won almost every primary. This year's a bit different, and now we have to contend with Super Delegates, (whatever the heck they are).But we still have an idea who the nominee is going to be, based on the # of delegates going into the convention. Most states have laws that say the delegates have to back the winner of the primary. Alas, gone are the days of yore, when the conventions would produce all manner of deals and handshakes and such, if one candidate would give up his delegates, he'd get a cabinet post. Good Old-Fashioned political wheeling and dealing. Maybe even a scuffle or two if one of the candidates didn't get to speak. (Like in 1968, McCarthy etc). Not that there weren't fights over other things

Walking the Plank

One of the big things at the olde conventions was, "The Party Platform". News commentators would talk for days about the "planks" in that platform, that is, what the party was going to stand for and run on in the election. This has brought out some of the best battles, as delegates and steering committees would have these huge Battle Royales over promises that weren't going to be kept anyway. But it's not that way anymore. Most of this stuff seems to be decided before they get to the convention. All the drama has gone out of it. Now it's all a lot of preaching to

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