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CNN will have live coverage of both conventions nightly, but this unprecedented year will see major changes in party gatherings.
I spoke to Adam Levy, who oversees CNN’s political research team, about what’s different this year – how things might turn out and if those things still matter.
What’s the point?
ZBW: My personal take is that political conventions are a relic of an era when party bigwigs picked presidential candidates. Now it’s the primary voters. Is there still a functional purpose for these things?
AL: TECHNICALLY, yes. Voters choose the delegates when they go to the polls during the primaries that effectively make the convention candidate official (after which the parties submit the names to the states to put them on the ballot). Do we still need a multi-day lovefest for a candidate we already knew was going to be nominated? It’s definitely up for debate. I think the scaled-down versions of the conventions we’re seeing this year due to the pandemic might have a lasting impact on the scale of future conventions, but I’m not quite ready to bet completely against the love of one. politician for a ball drop. .
How have they changed?
ZBW: How did conventions evolve from smoky theaters with party chefs to the public shows we see today?
AL: People are speaking out against them and asking for changes. The smoke-filled rooms evolved from conventions without predetermined nominees that took place in multiple ballots. This has not happened for over 50 years because voters did not want party leaders to decide who is running for president.
Both parties made changes to the system that began in earnest after 1968. The addition of primaries instead of caucuses, the creation of promised delegates reflecting the votes of the people, and public transparency have all played a role in the system we have. have today.
What do they do instead of fundraising and parties?
ZBW: Conventions are also weeks of fundraising. How are campaigns compensating for disabling that faucet this year?
AL: The campaigns are getting creative this year. There are tele-gatherings, online fundraisers, and an even greater emphasis on social media campaigns. Everyone learns as they go, and given the numbers posted on both sides, it seems donors have forgiven that. In-person interactions will never go away entirely – there is an advantage to meeting someone in the flesh and hearing about them … especially when you are guarded by the Secret Service and are completely fortified every day.
Joe Biden has spent decades sympathizing with the people on the track, listening to their stories, and promising to speak for them. Donald Trump thrives with an audience and channels his enthusiasm into his work. These are essential elements of their political personality, and I think they will want to get back to them as soon as possible.
Are there any fights on the party platforms this year?
ZBW: One of the least covered but the most interesting elements of a convention is the party platform. Is there something you think people should know about party platforms this year?
While this doesn’t appease everyone, it was a real effort on Biden’s part to reach out to Sanders voters and delegates. Normally there would still be some sort of ground brawl on the platform at the convention. This seems highly unlikely given the technological logistics of the Democratic convention. Perhaps a small advantage over the all-virtual convention for Biden.
On the Republican side, as one would expect with an incumbent president, there is no change this year. This caused a problem because the Republican National Committee voted to keep the 2016 platform that criticized the “current president,” who was not Donald Trump when he was drafted in 2016. Either way, he didn’t there will be no significant changes to the GOP.
Where are these things happening?
ZBW: The Democrats were supposed to hold their convention in Milwaukee and the Republicans are holding theirs… that keeps changing! Where do Republicans get theirs? And what is behind the selection of these particular locations?
AL: Democrats have virtually moved entirely online, with only local delegates making an appearance in Milwaukee. Republicans will continue to do business in Charlotte, but both are severely reduced. We still don’t know where the president will accept his nomination – he has pitched the White House or Gettysburg as possible locations.
Why were Milwaukee and Charlotte originally chosen? Politics. The last time Wisconsin voted Republican in a presidential ballot before 2016 was in 1984. President Trump broke a 32-year streak, and now Democrats are working tirelessly to bring the Badger State back into the fold. bosom. North Carolina is a critical battlefield state that voted for Obama in 2008 and Trump in 2016. Tar Heel state is not only ready to choose the president, but both a Senate seat and the governor’s mansion are up for grabs. The downside races there will have a big impact on the future of the state. Republicans who chose Charlotte originally showed they took these threats seriously.
What surprises do you expect?
ZBW: Every convention has a strange or memorable moment. Al Gore kisses Tipper. Barack Obama stole the show from John Kerry. Sarah Palin’s surprise. Clint Eastwood arguing over an empty chair. You have seen all the planned events. What are we talking about in years?
AL: Your examples show that unexpected moments can leave the strongest impressions. You never know who will give the most impactful speech or who will have a weird time. Having said that, I sincerely hope for some purely 2020 moments during the conventions. A kid breaking into the room during a legislator’s speech, a dog barking relentlessly at the most inopportune moment and of course, the speaker forgetting to mute. Both parties are working to avoid this, but as past conventions have shown, the best-worked out plans …
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