So, has the convention process become irrelevant?

[A HERETIC I AM]

I mean, Kerry was referred to as "The nominee of the Democratic party" tonight at the Unity Dinner and the actual nomination is weeks away.

Has the Primary process, as it now progresses and is instituted, make the convention irrelevant?

[kiahzero]

1. He has the delegates at this point, IIRC

So it's not like before, where he hadn't quite made the numbers, and had to be labeled the "presumptive nominee."

[Dookus]

2. The convention hasn't been "relevant"

as far as picking the candidate in decades. It has other purposes.

[RichV]

3. Why, yes.

Yes it has. It's just a big party for the Party now, and an opportunity to put together a platform and show off a shiny new VP nominee. So yeah, I'd say the convention is mostly irrelevant as far as just the Prez goes. Has been since about '72.

[A HERETIC I AM]

4. K. Thought so. Just checking.

I WANNA BE A DELEGATE!!!!!!!!!
I WANNA NICE SUITE IN A SWANK HOTEL!!!!!!!!



:::sigh:::


not in the cards for no mere trucker, i'm sure

[Melodybe]

5. Kerry is our guy, period.

If you have issues with Kerry, please start looking at the good things he has done.

I can proudly vote fore Kerry because of his environmental record alone.

He helped us get out of Vietnam, for that I can be eternally thankful.

He was not my first choice either, but now all I can think of is how much better things will be under a Kerry administration. Perfect? No, but better. I believed him tonight when he talked about the people he has meet. Kerry went door to door in New Hampshire. He has talked to people all over this country and I think he actually gives a damn.

Kerry has friends with the Kennedys his entire life. JFK had his problems but he was a good man. Robert's work for civil rights brings me to tears. Ed Kennedy spoke with such passion about how bad the medicare plan was for the poorest Americans, that he instantly won me over. Seeing a young Kerry before Congress pleading on behalf of all of the MIA and POWs really touched me. He isn't Dean but he does care more about American than Bush could ever even understand. Feeling that way is good enough to keep me energized and hard working.

The DNC sent a strong message tonight, they need us to unite now. Any minute we waste is a minute for the Busheviks to twist and manipulate. We have eight months, we can get the word out. We can organize, and get the balling rolling.

I'm sorry if you feel jilted in any way, but Kerry IS our nominee.

[WitchWay]

6. Yep.

I think the process sucks. Of course, it ends up being the one most connected in, with the most money (which never bodes well for the people gettin real representation). I'm pretty disgusted that in this day and age we still have the aristocracy running the country. I want a democracy, not an elected aristocracy. I don't like these families (Bushes, Kennedys, Cheneys, old money Skull and Bones families) running everything and having undue influence in our government. I think its time for this sort of thing to end.

But, then its not about the people chosing, its about the party (and corporations) chosing. That's just not right. It was pretty unethical that the party called it for Kerry Pretty much (through unity email asking to support kerry) before Kerry even had enough delegates. The DNC needs to be respectful of voters and the convention process, so that everyone is truly represented. They don't really give a shit, though.

The Parties are just as bad as the media, they are commercial and corporate. It's time for people to get really, really uncomfortable with the corporate mainstream media, cuz they'll only push the "normal and acceptable" mainstream corporate candidate on people (the same people who push Kerry down everyones throats, are the same folks who spoon fed America Bush, too. You have to keep that in mind).

[Lexingtonian]

7. The conventions are infomercials

No more, no less.... And the Parties have used them that way since 1980 if not earlier.

Conventions were designed to be mechanisms to find/generate consensus in a time when there was no electronic news medium or device to convey the cultural conventions and attitudes and norms of subregions of the country to the rest. It was a time when the country was far less culturally diverse in range than it is now, but the divisions and distinctions that there were were very bitter, provincial, and jealously enforced.

These days it's indicative of bad schisms within a Party if one candidate can't overwhelm the rest during the primary campaign.

[mouse7]

8. This year, mostly a showcase, but it could have been different

One of these conventions, there are going to be 3 or more still viable candidates left and none has the delegates required for nomination. THAT'S when the convention will get real interesting.

It could have happened this year. If Kerry didn't have that sit down at Al Franken's place to refocus his message in November, Dean, Clark, and Edwards probably would have beat each other to death all the way to Boston.

[incapsulated]

9. Why the convention is still important

You would be amazed at how many people decide who they will vote for based on the conventions. I know it sounds nuts to people like us, but there it is. It's more than a party, it's the ultimate political commercial.

[sangh0]

10. You are confused

Conventions are rarely about picking the nominee. That's what the primaries are for. Conventions are about PROMOTING the nominee.

[jsw_81]

11. Pretty much

And that's probably a good thing. The last thing we need is a nasty battle over the platform. The last time that happened -- 1972 -- it became a circus with the various interest groups screaming and fighting over every little detail. In November, we went down in flames losing 49 of 50 states.

As for Kerry being called the nominee, the fact of the matter is that he has won more than enough delegates to win the nod; the convention will be a mere formality.