What's Wrong with a Brokered Convention??

I find it amusing how little history most people seem to know. Hubby and I have been amazed when we hear commentators making the possibility of a brokered Republican convention sound like the most horrible thing that could ever happen to the Republican party.

When we were growing up TV was in its infancy, so they showed ALL of the Convention process on TV. And it was not at all unusual for there to be quite a few pollings of the delegates before a candidate was picked. It was fascinating to watch and listen to all the talk about backroom conferences and deal making. By the time a candidate was picked, we really felt like we had seen history in the making.

Nowadays the conventions are just plain BORING, as they are a coronation ceremony at best.

Maybe, just maybe, this will be a convention worth watching!

My First Presidential Election - The Man with a Hole in His Shoe

Photographer William M. Gallagher won the 1953 Pulitzer Prize for this photograph of Stevenson on the campaign trail in 1952. The image of the "Man with a Hole in his Shoe" remained with Stevenson and served as a symbol of his efforts during the 1956 presidential campaign.

copied from the Princeton University Library

This 1952 election is the first one that I was old enough to get interested in, plus that's about when we got our first television. That year Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon won over Adlai Stevenson and John Sparkman, from my own state - Alabama. We learned about the democratic process in school that year, and our teacher made it all fun, mock election and all. Of course, those were the days when the national conventions were really interesting, as there were sometimes many, many ballots of delegates before the Republican and Democratic candidates were chosen.

Obviously, there is no way that the Republican convention will be like that, but it is possible that the Democratic Convention could be very interesting this time, particularly since the Democrats have what they call Super Delegates. These power brokers are not committed to any candidate, which can make for an interesting convention.

Now add in the Ralph Nader Green Party candidacy, a situation that many Democrats believe cost Al Gore the election last time, and we could be in for some great convention watching.

And it's been a long time since I watched either convention, because they have been very boring to me for years. Just like some folks enjoy a stock car race more if there are lots of wrecks, I think I will enjoy the Democratic Convention more if there is some drama in the candidate selection process. Talk about Reality TV!!!