The political convention predates the Civil War, but since the presidential primary system was enacted it has lost most of its original political purpose. Conventions today serve as pep-rallies, filled with pageantry and rabble-rousing; their purpose now is energizing the base and gaining (positive) press coverage for their party and their candidate. Although there are unsavory aspects to the political convention, it is here to stay.
It can be easy to look down on the inflated rhetoric of the conventions, but they can also be very beneficial to the average citizen. They allow everyone to hear speakers that they might not have travelling through their state. Here in Wisconsin, we have the dubious privilege of being a swing state; both the Romney and Obama campaigns have brought speakers and events here to champion their cause. However, if you are a Democrat in Texas, or a Republican in Vermont, or anyone in Wyoming, chances are you don't have many opportunities to catch big-name speakers in your party as they campaign. The nationally televised conventions give partisans a chance to check out speakers they would normally have no chance to hear. The conventions also allow rising stars to gain national attention. Marco Rubio's speech electrified the Republican crowd and would have been the largest story of the Rebulican National Convention if it wasn't for a wild-card guest speaker—more on him later.
Another large and laudable part of the conventions is the approval and publication of each party’s platform. Although the platforms always fall to the wayside when the time comes to navigate the political process, each platform gives a vision of an ideal America. Many voters use each candidate's party's platform as a major point in choosing a side, and for good reason. The platforms show how the parties prioritize the many issues facing America, and how they would run the country if given unfettered control. The platforms also allow citizens to track how each party is changing. Those right-of-center might weaken or strengthen their allegiance to the Republicans now that their platform includes supporting a constitutional amendment against gay marriage and a no-exceptions ban on abortion. Correspondingly, those left-of-center might reconsider their vote after democrats omitted usage of the word "God" and a passage which declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel that were present in the 2008 platform. Curiously, both of those statements were reinserted last week after heavy scrutiny.
Given the multi-faceted approach to the conventions—there are many different speakers, and the media broadcasting forms a Greek chorus in their coverage—they can reveal what the American public cares deeply about amongst the multitude of disagreements between the parties. The results of this convention were far from surprising, the focus on the economy will only grow until the U.S. begins to approach full employment again. Everything else that inflamed the media hasn't seemed to stick, they were merely flashes in the pan compared to the forest fire that is our national economy.
Finally, there are, and will always be, seemingly useless and distasteful elements to the conventions. Empty rhetoric and obvious pandering (Ann Romney proclaiming her love of women comes to mind) can come off as distasteful at best, or dishonest at worst. But that’s just how the game is played at conventions, it is best to just ignore it or laugh through it. Clint Eastwood's speech at the RNC was possibly the weirdest 12 minutes of national TV this year. Although he did blame Obama for the war in Afghanistan, the surreality of the entire speech totally overwhelmed the rhetoric.
Watching your own side’s convention can be fun and encouraging, but watching the other side’s is important and practically necessary. If every citizen were to watch the opposing side’s convention, the level of political animosity would certainly drop. By watching the other side's speeches—empty promises and all—you can gain a real feeling for how and why people vote differently than you. In the end, it's an exercise in empathy, and thats something that both sides can agree on.
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