The 2008 Democratic National Convention is in Denver from August 25–August 28; the Republican National Convention is in Minneapolis from September 1–4. The Green Party will also hold their convention in Chicago from July 10–13. In the first days of the convention, a temporary chair is chosen, and all of the delegates are seated. A permanent chair is then elected and a platform is chosen. The platform includes planks—or proposals—where items could potentially become public policy but are not necessarily binding.
It isn’t all sweat and swagger during the day, as C-SPAN might have you believe if you can manage to stay awake. On the fourth day, the nominations for president begin. The chair does an alphabetical roll call for each state; each nominate a candidate or defer to the next state. Once the nominations are made and seconded, voting convenes, requiring a simple majority (or ballots, if it comes to that).
The next term of business is to choose the vice-presidential candidate who, according to the 12th amendment, should come from a separate state than the presidential nominee in order to avoid the presidential candidate from attaining a majority electoral vote, and a running mate who could not secure that vote.
But it’s in the evening when the party convention heats up and top players stroll across the stage with their American flag pins and veneered smiles, poised for two minutes of corporate sponsors on either end of their talks. On this fourth night, the keynote address is followed by the formal acceptance speeches from both the President and Vice President nominees, then the nets are pulled, a sea of balloons drops, and out pops the three-month race runners to the party finish line.
2008: How to Avoid a Cat Fight
The latest gossip indicates the potential for a brokered convention, which refers to when there are not enough delegates obtained during the Emmy’s (caucuses) and Golden Globes (primaries) to warrant a front-runner—or one nominee. If no candidate has a majority of delegate votes, the convention is said to be brokered (not broken, although that would be easier to understand) and the nomination will be decided behind closed doors (just as lobbyists and congressman do during the rest of the year) and with further ballots.
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