Party Animals Celebrate their Candidates at National Conventions

Although they have changed in structure over the past century, conventions serve as a celebration of the political system and a venue for party platforms. They could even, given the right circumstances, affect the party’s choice of candidate for the presidency.

Conventions reflect the principle of "power to the people"

	A police officer from Chicago carries a fainted young antiwar demonstrator from the lobby of the Hilton Hotel, site of the 1968 DNC, while anti-Vietnam War protests continue outside.

National nominating conventions evolved as a way to democratize the process of picking presidential candidates. Historians mark the birth of the national convention system in 1831, when the Anti-Masonic Party hosted a nominating gathering. Later that same year, the Republican Party held its own convention, followed by the first Democratic convention in 1832.

During the 1840s the parties began to craft "platforms" setting out political goals and guiding principles. Platforms educate voters about what the party values, and what the leaders intend to achieve if elected to office.

Although conventions began as a tool to give more representation to the people, they soon became a way for the party establishment made up of the top leaders of the party, to pick their favorites.  Party leaders got together in so-called "smoke filled rooms" to make deals and pick a candidate.

This became such a big problem that in the early 1900s, Progressive Era reformers in many states organized primary elections so that individual voters could choose the delegates who would in turn choose the candidate.  By the mid-1960s, this was the common practice, although the results were not final until the delegates met over the summer to formally vote in a candidate. In 1964, Republican primary voters chose delegates who supported Barry Goldwater over candidates favored by the GOP establishment.

At the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, tensions within the country resulted in massive protests by activist groups opposed to the Vietnam War. During the week of the convention, almost 600 protesters were arrested and television coverage alternated between the clash between police and protesters outside, and the political speeches inside.

Conventions today are mostly symbolic, but….

	At the 1980 Democratic National Convention, Sen. Edward Kennedy attempted to challenge then President Jimmy Carter for the nomination. His attempt was unsuccessful.

Nowadays, people consider the conventions to be largely symbolic. However, in March, there was speculation that Republican candidate Newt Gingrich would stay in the race despite losing primaries and try to convince delegates not to vote for Mitt Romney, forcing a contested convention.

“Gingrich needs a scenario that includes multiple rounds. The only way he could succeed is if he can convince delegates for those candidates to abstain from voting. Since there are more than 2,200 Republican delegates at the convention, Gingrich would have to make literally hundreds of very convincing phone calls—a pretty tall order that's not likely to result in his favor,” explained Chris Moody of Yahoo News.

This year, the conventions represent all 50 states, the District of Columbia and five territories. In total, approximately 7, 838 delegates will be representing the parties, 5,552 going to the DNC in Charlotte, NC and 2,286 will attend the RNC in Tampa, Fla.