Conventional
The quadrennial conventions used to have some sizzle. Questions of whether to nuke the North Vietnamese until they glowed were earnestly debated by the repubs, while the Dems tried to be sure everyone in the big tent was pissing out, and not on each other. Platforms were shaped. The choice of running mate was brokered after the selection of the candidate was sealed. Delegates had a good time on the floor getting their ya-yas out, while the media competed for the best camera angles and interesting interviews.
Those days are gone. The event is thoroughly pasteurized and everyone is required to stay on message. If Sharpton deviates, then the discussion is about the deviation, not the content that he’s added. The Repubs started this bullshit several elections ago, but I never thought it would take root in the Democrats’ camp. Sadly, it has, and the days of the smoke filled rooms, the debates, the life of the conventions are over and we are left with media events of no more moment than BloggerCon.
Are the annointed convention bloggers writing about this? Sadly, my choice comes down to watching CNN or reading the bloggers and CNN wins this week.
