Four years ago, in the the thick of the pandemic and other crises, the two major party nominating conventions went mostly virtual.
As I wrote at the time:
“Will there be a virtual balloon-drop? That is about the only intrigue left when it comes to what will happen at this year’s national political conventions. Even more so than usual, the chance for high drama at the twin events is largely zero. Not just because both the Democrats and the Republicans have chosen their candidates, but because both will mostly be held remotely in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.” (Smithsonian, August 12, 2020)
Yes, it seems like one hundred years ago, not four.
Once upon a time, nominating conventions captured national attention. Over time, changes in the primary election process largely negated the drama as candidates had secured the delegate count they needed long before the first nominating speech.
While we might have thought that the intrigue of the 2024 conventions was gone, the future of the Biden candidacy is now less certain.
Intrigue is back. And this year’s Democratic convention may go down in presidential history. This convention may matter a great deal.
Let’s take a look back at the political conventions that mattered most. Read “The Top Ten Political Conventions That Mattered Most” published in Smithsonian magazine (Originally published August 2012).
John F. Kennedy addresses the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles after being nominated for President. PhotoQuest / Getty Images via Smithsonian Magazine
We’ll start with 1831.
1831 Anti-Masonic Convention—Why start with one of the most obscure third parties in American history? Because they invented nominating conventions. The Anti-Masons, who feared the growing political and financial power of the secret society of Freemasons, formed in upstate New York; among their members was future president Millard Fillmore.
Read the full piece in Smithsonian magazine
