Now is the time to abolish political conventions

Los Angeles Times

"Now that they’re over, let’s be honest about political conventions," says Nicholas Goldberg. "They’re theater, they’re propaganda, they’re pep rallies. Nothing meaningful happens at them. First established in the 1830s, they once served a purpose — to select a party nominee, often in a smoke-filled back room, but sometimes on the convention floor — but that hasn’t been true for half a century. At best, they offer the parties a chance to excite their voters, lay out some themes of the campaign, hammer their enemies and introduce an often unknown vice presidential nominee. Doing away with these pointless quadrennial exercises would be a fine idea. But don’t kid yourselves: Abolishing the conventions wouldn’t fix a deeper problem, which is that American presidential campaigns are too often deceptive, manipulative and misleading....But is this any way for a grown-up nation to pick its leader? With TV spectacles closely modeled on awards shows like the Oscars?"

ALSO:

• Fox News accounted for 45% of Republican National Convention viewership, while MSNBC had 30% of Democratic National Convention viewership: "During the Republican convention, MSNBC lost about 70 percent of its average viewership from the Democratic conclave. Fox News’s average viewership more than tripled," says Michael R. Grynbaum. "Television viewers’ turn to perceived safe spaces raises questions about the ability of political conventions — which reached a broader TV audience in the pre-internet era — to persuade undecided voters. And it underscores fears about a polarized information environment where Americans can receive little exposure to political ideas that run counter to their own."
• President Trump complains about ratings coverage after his speech fell short of Joe Biden's viewership: "How does the Fake News not include Online Streaming Numbers where Republicans blow the Dem Numbers away?" Trump tweeted after his speech was watched by 23.8 million compared to Biden's 24.6 million.
• What worked and what didn't work at the Republican National Convention: The Republicans were wise to cut down on the number of celebrities, at least compared to the Democrats.