Conventions....

[maccards44]

Anyone else tired of these?
Equal opportunity rant here....Dems & GOP
Endless Speeches
(actually mostly just clapping)
Party with lobbyists
Funny Hats
Media Blowhards all taking it very seriously
At the end of the day, it's still Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin.
Didn't we already know that's who would get the nod awhile ago?

Obama has yet to detail a position or plan on just about anything.
McCain seems like his positions are in line with Bush on most issues,but also lacking details.

How much are we as taxpayers paying for these shindigs?
It doesn't seem like a good investment.
Feel free to disagree, I just don't see how this is crucial to governing.

[RedGoneWILD]

I think it's more about tradition...I can understand why they had these 50 or 100 years ago, but it's just overboard now...I feel like I'm watching the Oscars, only it lasts a week and there's only 1 award to hand out

I want to know how much these cost...The only things I could find was that each party gets $15 million from the Federal Election Committee...but I also read that the Department of Justice gave $50 million each to St. Paul & Denver for security...that's $130 million (and I'm sure it's more) for these 2 parties to bash each other on live TV

[ensbergcollector]

I agree. These were useful in the days before 24-hour news and internet so that everyone got the opportunity to hear the candidates and get some face time with them, but now it is simply a tradition and a use of money.
We will never be done with them though.

[WilyWestbrook0]

I see the conventions mostly as places where political party leaders and supporters convene together to make it look like everything is as ideally organized and harmonized as possible. It might help unify at some level, especially for party supporters who aren't certain about the current candidate (like Democratic Hillary supporters who weren't sure about supporting Barack), but I don't know how many independents are ultimately convinced or swayed by these highly generalized speeches. I also don't imagine they do much to convert people to the other side who have already supported either the Democrats or Republicans for awhile.

[mikesilvia]

I think that these would be better suited to just one day; the day the nominee gets officially nominated and gives his speech. I guess the other side is, how many people would spend all the money to fly out for one day? I think that is probably the reason they last most of a week.

[hendrikus1967]

[QUOTE=matt_curren;3883500]
Obama has yet to detail a position or plan on just about anything.
McCain seems like his positions are in line with Bush on most issues,but also lacking details.
[QUOTE]

You are so right!

I'd like to see a "little bit" more detail in their plans!
They are both avoiding the question of who will pay for all the deficits and shortfalls 8 years of Bush administration has left us with!
And shouting the word "change" in every sentence hasn't given me much confidence either!

[chljoe]

Trim it to one day with the nomination and candidate's speech. The rest is purely idealistic grandstanding on both sides and unwatchable.