Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluesman
May be headed to a brokered convention. And whatever you may THINK about that, it's bad for the GOP. The worst thing that could've happened to the Dems was a leisurely cruise into a 'coronation' convention, with no suspense, and half the delegates feeling like they just got ignored.
With a brokered convention, the Dems have the chance to get into a huddle, and bring the wings together, dealing out favors and Cabinet posts and setting up enough unity to bring the max vote out in November.
Also, and even more important, it makes the media breathlessly follow the whole dramatic thang, and sucks the oxygen away from the GOP. For the entire week, there would be wall-to-wall-to-wall coverage of the Dem convention, rising to a fever-pitch suspenseful crescendo on nomination night, and making it impossible for ANYbody to talk about anything else around the water-cooler at work.
I'd rather Hillary had just cruised to an easy win on Super-Duper Tuesday, and the Dem convention would be a ho-hum formality. A fight all the way to the doors of the convention hall is actually working AGAINST the GOP.
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The flip side is that the losers in a brokered convention end up disgruntled and suspicious of the winning side. You could see conspiracy theories bloom.
I wouldn't worry too much about the dems sucking the air out of the GOP convention. If we don't have a bit of suspense ourselves, which would be the case in the unlikely event McCain comes up short of a majority, we'll look downright orderly by comparison. The suspense would come with the VP choice. It will matter a lot given McCain's age.
In any event, the limelight of the conventions will fade quickly. Then Obama or Clinton will come under much more scrutiny than they've been subjected too up to now. McCain is a known quantity. It'll be the former POW, war hero, follow-your-conscience candidate with reams of experience facing off against the likeable kid from Illinois with little experinece or the ex-president's wife (ironically also from Illinois) with a menu of social programs that we can't afford unless we cut defense and little success in getting anything enacted.