The RNC Infomercial

The kickoff of the Republican National Convention early this week received a great deal of attention, in part due to Hurricane Isaac, which delayed the event’s start.

The Grand Old Party must deal not only with the usual myriad of expenses, protesters and security details, but, like the planners of the Democratic convention, must grapple with a declining audience.

Primetime coverage of conventions is dwindling, and the political parties are trying to find new ways to create excitement for the events, though tropical storms probably weren’t the type of thrill GOP convention planners hoped for. Democrats have decided to cut the number of convention days from four to three.

For the second time, Democrats are leaving the convention hall in favor of a stadium for President Barack Obama’s speech.

Republicans, meanwhile, built a $2.5-million stage and hired a former NBC producer to make sure their show runs smoothly.

Both conventions will have to fight for attention. Parties can no longer afford any downtime.

Vie President Joe Biden planned to meet supporters only nine miles away from the Democratic convention venue before he cancelled because of the inclement weather.
Meanwhile, the first lady appeared on “The Late Show with David Letterman” the same night vice presidential candidate Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., presented his acceptance speech at the convention.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s campaign certainly won’t sit back during the Democratic convention in September.

It necessitates asking why both parties repeatedly invest so much time and money in an event that can seem, at times, overly symbolic.

Long gone are the days when political powers dueled about the selection process at conventions. Primaries have, to the dismay of the conventions’ news coverage, removed that level of intrigue.

Conventions can serve practical purposes for parties, but much is invested in making sure they run smoothly as entertainment, turning events into a several-day-long
infomercials. 

There are rumbles of dissatisfaction about the usefulness of conventions in today’s world. After all, who enjoys a normal infomercial, much less one that lasts three days and is in many ways just as heavily scripted?

But to the parties and the average voter, conventions still serve an important purpose in introducing the party’s leadership to the nation.

Though network coverage and viewership dwindle, the conventions still attract enough of an audience to make them significant.

A 2008 Pew Research Center poll in St. Paul, Minn., showed that 56 percent of Americans watched at least some of the Republican convention and 46 percent watched at least some of the Democratic convention.

Conventions spark a bump in public interest during the election. They are a chance to display the party’s most charistmatic individuals.

Fifty percent of those surveyed in the same Pew poll cited former Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin’s speech as the highlight of the GOP convention, compared to a rather sad 17 percent who thought Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain’s speech was the defining moment.

Republicans will likely try to replicate that enthusiastic response at the convention and in the campaign, especially when Ryan shares some of Palin’s characteristics — a polarizing brand of magnetism, youth, a certain freshness — that worked in her favor.
The GOP convention boils down to a couple days for Romney to present himself as an individual and the ideal presidential choice.

Obama’s speech at the 2004 Democratic convention helped solidify his brand and his life story in the public eye, something Romney’s speech tonight will try to achieve.

Particularly for a candidate like Romney who has at times had trouble crafting a compelling and consistent narrative, the stage, the producers and the money could very well be worth it.

­— gwinslow@indiana.edu