But those days have long passed. The conventions today are both a national launching pad and a pep rally for the candidates. But since 1976 when Gerald Ford operatives finally squelched the last-ditch effort by California Gov. Ronald Reagan, there is virtually nothing left to chance. Even John McCain s Tuesday-night speech has been previewed, and George W. Bush s speech has been written, subject to refinement, for almost two months. Little wonder that the public s losing interest in the extravaganza and television producers are shuttering their cameras.
Television wants three things.
They want the unexpected. They want the dramatic. They want the conflict, said Stephen Wayne, Georgetown University political scientist. There is nothing dramatic, there is little conflict. The only thing we have left is upbeat music and bright colors, the visuals and the themes that make the convention a launching pad for the campaign.