by Stephen Yellin
In the modern era of American politics, the Democratic and Republican National Conventions have turned into a 4-day pep rally and narrative booster for the presumptive nominee. In the age of 24/7 news coverage (both on TV and online), this block of time has to be used to present the nation with a compelling argument for electing the Presidential nominee, showing a unified party committed to a man who will lead America towards a better, brighter era. While in practice this does not always happen - see Chris Christie's keynote speech and the suppression of Ron Paul delegates that occurred yesterday - the overall intent is clear.
It didn't use to be this way, mind you. For most of the history of National Conventions, the choice of the nominees for President and Vice-President was not a sure thing going into the balloting itself, let alone Day 1. Even when the nominee was a shoe-in (an incumbent, for example), the Convention could see passions flare and real, heartfelt debate occur over what the Party ought to stand for in making its case to the American people.
In several instances, the Convention not only determined who would take the Oath of Office on January 20th, but changed the course of American history in the process. This article (written in 3 parts) will take a look at some of the most important ones, starting with the Democratic side. Jump past the orange emblem to read on.