can anyone explain why the convention is in late August? seems really late...

[darue]

that seems extraordinarily late, just about 9 weeks before the general election? Maybe it's a good strategy, I'm not sure.

[supernova]

1. Seems late to me

Typically, they are in June-July.

But I hope that's just a function of convention hall availability.

[LynneSin]

2. Because 4 years ago Repukes decided to Exploit 9/11 and moved it to later

for some states you have to be on the Ballot by September 1st. Since the republicans were having their convention in New York City they wanted to milk it for all it was worth. We had fun protesting that convention!

[Raine]

3. So the election "season" would be short

plus the Olympics delayed it too.

[MaineDem]

9. Actually it is because of the Olympics

They couldn't get tv coverage if it was held during the Games. At least not from NBC.

[NJSecularist]

4. Last election we held it a month earlier and we got burned.

Kerry accepted public financing (an $85 million dollar limit)... as did George W Bush. The difference is that they used their $85 million over an 8 week period (their convention was held 5 weeks later than ours) while we had to use that $85 million over a 13 week period.

Obviously it's much harder to be able to use $85 million over a 13 week period than it is an 8 week period.

That is why the convention is so late. If our candidate accepts public financing, we can use our $85 million over a shorter time period. That benefits us.

[Saint in the City]

5. Has something to do with Public Campaign Finance rules notext

[blm]

8. Yep - Terry McAuliffe set up 2004 Dem convention 6 Weeks BEFORE the GOP convention

which was part of McAuliffe's "I don't care about 2004' strategy in order to protect Hillary2008.

Hey Terry - Was it worth it to TeamClinton to undermine 2000, 2002 and 2004 elections to keep Bush in power till Hillary could take over?

How has that subterfuge worked out for all y'all, anyway?

[MaineDem]

10. The incumbent party always goes last

And did McAuliffe set this date? Wasn't he long gone when this happened?

[Raine]

12. True

the party that's "out" always goes first. It's supposed to even things out and give them a slight advantage to campaign longer.

[blm]

14. I know - but not with 6 weeks in between. McAuliffe set up the 2004 convention

including the date. He left in Feb 2005. Dean set up this convention, including the date.

[MaineDem]

15. I'm sorry, I thought your earlier post said he set up the '08 convention

I wasn't reading carefully enough. Missed the 2004 date in there.

Thanks. :)

[blm]

16. I added it when I realized you thought I was talking about 2008.

.

[scheming daemons]

6. The best part of it..... August 28th, the night Obama gives acceptance speech... is the 45th....

...anniversary of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech.


Gives me chills thinking about how much that place will be rocking that night.

[Raine]

11. WOW!

That is so COOL!!! :bounce:

[darue]

7. thanks for the clarity, makes sense to me now.,,

if only the admiral's son were running against two candidates instead of them running against each other. Hopefully that'll clear up soon.

[Drunken Irishman]

13. In '04, the Dems fucked themselves by holding it way early.

Typically a candidate gets a bounce out of the convention and sure enough, Kerry saw a bounce, but it vanished by the time September rolled around and the Republicans held theirs. Bush then got a bounce, in fact led by 10-15 points until October, when the debates started and Kerry gained ground. It was a horrible mistake by the Democrats to hold it so early that year. Having it in August is actually pretty good, since it will give Obama a nice bounce -- especially with it being so historical (he'll be giving his acceptance speech 45 years to the day MLK gave his I Have a Dream Speech).

[blm]

18. You assume the Dem party then was working for a win in 2004. Nope. TeamClinton ran the DNC

from 1993-Feb2005, and no doubt they ran that party to only serve the goals of Hillary2008. After 2000s massive election fraud, McAuliffe found no need to secure the election process in states where the party had been long collapsed.

[Eric J in MN]

17. Because the candidate gets the same amount of money in public financing...

...regardless of how many months are left until November.

In 2004, Kerry had to spread that money over 3 months and Bush over 2 months.

This year, the candidates will each have about 2 months to spend the public financing (if Obama takes public financing.)