I GREW up watching conventions of both American political parties. Often, because the outcome was not assured, there was drama and tension.
During the past several decades, they have lost their excitement. With nominees known and the platform decided in advance, the events are like infomercials for nominees and the party.
As a result, television coverage has been limited to a few hours, or less, each night and viewership has declined.
This year, however, might be different. Competing dynamics currently driving and dividing American politics will be on display over the next two weeks when Republicans and Democrats gather for their conventions in Cleveland and Philadelphia respectively.
Hyper-partisanship has created a disturbingly toxic political environment. Parties talk past each other and embarrassingly vitriolic rhetoric, once found only on the margins of politics, has come to define everyday political discourse.
With Donald Trump’s victory assured, traditional conservatives have lost control of their party and have only themselves to blame.
In one clear sign of Republican division, for the first time in recent history not one former Republican president or presidential nominee will attend. Some disgruntled delegates may follow suit and stay away.
Will the GOP Convention be an orchestrated Trump made-for-TV variety show? Or will dissidents find a way to make their presence felt?
Even without disruption inside the convention hall, the scene outside promises to be tense as the social movement harnessed by Trump squares off against equally aroused and passionate opponents.
Cleveland is a majority African-American city with its share of controversial incidents involving police violence. Add to that demonstrations sponsored by, among others, anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, anti-gay, and pro-gun groups (and their opponents) and you have a potentially combustible mix.
The most worrisome news is that because Ohio has an “open carry” policy and allows licensed individuals to carry concealed weapons, we have an “accident” (or worse, a tragedy) waiting to happen.
In anticipation of unrest, the city has emptied its jails – moving prisoners to other locations – and there will be a massive deployment of local, state and federal law enforcement throughout the city.
Just a few days after Cleveland, Democrats will gather in Philadelphia to formally nominate Hillary Clinton as their candidate for president.
With Bernie Sanders’ endorsement of Clinton and his decision not to continue his challenge by introducing minority planks to the party platform, party regulars were relieved. But despite Sanders’ move towards unity, fissures remain. The Sanders candidacy was a social and political movement that brought together liberal Democrats and a number of progressive groups and activists with no strong ties to the party.
While other candidates lose, endorse and fade away, neither Sanders nor his followers appear to be interested in following this path.
These activists will be in Philadelphia, both inside and outside the convention. Inside they will be among Sanders’ 1,900 delegates and outside they will be demonstrating in their hundreds of thousands against unfair trade agreements, for universal healthcare, for racial justice, against police violence, for immigrant rights and for Palestinian rights.
While Sanders can correctly claim his campaign had a direct impact on making the Democratic Party’s platform more progressive, it remains to be seen whether activists will find that sufficient – or whether they are willing to follow Sanders in supporting the party’s nominee and believe she will
implement their progressive agenda.
It is likely that, in addition to demonstrations outside the convention, there may be signs of discontent within the hall.
In any case, despite the best efforts of organisers of both conventions we can expect the unexpected. Stay tuned.
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