Political Communication 2020 Campaign Analysis Blog: Political Conventions

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Political Conventions – Tuesday, September 1st (Blog #1)

How did the shift to primarily virtual conventions due to the pandemic impact both the DNC and RNC? Did the campaigns get the “bump” that conventions typically provide? Finally, are nominating conventions still relevant given that the candidate has already been decided (regardless of a pandemic)? Your response should be supported by at least three sources (see assignment guidelines for details) and offer examples from both the RNC and DNC.

40 comments:

UnknownAugust 31, 2020 at 2:58 PM
Erin Fennell

The shift of the conventions from in person to virtually affected both the DNC and the RNC’s campaigning plan, but in different ways. According to an article by Reid J. Epstein and Lisa Lerer, the Demarcates opted to downsize their convention to a total of 300 participants straight away (Epsiein and Lerer). This is quite the opposite approach from the Republican’s plan. In an article by Michael Schere, John Dawsey and Annie Linskey, it’s stated that “[republican advises] asked the federal government to provide protective equipment, lined up labs to test thousands of attendees each day, and shifted from an indoor arena in Charlotte to one in Jacksonville, Fla.…” (Schere et al.) The Republican party was doing everything possible to hold an almost normal convention, but with the rising cases, they were unable to do so. Overall, Rev. Leah D. Daughtry discusses in an article titled “No Balloons, No Party: Will Virtual Conventions Change the Campaign?” that she believes the biggest effect of having conventions go virtual will be “the loss of the nation's attention for four days, to allow the nominee to lay out the party's agenda and platform” (Louis). With this mindset, I think the change to virtual will be a positive for the Democratic campaign but a negative for the Republican. As of now, the Democratic campaign and their candidate have a less than clear image of their objectives and main agendas. Having a lack of coverage and attention on a convention where Biden would have to explain his goals in depth could positively affect their campaign, while it would negatively affect the Republicans since they have a very clear set of agendas and goals and take away an opportunity to present them on a large scale.
The convention this year, being virtually, received far less viewers than it has in past years. An article by the New York Post states; “network viewership of the opening Democratic convention, as well as for the Republican, dropped about 28 percent for both from 2016 (Bowden). The virtual convention was not nearly as popular as the in-person festivities, which could have an effect on each party's funding’s. This year the conventions are not necessarily as relevant since the nominees are already decided, but it still acts as a great opportunity for candidates to share their goals with large scale coverage if utilized well. However, the textbook “Political Campaign Communication” discusses how the conventions, especially the 2016 convention, didn’t create much of a bounce in the polls for either candidate after the conventions, and that was during a time that people really tuned in (Denton Jr. et al., 375-378). This year there was a lack of viewership as well as a lack of excitement due to the pandemic, making the convention this year not as helpful to candidates as it could have been in previous years.
(work cited to follow)
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Mariam ShawishAugust 31, 2020 at 3:18 PM
Mariam Shawish (PART 1)

To add to the list of unprecedented events taking place in 2020, comes the Democratic and Republican national conventions. Due to the world pandemic that we are currently enduring, this year’s national conventions had to be held virtually. With the switch from a week-long in person fiasco to watching a bunch of old people trying to figure out zoom, comes a significant loss of both national attention and enthusiasm. I think the major shift that the RNC and DNC had to tackle is trying to keep the public engaged. How can the RNC and the DNC expect millions of Americans to focus on conventions when they are in the middle of adapting to a whole world of changes?

One of the goals of national conventions, is to give the candidates a boost in their campaign as they make the official switch from the primaries to the general election. But with a virtual convention, did the campaigns get the boost in polls that they hoped to achieve? We still don’t have enough information from polls in order to clearly say that the conventions did or did not give the Trump and Biden the boost they were aiming for. However, I believe that the conventions were nothing but an attempt to waste the public’s time. I personally do not think that the conventions really changed how American’s feel about either candidate. The DNC’s whole focus during the convention was to deliver the theme “America’s Promise” (Intelligencer). Basically, the focus of the convention was to reiterate what the democrats have been saying since 2016, we need to beat Trump. While on the other side, the whole focus of the RNC during this year’s convention is to reiterate “Keeping America Great” and “’Honoring the Great American Story’” (NPR). Overall, I believe that campaigns did nothing more than reiterate what they have been saying for the last few months, Biden has no goals but beating Trump and Trump thinks the country is doing great. I don’t believe either candidates really took the time to emphasize how they will play out their role if elected, and therefore I don’t believe that this year’s conventions will provide the “bump” they usually do.
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Mariam ShawishAugust 31, 2020 at 3:18 PM
Mariam Shawish (PART 2)

The primary function for the national conventions was to establish the party nomination for President and Vice-President. Now according to Denton “the symbolic or ritualistic functions, in most instances, is the chief purpose” (36). If the main function of week-long festivities is symbolism, then what is the point? Especially if we are seeing a decline of boosted ratings following the conventions? I personally do not see the point of having these conventions, other than creating a media circus for a few days, why are we wasting thousands of dollars when most of our political candidates have twitter accounts? Initially, “there was a reason to hold these quadrennial rituals. There was no primary process as we would recognize it today… started as a reform measure to wrest power from the caucuses of congressmen and state legislators who decided who the party nominees would be” (Washington Post). This is no longer a reason behind hosting conventions, instead they now are just media circuses that waste taxpayer money. Overall, I don’t see the point of having these conventions, especially in a day and age where political candidates are very active on social media, I think that campaigns are better off garnering national attention on twitter rather than having a week-long convention.

Works Cited:
“Chapter 2.” Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices, by Robert E. Denton et al., Rowman & Littlefield, 2020, pp. 36–36.
Hartmann, Margaret. “Democratic National Convention Schedule: Who's Speaking and How to Watch.” Intelligencer, Intelligencer, 20 Aug. 2020, nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/08/democratic-convention-schedule-2020.html.
Moore, Elena. “RNC Schedule: Here's What You Need To Know.” NPR, NPR, 22 Aug. 2020, www.npr.org/2020/08/22/904886750/the-republican-national-convention-starts-monday-heres-what-you-need-to-know.
Tumulty, Karen. “Opinion | Get Rid of Political Conventions. Not Just This Year, but Forever.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 2 Apr. 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/04/02/get-rid-political-party-conventions/.

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UnknownAugust 31, 2020 at 3:59 PM
Lille Gaeta
The shift to primarily virtual conventions due to COVID-19 had vast impacts on both the DNC and the RNC. For the DNC, the size of the crowd was originally supposed to be 50,000 people, consisting of delegates, party officials, journalists, etc. The crowd had been cut to 300, the party ultimately announced all business meetings would be held virtually. (Epstein and Lerer) The article “The Democrats Are Downsizing Their Convention to Almost Nothing” states limiting the in-person nature of the convention “will eliminate some of the spontaneous moments that make conventions compelling political events with appearances that can make or break a candidacy – and a political career.” Cutting back on the speaking slots as well provides less opportunities for political up-and-comers to have a breakout moment. While the DNC started working on a modified version of the convention in the spring, the RNC held out on having it in the normal form for as long as possible. Conventions are supposed to “reaffirm and celebrate the democratic selection of candidates… [and] create a communication moment through which the political parties set aside the divisions evident… and establish party unity, commitment, and excitement for the general election.” (Denton et. Al. 375) A virtual convention did not create the same excitement for the election as it has in previous years. Overall, the virtual form drew less viewers to the conventions than in 2016, but the 2020 DNC drew more viewers each night with the exception of one. The night where Joe Biden accepted the nomination had 24.6 million views, compared to Trump’s acceptance which had 23.8 million views. The Wednesday night of the RNC had 17.3 million views, while the DNC had 22.8 million people watch Kamala Harris accept the nomination for VP. (Deggans)
Neither campaign got the typical post-convention bump each may have needed. This may be tied to the decrease in convention viewership, and also the fact that it seemed like this year more than any, it seemed as if the candidate for each party had already been decided. This renders a nominating convention essentially useless. On the side of the DNC, a few candidates had gained media attention early on the campaign, but it was fairly obvious from the beginning that the most likely candidate would be Sanders or Biden. When Sanders suspended his campaign, Biden had been the sole figure left to run as the Democratic option. Before the DNC had officially nominated him, for a few months, Biden was the Democratic nominee. But then taking a look at the Republican side, I feel as if I never saw a name of another candidate interested in being the Republican nominee. Trump obviously has the advantage being the incumbent, so it appeared that no Republican would dare to challenge him. In this case, what is the point of having a convention when the nominee has so obviously been decided beforehand? For both parties, hosting conventions when only one candidate remains “in the running” seems incredibly useless.
Works Cited
Deggans, Eric. “Democrats Beat Republicans In Convention Television Ratings.” NPR, NPR, 29 Aug. 2020, www.npr.org/2020/08/28/907289022/democrats-beat-republicans-in-convention-television-ratings.

Denton, Robert E., et al. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices. Rowman & Littlefield, 2020.
Epstein, Reid J., and Lisa Lerer. “The Democrats Are Downsizing Their Convention to Almost Nothing.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 17 July 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/07/17/us/politics/democratic-convention-milwaukee.html.
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UnknownAugust 31, 2020 at 8:48 PM
Jessica Bischer

As election day creeps closer, the next events on the political calendar are the DNC and RNC. To understand how the convention will be affected by COVID-19, we must understand why they are held in the first place. The first nominating convention was held in 1832 and was essentially a time for parties to make various decisions (Denton 36). For over a century, the party nominees were unknown and announced at the convention. However, from 1972 to the present day, in most cases, the public will already know the accepting nominees (Denton 40). Therefore, the atmosphere resembles a parade rather than a meeting of delegates. The redesigned purpose for the convention makes some question the relevance of continuing to hold this event, especially in the midst of a global pandemic.

Due to the obvious unprecedented circumstances of 2020, the usual rally crowds are not present at this year's conventions. However, for the majority of Americans, the experience will go unchanged. Most of the national convention's audiences watch from their couch, rather than from the crowd. However, in 2020, there will be the missing element of excited shouts emanating from the crowd. This forces speakers to rely on their energy rather than their supporters. Professor of Communications at USC, Christina Bellantoni, describes the nominating conventions as "events designed around in-person contact" (Miller). It is important to take note of how each party handles these major events with COVID still at large.

The precautionary procedures taken by either party should be watched closely by voters. For citizens that value pandemic response, how candidates coordinate events will reflect how they plan to tackle COVID-19. According to the Washington Post, in late July, President Trump was urging for large crowds with rapid testing at the RNC (Sherer). Voters who have already called Trump's COVID response into question will most-likely be uneasy in response to his call for large crowds. Joe Biden and the Democratic party's decision to hold the DNC virtually shows their dedication to aiding an end to the pandemic. Campaign specialists on either side hope to see a spike in their poll numbers following the convention when there is typically a "bump". Unfortunately, following the 2016 DNC and RNC, there was no record of a significant "bump" for either party (McLean). The vastly different decisions made by each party for juggling the conventions and COVID may create a different outcome from 2016, in reference to post-convention poll bumps.

Many critics wonder if the national convention should continue as their main purpose for deciding the party nominees retired in 1972 (Denton 40). The convention still serves various purposes though, for example, creating unity within the party after a tight primary race. The national convention also symbolizes the candidates' legitimacy as the Presidential nominee (Denton 41-43). However, in 2020, there is a major concern for public health, an issue that should take precedence over a PR event. An event, that the greater whole of Americans would already be watching on the television, whether there is a pandemic or not. Since they were not canceled this election year, it is safe to say that the nominating conventions will not come to an end anytime soon.
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Christyna StaggAugust 31, 2020 at 8:59 PM
Due to the pandemic, both the RNC and the DNC were switched to online virtual speeches and smaller venues, compared to years passed where the conventions would be hosted in huge venues, such as stadiums. Because of technology advancements, the candidates, like Biden, were able to take advantage of the new technologies in our society and be able to live broadcast and broadcast pre-recorded speeches to audiences all over the country that viewed the DNC. For the 2020 RNC, the conventions took place in smaller venues, with much fewer people present than past conventions. Compared to the opening nights of the DNC in 2016, the 2020 DNC opening night plunged twenty-eight percent because people were less interested in the low-energy pre-taped speeches from people’s homes (Ebony). In past campaigns, technology has played a huge part in the campaigns. For example, in 1952 when the television was first used to broadcast the primary campaigns, there was a rapid growth in public interest in the campaign. From the primary election in 1948 to the primary election in 1953, the turnout number went from five million primary voters to thirteen million primary voters. The campaigns did not get the “bump” they usually would receive from the campaigns. For instance, from the news article “Why Trump, Like Biden, Should Not Expect a Post-Convention Polling Bounce”, Mclean states the first post-DNC polls, from CBS News/YouGov and Morning Consult, show that Joe Biden did not bounce to a wider lead over Donald Trump, like he expected to get. Mclean also stated that Trump will probably not receive the “bump” either. This is typically not the case for most campaigns after the conventions because most candidates usually receive a “bump” from the conventions. Even though the candidates had already been chosen by the time of the nominating conventions during this election, the conventions are still relevant because the conventions still play a huge role in the election, besides selecting candidates. The conventions have three other important communication functions, besides nominating the party’s candidate. The first function of the conventions is that the convention serves as an opportunity for the legitimation and reaffirmation of the goodness and honor of the American dream or way. The convention serves as a way for Americans to celebrate what is good about our system and about the people of America. The second function of the conventions is that the two parties have a chance to show its unity to the American people. The wounds from the primary campaigns can be addressed and healed. If a party seems divided to their audiences and supporters, the campaign is not as successful as it can be. It is all about “appearance” during the campaign. The third function of the conventions is to provide the public with an introduction of what the candidates plan to achieve during their term if they are elected. The candidates signal issues on which they plan to campaign and announce their overall campaign style they intend to follow (Denton 40-45). Candidates do this by using a slogan. An example of this was in the 2016 campaign when Trump used the slogan “Make America Great Again”.

Work Cited
-Bowden, Ebony. “RNC and DNC 2020 TV Ratings Plunge from 2016 Spectaculars amid Pandemic.” New York Post, New York Post, 25 Aug. 2020, nypost.com/2020/08/25/rnc-and-dnc-2020-convention-tv-ratings-plunge-amid-pandemic/.
-Denton, Robert E., et al. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices. Rowman & Littlefield, 2020.
-Mclean, Scott. “Why Trump, Like Biden, Should Not Expect a Post-Convention Polling Bounce | Opinion.” Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2020, www.newsweek.com/why-trump-like-biden-should-not-expect-post-convention-polling-bounce-opinion-1527551.

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Camryn NewcombAugust 31, 2020 at 9:51 PM
Political conventions have always played a vital part in presidential elections. These conventions, the RNC and the DNC, consist of four days with party leaders and delegates and entail meetings, performances and speeches. These conventions have been around since the 1800’s where they were created to get rid of the caucus system and elect party nominees in a more efficient way. Now, it has been decades where there has been question as to whom the presidential nominee from either party would be. It is usually determined weeks or months prior. According to Denton, the goal of the conventions is to “reaffirm and celebrate the democratic selection of candidates…create a communication moment through which the political parties set aside the divisions evident… and establish party unity, commitment and excitement for the general election” (375). To put into less words, the candidates are putting forward showmanship in order to unify their party, solidify their platform, and to accept their nomination after delegates vote. Something that stuck out to me in the YouTube video “2020’s DNC and RNC are Different Than Any Before” was Costas Panagopoulos, the head of the political science department at Northeastern University, saying that these conventions are “orchestrated pep rallies.” He goes on to explain that there is no longer excitement about a competition between two candidates in one party, but instead one candidate who is about to accept their party’s nomination trying to rally Americans behind them and to set expectations for their potential presidency.
The 2020 conventions were drastically affected due to COVID-19, safety, and precautionary measures in order to keep everyone safe from illness. This year, Katy Perry and Alicia Keys did not make an appearance in the large DNC arena like they did in 2016. Likewise, Kid Rock will not take the stage to perform at the RNC. This year, almost all speakers and musical talents were virtually attending the conventions. There was not a large, eager crowd cheering and rallying behind a candidate. The RNC chairwoman, Ronna McDaniel, explained prior to the event that they are only allowing delegates for three out of the four nights. The last night where Donald Trump accepted his nomination would expand to delegates, a guest list of their choosing, and alternate delegates (Politico). The DNC was almost all virtual appearances and speeches. It was expected that Joe Biden would get a “bump” in polls following the convention. That did not happen this year, but according to data from Newsweek, that is not unusual anymore. Since 1996, there has been an average bounce of about 3.6% after conventions. From 1964 to 1992, there was an average bounce of about 6.3% after conventions.
This year’s conventions put into question whether or not they’re essential to the electoral process. Are they still a place where political parties come together, make connections and get inspired and motivated to vote? In my opinion, conventions are essential to a presidential election process. For example, there are stand out moments such as John Kasich, a former Republican governor of Ohio, speaking at the DNC in support of Joe Biden. Moreover, Kimberly Guilfoyle speaking on behalf of her immigrant parents coming to America for the American dream and the reform that needs to happen across the country. I believe that without showing the support of a party through political leaders, there is a loss of information being given out. This time is giving the opportunity to American people to recap on what the candidates have done in their political or professional past and how they will continue to help the American people through being the Commander in Chief.
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Brianna MejiaAugust 31, 2020 at 10:39 PM
Brianna Mejia

The COVID-19 pandemic has made important changes to both the Democratic National Convention as well as the Republican National Convention. To begin, chaos struck when the RNC, originally planned to take place in Charlotte, N.C., was upended by the rise in coronavirus cases. According to an article published by the Washington Post entitled "How the Republican National Convention Came Undone", planners struggled to scout new venues in locations that would ultimately be canceled due to rising numbers of cases in Florida (Scherer et al.) This forced the convention to split Charlotte, N.C, and Washington D.C. Trump’s original plans included large crowds, but instead, the convention consisted of small, socially distanced crowds and masks.
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Democratic National Convention downsized their convention to virtually nothing. Originally scheduled to take place in Milwaukee, the event consisted of prerecorded speeches from high-profile politicians from any location they chose. According to an article published by the New York Times, "The Democrats Are Downsizing Their Convention to Almost Nothing" written by Reid J. Epstein and Lisa Lerer, the convention was scaled down to 300 people, and convention planners emailed all delegates and politicians to stay away from the event. They also drastically cut the amount of time the convention took as well, taking away room for up and coming politicians to speak. They took an opportunity to make their keynote speech something special and made it a collaborative effort between various political figures speaking from their homes.
According to an article by CNN, "Trump's Still in Trouble in First Post-Convention Polling", by Harry Enten, Trump did not receive the bump that he was hoping for after the convention. However, there is evidence to show that Biden did not either. Favorability poll results went down one percent for trump and up one percent for Biden (which could be within the margin of error). However, this shows that neither candidate received a large bump (Enten). The article mentions that whatever bump Trump may have received still has him trailing Biden in the polls. This proves that neither candidate received any significant bump from these conventions which aligns with the reduced viewership that the article also mentions (Enten).
In my opinion, nominating committees are in no way relevant to our current political climate. According to "Political Campaign Communication" written by Robert Denton, “The various communication acts and symbols of conventions… serve to renew our faith that U.S. citizens share not only a glorious tradition but a grand and proud future,” (Denton, 40). While reminding citizens of a tradition and our history is sentimental, I think that the funding it takes to put on these conventions is a waste of resources. Although there are intangible outcomes such as legitimizing candidates, exposing the public to candidate plans, and encouraging part unity, I think that there are better ways to do these things that do not include putting on huge events at lobbyists’ expense. According to the article Get rid of political conventions. Not just this year, but forever. published by the Washington Post, the author Karen Tumulty states that these conventions are just infomercials and taxpayers are “usually left holding a big bill” (Tumulty). These conventions are in no way what they used to be and are more like TV shows that play to the audience, so why pretend that they serve the same purpose?
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Jaime PietrosimoneAugust 31, 2020 at 10:43 PM
There were no balloons. There were no streamers. There was not a crowd of 16,000 people radiating a palpable energy or fueling each political party’s campaign. For the first time, the Republican National Convention and Democratic National Convention were held virtually, leaving viewers less than impressed. Reflected in numbers alone, network viewership of the opening Democratic convention plunged 28 percent from 2016 while the Republicans fell 28 percent from 2016. (Bowden, 2020). The spontaneity of the typically live events was lost producing a stale showing in which viewers compared the DNC to a 3 AM informercial with zero sex appeal. (Pai, 2020). It was too controlled, too planned and considering the somber climate of our nation, some pep might have gone a long way.

It is important to note that since the DNC was held first, the Republican party was able to learn from the Dems errors. The Democratic party went into convention with the belief that the pandemic was the primary issue and did not address the rising violence conflicting the population during the four-day convention. Undoubtedly, this miscalculation played a part in cutting Biden’s lead and the absence of any bump in polls. This omission allowed the Republican party to respond more decisively and aggressively, by making America’s safety the number one issue. It is only now that Democrats are starting to change their strategy and publicly denounce the violence. Since 1992, conventions have gradually shown they are less capable of producing a bump, emphasizing the role the independent party has in this post-convention blip. (Mclean, 2020). Even with a live speech, Trump struggled to gain popularity mainly due to his poor response to the pandemic. The nation needs to be comforted with a warm blanket right now and both party’s failure to lead in these relevant areas are leaving America with many sleepless nights.

Since tradition has seemingly gone by the wayside in this year’s election, it leaves many wondering if conventions are even still relevant given the candidates have already been decided. However, conventions allow a forum where platforms can be determined and the tone or “battle posture” for the general election campaign to be established. (Denton, 36). In order to consolidate support within the Democratic party, Joe Biden appeased the left leaning portion of the party by incorporating some of his chief rival Bernie Sanders progressive ideals. Sanders is a self-described Democratic socialist. Such platforms as Medicare for all, government paid college and guaranteed income are new to traditional platforms offered by candidates and could be viewed as risky to the American electorate.

Subsequent to the conventions, Democrats are now voicing opinions regarding the necessity of the three scheduled Presidential debates. Democrats are being accused of lacking confidence in the ability of Biden to produce positive results which could have a negative influence on his polling and chances of being elected President. Stay tuned…

Works Cited
Bowden, Ebony. "https://meaww.com/dnc-viewers-find-speeches-boring-insipid-its-like-watching-a-3-am-infomercial-with-less-sex-appeal." 25 August 2020. https://nypost.com/2020/08/25/rnc-and-dnc-2020-convention-tv-ratings-plunge-amid-pandemic/. 29 August 2020.
McLean, Scott. "Why Trump, Like Biden, Should Not Expect a Post-Convention Polling Bounce." 25 August 2020. www.newsweek.com/why-trump-like-biden-should-not-expect-post-convention-polling-bounce-opinion-1527551. 29 August 2020.
Pai, Akshay. "DNC 2020: Viewers find speeches boring, say 'it's like watching a 3 am infomercial with zero sex appeal'." 18 August 2020. https://meaww.com/dnc-viewers-find-speeches-boring-insipid-its-like-watching-a-3-am-infomercial-with-less-sex-appeal. 2020 August 29.
Robert E. Denton, Jr., Judith S. Trent, Robert V. Friedenberg. Political Campaign Communication Principles & Practices, 9th Edition . Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2020. Kindle.

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Jailynn CaraballoAugust 31, 2020 at 10:57 PM
Jailynn Caraballo:

Because of the new challenges 2020 has confronted us with and the unprecedented effects and changes Covid-19 has swung our way, both the DNC and the RNC have looked very different this year. The DNC took the safe route and made it a point to have almost every aspect of the convention be virtual/online. This shows that not only does the Democratic party value their caution when it comes to the Corona-virus, but that Biden is making sure to listen to what the Democratic voters are looking for and what is most important to them during these times. On the other hand, the RNC looked as normal as normal can be during a global pandemic. Opposite from the DNC, the RNC did have some in person speakers and viewers. This shows that Donald Trump is paying attention to the Republican voters and their lack of interest in supporting mask procedures and the safety of others. “But ultimately, the rising coronavirus caseload — and the political cost of forcing risky behavior on thousands just months before the election — proved too great. Advisers convinced Trump that canceling the convention could help him politically as he tries to pay closer attention to the coronavirus, show that he cares about the health of Americans and improve his sagging poll numbers” (How the Republican National Convention Went Undone). Because of the almost standstill we are currently living in, I do believe that the campaigns were able to get the “bump” that the conventions typically provide. According to TVLine, the viewership for the closing night audience of the DNC was More than 24 million. While the viewership for the closing night audience of the RNC was more than 23 million.
The original purpose for the conventions was to have a platform in which to formally showcase the nominations for each party. Since the nominations are announced months in advance, the conventions are seen as more of a networking or news event. Though there are many other reasons for the continuance of the conventions. “From a communication perspective, conventions reaffirm and celebrate the democratic selection of candidates, thereby legitimizing both the process and the nominees. The conventions also create a communication moment through which the political parties set aside the divisions evident in the primary campaign and establish party unity, commitment, and excitement for the general election” (Political Campaign Communication, Pg. 375). The book helps to clarify one key point that I personally think is very important. The conventions are meant as a way to “establish party unity”. Though the primaries are meant to be a bloodbath and a fight to the top, the conventions are a way to show that each party has similar ideals and beliefs systems that make them kindred to one another. Though many other news platforms have already decided that the conventions are overdone and unnecessary. Axios claims that the lack of viewership for the RNC proves that, “Republican convention viewership down 26% from first night of 2016”. I believe that the conventions occur every election cycle for a reason and would be sad to see them go.

WORKS CITED:
Denton, R. E., JR., Trent, J. S., & Fridenberg, R. V. (n.d.). Political Campaign Communication (9th ed.)
Fischer, S. (2020, August 25). Republican convention viewership down 26% from first night of 2016. Retrieved September 01, 2020.
Mitovich, M. (2020, August 30). DNC and RNC Ratings in Review: Sorted by Network, Age Group and More. Retrieved September 01, 2020.
Scherer, M., Dawsey, J., & Linskey, A. (2020, July). How the Republican National Convention Came Undone. Retrieved August Monday, 2020.
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McKayla NorrisAugust 31, 2020 at 11:53 PM
For years, the political conventions have served several purposes for the candidates and the upcoming election. Despite this years model being slightly different due to the global pandemic, the DNC and RNC still reap the benefits the conventions typically bring. However, the differences present in the virtual or modified conventions can negatively impact the candidates as well. The conventions allow for the candidate and party to not only reach their respective parties but also expand to the entire country through examining the party and their agenda as a whole. Without the large crowds that are typically present at the conventions, there was a lack of showmanship and also a lack of enthusiasm. Without each party meeting in person, the voters may be less engaged in the candidate or the convention resulting in less attention from people across the country and a drop in viewers. Firstly, there is a major downsize in the DNC in terms of the people who are speaking and the ones who can be in attendance (Epstein & Lerer). With this, the convention that is typically filled with major figures in each party along with the nominee and other note-worthy delegates is now approximately only 300 people. According to Epstein & Lerer, the nature of the DNC in wake of the 2020 pandemic will “eliminate some of the spontaneous moments that make conventions compelling political events.” Similarly, the RNC had to make major adjustments to their prior plans. The RNC originally planned for thousands of people and “packed crowds” (How the Republican National Convention Came Undone).
Daily News says that “Trump’s lack of coronavirus safeguards” in still foregoing the in-person convention may have negatively impacted polling (Lalljee, 2020).

On the upside, both the RNC and DNC still received major coverage from the media and it appeared there was still unification within the parties. As seen in previous conventions, Denton writes “about 120 million watched at least one of the conventions, while almost 40 percent of households watched both conventions” (Denton, 38). This fact proves that the nation is no stranger to streaming things on television rather than attending live, so in this case, the conventions may appear somewhat normal in their impact.

Campaign conventions are usually a sure way for candidates and parties to understand where they stand in terms of popularity among voters, but 2020 conventions are not expected to see the polling numbers they would have hoped to see. Specifically speaking, candidates and political parties rely heavily on the post-convention polling. Surprisingly enough, the candidates still did receive some increase in their polling after the conventions but not the “bump” that other conventions have produced. In a post-convention article from USA Today, they examine a survey that was taken on the first day of the DNC that shows Biden leading by eight points before the DNC and by nine points the day after the DNC concluded. Similarly, Trump increased in polling and began narrowing the lead Biden has (Lalljee, 2020). In comparison to previous elections, the polling was not bumped nearly as much.

Nominating conventions are certainly still relevant even though the candidate is already decided because the convention is arguably the most predominant and valuable publicity event in the campaign trail. It is a useful event for educating the voting public on both the democratic and republican agendas as well as while bringing together the teams that are backing the faces of each party. The convention also gives the candidates the chance to accept their nomination from the party and speak on that behalf. According to Denton, the convention stage is important regardless of the already chosen nominee because of its “symbolic function” rather than its instrumental function (Denton, 36).
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UnknownSeptember 1, 2020 at 12:06 AM
Works Cited

Lalljee, Jason. "Post-RNC Poll Shows Biden Still Ahead, but Trump Gaining Ground." 31 Aug. 2020. Web. 01 Sept. 2020.

Denton, Robert E., et al. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices. 9th
ed., Rowman & Littlefield, 2020.

Michael Scherer, Josh Dawsey. "How the Republican National Convention Came Undone." The Washington Post. WP Company, 24 July 2020. Web. 01 Sept. 2020.

Epstein, Reid J., and Lisa Lerer. "The Democrats Are Downsizing Their Convention to Almost Nothing." The New York Times. The New York Times, 17 July 2020. Web. 01 Sept. 2020.
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AnonymousSeptember 1, 2020 at 1:29 AM
Shannon Flaherty
The shift to virtual conventions due to the pandemic impacted both the DNC and the RNC primarily in length, or at least length for “prime time” (Hartmann). However, this shift online came at a good time for views, having most Americans still staying home and possibly quarantining due to the pandemic. I think that having easier access and the time to watch will be beneficial for the American public. For example, even the Smithsonian curators got to enjoy viewing from the comfort of their own homes rather than being on ground at both conventions and get to take notes from their TVs (Elbeshbishi). While viewer numbers might be escalated due to the current situation, there was an emphasis on cutting down content and making sure the airtime was used efficiently because the events are both being broadcasted virtually and in doing so I expect the campaigns will not get the “bump” that conventions typically provide because it is less likely there will be those made-for-TV spontaneous moments that the public is so used to seeing highlighted on the news the next day. With social distancing/virtual engagement there won’t be the iconic moments between Biden and Obama because of social distancing. The DNC radically downsized. Their original numbers were supposed to be 50,000 people and now has been scaled down to around a mere 300 people in total (Epstein). However, in order to keep people engaged and to make it more interesting to watch the speakers attending virtually were encouraged to use a symbolic visually interesting background (Hartmann). The RNC was slow to reach the decision on a virtual event due to the offers from Florida to have outdoor events but they ended up pulling the plug and by Trump saying it was his decision, it made it look like they cared about the public and it painted him in a good light. (Michael).
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Claire FaulknerSeptember 1, 2020 at 9:04 AM
Claire Faulkner

As a new voter with little experience in following elections, I had few expectations before watching the recent political conventions. For the first time in history, the DNC and RNC were not held in person, but online, challenging both parties to find new ways to gather and connect. To someone who has watched many conventions in their lifetime, I could imagine that this year’s adapted versions seemed to be lacking their usual energy. However, as someone who has no ties to the traditions of packed arenas, falling balloons, and nominee family photo ops, I believe many people are overlooking the value of this year’s adapted virtual conventions.

Since their beginning, conventions have gone through many changes. The main purpose of conventions was once to decide the presidential nominees. Now, primary elections decide this prior to the conventions (Denton 39). For years, conventions also served to give nominees a “bounce” in the polls; however, this year, neither candidate saw resulting spikes in their support (McLean). These changes, along with decreased viewership, have left many people to question the effectiveness of conventions. Although the DNC and RNC did not draw large audiences or give either nominee a significant “bump”, I do not believe conventions are no longer relevant. On the contrary, past elections have shown us that even small numbers can have a big impact on elections. In 2016, the outcome of the election could have been different if three states that were won by <2% had swung the other way (Meko et al.). Therefore, even if their impact is slight, conventions can still have a powerful influence.

Even though the virtual conventions this year didn’t have significant impacts, we shouldn’t write them off as failures yet. While less people watched and the candidates didn’t see desired results in the polls, this year should be considered a valuable learning opportunity. Understandably, the first virtual conventions were not perfect, but there were many aspects that worked well. For example, speeches were more concise. I believe that if the efficiency of this year’s DNC and RNC were to be adopted in future years, it could entice more people to watch, especially younger audiences. As said by Nicole Hemmer, another positive change is that the conventions “allowed viewers to hear from ordinary Americans—not ones who had been scrubbed up, telepromptered and stuck on stage, but people speaking from their slightly messy homes, in their slightly squeaky chairs, with their slightly off-kilter camera work, telling their stories in a way that felt real and intimate in a way no modern convention ever has” (Politico Magazine). In my opinion, failing to acknowledge the current day-to-day realities of Americans would have seemed dishonest. Continuing to include the perspectives of a variety of Americans in future conventions might help to engage more people and make them feel heard by their parties.

I’m not suggesting that political conventions go fully virtual, but expanding them beyond the walls of an arena seemed to create many impactful messages of unity and more accurate representations of the nation, which in my opinion, was more powerful than the carefully orchestrated and scripted gatherings of past years. When people are able to come together for conventions again, I believe it would be beneficial to use a hybrid model. That way, we can preserve the things Americans enjoy about traditional conventions, while incorporating more concise and engaging content to make conventions effective once more.
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Harriet RiceSeptember 1, 2020 at 9:25 AM
Harriet Rice

The 2020 virtual convention will always be remembered. In history, conventions have been a huge benefit for candidates as “the convention stage is an important and distinct period in the four-step process because of the symbolic functions it provides” (Denton 35). However, due to the pandemic impact, the 2020 convention will not be the same. The first noticeable change is the lack of people and spirit. National political Conventions have served as a pep rally and a sense of unity. They focus on the whole country (PBS NewsHour). Also seen as “one big family reunion” (ABCNEWS).
Looking at this year, there will be no balloons, no yelling, little excitement, and limited connection with others due to the pandemic. The DNC polls “show that Joe Biden did not bounce to wider lead over Donald Trump (Mclean). Some may take this as a positive sign initially, however, it is also reported that “the president will probably not receive a bounce either” (Mclean). The DNC initially had 5,000 attendees which have now come down to 300 (Epstein, Lerer). This number includes attendees and members of news media, security personnel, medical consultants, and party workers. Along with speeches initially being 6 hours to 3 hours (Epstein, Lerer).
The atmosphere will be extremely limited and will ultimately have an impact on the candidacy and political career as many “spontaneous moments” will be eliminated (Epstein, Lerer). When looking at Trump who initially “insisted on packed crowds at his convention” (Scherer, Dawsey, Linskey). However, has been advised to plan otherwise due to safety precautions. This advice was also given to help him politically as he will be able to pay closer attention to the coronavirus (Scherer, Dawsey, Linksey). Trump said at the White House “I have to protect the American people,” “That’s what I have always done. That is what I will always do. That’s what I am about” (Scherer, Dawsey, Linksey).
When reading the textbook about surrogate speakers I found out that during recent presidential campaigns families served as surrogates (Denton 175). With many social issues taking place in 2020 I was eager to learn more about speakers supporting Trump and the topics being discussed from his surrogates. In the Washington Post article titled “Trump isn’t doing much to shore up his issues at this convention” I learned that women are a weak spot for the president (Phillips) and that he is missing communicating with suburban women. He had his wife Melania Trump to connect with women and how mothers in specifics should be teaching their children about the dangers of social media (Phillips). With her speech, she was also aiming to humanize the pandemic and lives lost (Phillips). She was able to support her husband, however, his daughter Tiffany Trump didn’t serve as any witness.

Works Cited:

Denton, Robert E., Judith S. Trent, and Robert V. Friedenberg. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practice, 9th ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2020.

Epstein, Reid J., and Lisa Lerer. “The Democrats Are Downsizing Their Convention to Almost Nothing.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 17 July 2020

Phillips, Amber. “Analysis | Trump Isn't Doing Much to Shore up His Weaknesses at This Convention.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 26 Aug. 2020,

Scherer, Michael, Josh Dawsey, and Annie Linskey. "How the Republican National Convention Came Undone," Washington Post 25 July 2020.

"Why Trump, Like Biden, Should Not Expect a Post-Convention Polling Bounce," Newsweek 25 Aug. 2020.

"Why Do We Still Have Political Conventions?," PBS NewsHour 12 Aug. 2020.

"2020's DNC and RNC are Different Than Any Before," ABC News 17 Aug. 2020.

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AnonymousSeptember 1, 2020 at 9:58 AM
Nicholas Ciampanelli

Following the onset of COVID-19, the respective national conventions were required to make unusual changes to their traditional programming. Although the Democratic Party opted to remain almost entirely virtual, the Republican Party conducted a significant amount of its nomination process in-person by having a handful of party officials in attendance. According to the article “Republican National Convention Kicks off in Charlotte, Subdued – Then Trump Shows Up” by Austin Weinstein, the President chose to maintain many on-ground operations as a part of his commitment to the Charlotte region, stating that he wished to have a crowd to share his platform of making “‘…America Great Again, Again’” with. This platform sought to unify the party’s objectives for his potential second term, which consisted of “strengthening the military, creating 10 million jobs in the first 10 months, building highways faster, hiring more police, and criminal justice reform” – all of which are common tropes of the Republican Party (Weinstein). Having consolidated this aforementioned platform, the President and the Republican Party effectively broadcasted their objectives to voters and established the tone of the RNC. This held true for both parties, but despite their success in unifying the party, neither candidate should expect to have a significant “bump” in their polling.
Although conventions put on a show for potential voters, historical trends indicate that party nominating conventions have little to no effect upon improving the public’s support for a candidate. According to Dr. Scott McLean, the author of “Why Trump, Like Biden, Should Not Expect a Post-Convention Polling Bounce,” each campaign will not experience a bump in their polling because “the parties became increasingly polarized after 2000…” which “…pulled more independents into making up their minds prior to the convention”. This polarization skews the plane of political identity to become consolidated in the party extremes, leaving a shortage of undecided potential voters in the middle that can be swayed by the candidates. This was particularly evident following the Democratic National Convention, for a CBS/YouGov survey concluded that the Biden-Harris ticket did not experience a “…general bounce [in polling], and no vote shift among [undecided] independents…” (McLean). With this most recent and historic inability to shift polling numbers for the respective tickets, this consistent trend asserts the notion that conventions are arbitrary in increasing a candidate’s support and promoting the party’s platform. Despite this, conventions are likely to continue for one reason: tradition.
The critical shortcoming of party nominating conventions is that they do not increase support for either candidate. However, conventions serve as longstanding party traditions that legitimize a candidate through deeply rooted political party celebrations, which is the key driver for their continuation. According to “Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices” by Robert Denton, Judith Trent, and Robert Friedenberg, political parties continue hosting conventions because although “a person may have won primary after primary… [they are not the certified frontrunner] until the convention delegates affirm… through their votes at the convention… [that] the candidate becomes the nominee” (Denton et. al., 42). Therefore, these ceremonies are continued to verify that a political frontrunner is elevated to the status of nominee and an opportunity to unify voters to support a ticket throughout the remainder of the electoral process. For this reason, nominating conventions continue to be a cornerstone of the American political system by reaffirming party traditions, which will likely continue for the remainder of the United States’ history.
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UnknownSeptember 1, 2020 at 9:59 AM
Matt Gallo 9/1

Matt Gallo
MSS349
Professor Burns
30 August 2020

The DNC and the RNC has always been about showing how much support they receive from their platform. In a non-pandemic world, they get constant cheers and have an awesome atmosphere as they are announcing their plans of their platform. With the online component, the average TV audience does not get the full “awe” of the convention. When the platforms are announced without roaring and screaming from their supporters, their platform has a much lower potential of influence.
The RNC has a four day online session with a wide variety of speakers from the First Lady, State Senators and Representatives, to President Trump himself. The initial plan was to hold the convention in Jacksonville, Florida, but with the rising COVID cases they decided to shift to online. Although, One thing the article from NPR stated which was interesting was, “In the past years, the Republicans have used the convention to finalize their party’s updated platforms and rules, although as of mid-June, the Republican National Committee said it will not be updating its 2016 party platform and will keep it as is until 2024” (Elena Moore). Given the current climate our country is in, and the constant pressure the Republicans have been dealing with in the media, it is quite surprising they do not have any changes to their platform. Only time will tell, if this was the correct move on the Republican Party’s part.
When looking at the DNC, they have taken the strange approach to reduce the amount of people in attendance to a strict 300 people. Having to go against the incumbent party is a difficult task in itself and restricting your audience can only hurt your chances. In the NY Times article, Gilberto Hinojosa the Texas Democratic Party Chairmen, “’ We know who our nominee is and we recognize that is too dangerous to get together. We’re not going to risk anybody’s life for a rah-rah convention that can be conducted virtually’” (Epstein & Lerer). While it is indeed much safer to have a virtual convention, they need to use every advantage they can get.

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Tim PowersSeptember 1, 2020 at 10:21 AM
Tim Powers
Both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party faced their fair share of difficulties when planning their conventions for the 2020 election. Because of the global pandemic, it is not safe to host an event filled with thousands of people. At first, both parties planned huge events that called for thousands of people in attendance. However, both parties had to reconsider, some faster than others. The Democrats limited their convention to largely three hours and pre-taped videos (Epstein & Lerer). The Republicans had been planning to still have their large convention in-person first in Charlotte, North Carolina and then Jacksonville, Florida, but those plans ultimately failed due to the limitations of the pandemic. The President ultimately decided to cancel and instead host a smaller event on the South Lawn of the White House (Moore). Both political parties had to severely downsize and rethink their political campaigns to make the events safe for everyone.

According to the first post-DNC polls, the Biden campaign did not receive a “bump” that widened the gap between himself and Trump after the Democratic Convention. However, according to first post-RNC polls, the Trump campaign received a small boost. Previous polls indicated that Biden was leading with 52 percent support while Trump trailed behind at 42 percent. Now, post-RNC polls have Biden still leading with 50 percent support while Trump increases to 44 percent (Axelrod). In other words, while Biden is still leading in the polls currently, Trump was able to use the convention to narrow his gap between Biden, however small.

Nominating Conventions viability have been debated for many different reasons. I believe they do serve a purpose, however, there are some downsides to the conventions. Ultimately, to me, the conventions, do celebrate our democratic traditions and highlight the primary election process. I believe this to be important to our democratic institutions. However, that is just me. While the conventions have largely stayed the same over many decades, “a majority of citizens regularly tell pollsters that they would prefer some other method for nominating presidential candidates” (Denton, Jr, Trent, Friedenberg, 35). In other words, many people would rather see a change in format of how we nominate our candidates. So not necessarily removing the conventions but reformatting the process. Change is good. In addition, the public perception, recent events have put the conventions viability into question. The COVID-19 pandemic has effectively eliminated the ability to do in-person events with thousands of people. This has led to the 2020 conventions to largely being virtual. For the 2020 conventions, 23.4 million viewers watched Trump’s speech, while 24.6 million viewers watched Biden’s (Brantley-Jones). Comparing this to the 2016 conventions, 34.9 million viewers watched Trump’s speech, while 33.3 million viewers watched Clinton’s speech (Huddleston, Jr.). In other words, ratings are down and if these continue to go down in future years, I believe the conventions should be eliminated or reformatted.
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Matthew BruinSeptember 1, 2020 at 10:56 AM
Matthew Bruin (PART 1)

This year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both the Republican and Democrat national party conventions were directly impacted where social distancing rules and regulations forced the conventions to be held online. With this transition for both the DNC and the RNC, having virtual conventions meant vast amounts of change and uncertainty for both parties. Before getting into how holding virtual conventions impacted the DNC and RNC, I think it is important to understand the purpose of these conventions in the first place. For example, when looking at the original purpose of the conventions, it states the both the DNC and the RNC are “the bodies that make official presidential and vice-presidential nominations for the Republican and Democrat parties” (Denton 35). It was also said that these conventions “could be viewed as deliberate bodies—assemblies faced with difficult important decisions to make in a few days” (Denton 35). In saying this, it was evidently clear that since the creation of these conventions in 1832, these conventions not only acted as a way to choose a candidate for presidential election, but it was also clear that these conventions shaped how these parties and candidates would make important decisions that would clearly impact the parties success in the upcoming election. Now, however instead of the formal nominating tactics the conventions were meant to produce, conventions now seemingly have transitioned to a platform where the Democrat and Republican parties can introduce the candidates campaign themes and issues, rally around their candidate, establish party unity, and ultimately show their commitment and excitement for the upcoming general election, while putting all original purposes of the conventions aside.

Now, when looking at previous conventions where parties are able to rally around their candidate in person, it is clear that the unprecedented circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic would not allow for traditional practices to take place. For example, large amounts of people could no longer attend the DNC and the RNC, and now many of the keynote speeches actually shifted from being in-person, to being pre-recorded. In doing this, it clearly became a lot harder to unify the party and rally support simply because the audience was now “virtual.” For example I found it weird when the pre-recorded speeches were being broadcasted and how there was no audience to cheer that person on. As a result, because of the virtual conventions this year, and controversy around having the party conventions in general, it makes people wonder why the convention is needed even if the conventions are so called “symbolic.” For example, in an article talking about getting rid of the political conventions it is said that the conventions are “week long infomercials, funded by lobbyists, offering a few moments that can hold a decent sized television audience” and that “tax payers of the cities that host them are usually left holding a big bill” (Tumulty). By saying this, Tumulty is pointing out all the negatives of holding a convention, a convention that is not even necessary for our nomination process. Here one of my biggest concerns is the money it costs for taxpayers in doing so. Tumulty also points out the cerography of the conventions adding that they are mainly funded by lobbyists in which candidates originally vision for America can become blurred. Overall, now due to virtual conventions already of taken place it makes you wonder why we still have such conventions.
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Matthew BruinSeptember 1, 2020 at 10:56 AM
Matthew Bruin (PART 2)

On the other hand, even though it is clear that the purpose of these conventions has shifted from more instrumental to a more symbolic purpose more recently in history, I think it is clear that these conventions still act as a major part of our election process and still should take place. For example, after this year’s conventions, the DNC attracted a total of 122 million total viewers through television and online, while the RNC brought in 147.9 million viewers across television and online viewership (Singman). Additionally, the Biden campaign was able to raise $70 million over the course of the DNC and the Trump campaign was able to raise $76 million during the RNC (Singman). With this information I think that it is clear that these conventions have a direct impact on the American people and the candidates’ campaigns. Although the candidates may have already been chosen as a result of primary elections, it is clear that these conventions still have a large impact on each of the party’s candidates’ campaigns which can impact the outcome of the general election.

Work Cited

Denton, Robert E., Judith S. Trent, and Robert V. Friedenberg. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practice, 9th ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2020.

Tumulty, Karen. “Get Rid of Political Conventions. Not Just This Year, But Forever.” Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/04/02/get-rid-political-party-conventions/.

Singman, Brooke. “Trump Campaign Rakes in $76 Million during Republican National Convention.” Fox News, 29 Aug. 2020, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-campaign-millions-republican-national-convention
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Sumer PerrattiSeptember 1, 2020 at 11:34 AM
Sumer Perratti (Part 1)

In addition to all the unforeseen circumstances Americans have experienced in 2020—a global pandemic, a tireless, civilian rise against systemic racism, and extreme political division and partisanship—this year’s presidential candidates have faced yet another obstacle in their strides to the Oval Office. While Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s team has struggled to unite their party behind him as a candidate, sitting President Donald Trump has focused heavily on maintaining his enthusiastic, loyal constituency in hope of his reelection. As Professor Scott McLean correctly stated, “Biden does not have an adoring legion of partisans like Trump enjoys, and he won't gain one by November” (2). McLean’s stance may be attributed to the fact that the infamous national conventions have transitioned to a virtual format, where both parties hold onto hope for a “bounce” in their polls following the dramatic and sometimes desirous speeches from influential party figures. Since 1972, “conventions have gradually shown they are less capable of delivering a solid polling bounce” due to the fact that independent voters decide on their presidential candidate long before conventions are held (McLean 2). Now, amidst a pandemic that has forced social distancing and limited public gatherings, both parties must not only strategize for a persuasive event, but one that can still connect with audiences despite its unprecedented, slightly awkward format. Now, the ultimate test for both parties becomes a matter of whether they can create a “communication moment through which the political parties set aside the divisions evident…[while] establish[ing] party unity, commitment, and excitement for the general election” (Denton 375). While Robert E. Denton, the primary author of Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices reaffirms McLean’s point of a declining bounce in recent elections—specifically referencing 2016’s close election—both Trump and Biden’s campaigns still made a grave attempt at swaying more voters by going on the offense using different methods.
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Sumer PerrattiSeptember 1, 2020 at 11:36 AM
Sumer Perratti (Part 2)

At the DNC, speakers such as Michelle Obama made blatant and direct attacks on President Trump. A Washington Post article titled “Democrats get ‘nasty’ on Trump, attacking him as responsible for — and indifferent to — American deaths” highlights some of her most quoted lines of the night: “Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is” (1). This is new for the First Lady, as she has avoided political discourse most of her time in the public eye. However, while Democrats saw her words as reaffirming and motivational, the Republican Party viewed her speech as the perfect opportunity to play the victim. At the RNC, President Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. played this part appropriately: “Unlike Joe Biden and the radical left Democrats, our party is open to everyone. It starts by rejecting radicals who want to drag us into the dark and embracing the man who represents a bright and beautiful future for all” (Politico2). These campaign strategies played by both candidates, although expected, will likely not provide a bounce in the polls nor a valid argument that nominating conventions are still relevant in today’s political climate. Due to the political division that has been rapidly increasing among the two parties since 2016, it is unlikely that these conventions will produce any political benefit to either candidates, and may possibly decrease either candidate’s chances in swaying more independents. As the national election nears, it is difficult to determine whether President Trump’s outlandish agenda will cause enough public outrage to force Democrats and Independents together to unite behind Joe Biden for the presidency. Regardless of either candidate’s policies, it is unlikely that these conventions will provide a solid purpose in our nation’s political future.

Denton, Robert E., Judith S. Trent, and Robert V. Friedenberg. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practice, 9th ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2020.

McLean, Scott. “Why Trump, Like Biden, Should Not Expect a Post-Convention Polling Bounce | Opinion.” Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2020, www.newsweek.com/why-trump-like-biden-should-not-expect-post-convention-polling-bounce-opinion-.

Blake, Aaron. “Analysis | Democrats Get 'Nasty' on Trump, Attacking Him as Responsible for - and Indifferent to - American Deaths.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 18 Aug. 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/08/18/democrats-attack-trump-responsible-indifferent-american-deaths/.

Choi, Matthew. “Don Jr. Tries to Flip the Script on DNC Attack Lines.” POLITICO, POLITICO, 25 Aug. 2020, www.politico.com/news/2020/08/24/donald-trump-jr-rnc-401322.
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Ryan MillerSeptember 1, 2020 at 11:52 AM
Ryan Miller PT 1

In an era where our world remains divided by partisan lines, the stark differences between the impact of COVID-19 on the Democratic and Republican conventions as well as how they played out are impossible to ignore. While Democrats concluded early on they’d need to scale back their festivities, Republicans moved forward with planning until mere weeks beforehand.

This year, the campaigns of both Trump and Joe Biden did not receive much of a convention “bump.” As noted by Scott Mclean, a month prior to the convention, “only 6 percent (of registered voters) were still undecided” (Mclean, 2020). This is on the heels of a shrink from 16 percent to 9 percent when comparing 1972-2000 and 2004-2012. I believe this is attributed to the amount of media coverage both candidates receive.

The campaign for 2020 began in 2017 when Democratic candidates John Delaney and Andrew Yang formally announced their campaigns for office. In 2019 the rest of our candidates joined the trails and debates began. Between newspapers, news broadcasts, and social media, it almost feels like we’ve endured a longer term of Biden and Trump coverage than Trump’s actual time in office.

I do believe conventions are more than just a formality, despite how little the needle moved regarding polling. Maybe it would be advantageous to have some sort of event of unity earlier on in the process to compliment the convention. In the direction we’re going, it’s not easy to sway voters, “as the electorate and the parties became increasingly polarized after 2000, it also pulled more independents into making up their minds prior to the conventions” (Mclean, 2020).

A “kick-off” event could possibly change the tide. Picture instead of campaign announcements trickling in every few months and the whole “will/won’t they run” debates sucking up airtime, candidates gathered to make speeches announcing their campaign or even bringing along big names to speak on their behalf. That’s the real reason to watch the conventions, hearing the strongest speakers. As stated in Political Campaign Communication, “becoming a serious candidate during the surfacing period involves obtaining visibility” (Denton et al, 2020). Why not level the playing field for underdog contenders similarly to the debate stage? An argument against this proposal is that someone prestigious wouldn’t want to commit to a candidate too early, but as 2016 taught us when Bernie Sanders came out of nowhere, delegates, former Presidents, and the like often have their mind made up even earlier than voters.
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Ryan MillerSeptember 1, 2020 at 11:53 AM
Ryan Miller PT 2

Speaking of Sanders, I read a New York Times article comparing his convention appearances in 2020 and 2016. This time around, Sanders is, “still passionate and still convinced he would have made the best president. But this year, he also appears to be something else: at peace” (Ember, 2020). The article attributes this to multiple factors, including 2016 when Hillary Clinton had access to debate questions ahead of time and more importantly, Biden’s acknowledgement that he must move further left. Radiating with confidence, Sanders’ speech was a highlight of the convention knowing the power his progressive followers hold in the party.

On the Republican side, it felt like the Trump parade. Save for Melania, who impressed me with some strong moments bouncing back from her 2016 Michelle Obama “plagiarized” speech, the spouses and girlfriends of Trump’s kids did not seem inspiring or original. What stood out more was who wasn’t there more so than who was. For example, Mitt Romney, someone Trump has often clashed with and John Kasich, a Trump opponent in 2016, spoke for the Democrats to denounce some of Trump’s values was notable.
Sources:

Denton Jr., Robert E., et al. "Political Campaign Communications in the 2016 Presidential election." Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices, 9th ed., Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

McLean, Scott. “Why Trump, Like Biden, Should Not Expect a Post-Convention Polling Bounce | Opinion.” Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2020, www.newsweek.com/why-trump-like-biden-should-not-expect-post-convention-polling-bounce-opinion-

Ember, Sydney. “Bernie Sanders Lost Again, but This Time He'll Deliver a Victory Speech.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 17 Aug. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/08/17/us/politics/bernie-sanders-dnc.html.
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Sam MesbahSeptember 1, 2020 at 11:56 AM
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Sam MesbahSeptember 1, 2020 at 11:58 AM
The shift of the conventions to a virtual platform due to COVID19 has evidentially left the DNC and RNC displaying different ways of adjusting to the current circumstances. The Democrats had opted to downsize their convention from the beginning in order to acquire with social distancing guidelines and have minimal people together in one given area. As stated in the New York Times, “Obviously when we are together in one space and physically together, it is empowering,” said Senator Kamala Harris of California… “But we’re going to have to find other ways to collectively empower and remind each other that we’re in it together.” (Epsiein and Lerer) On the contrary, the Republican Party was determined to hold a “normal” convention as “For months, President Trump insisted on packed crowds at his nominating convention.” Evidentially, with a plan of increasing medical supplies and exams for people present at the conventions, the state of Florida where the convention was going to be held, had deemed it unsafe to hold a normal convention. “Trump had announced that he would cancel the event, giving himself credit for accepting a reality Democrats had embraced months earlier. “I have to protect the American people.” (Scherer, Dawsey, Linskey) While given the unprecedented circumstances of 2020 and the safety of the American people, while it may have been the safe option to make the conventions the virtual, I believe it didn’t benefit neither the RNC or DNC.
According to the NPR, the Democrats did end of up with more viewers than the RNC. However, compared to 2016 the numbers were still prominently lower. For example, Joe Biden had received 24.6 million viewers, while in 2016 Hillary Clinton drew 29.8 million viewers. (Deggans) While the convention servers as a main way for the nominees to get their message out to the American people, there are other purposes the national conventions serve. The unity between the American people and the two different parties is often times showed through these conventions. Different politicians and key speakers support one another and show the power that two party system has. The convention also highlights the success and power of the American political system. The overall idea of the conventions is to show the American people the unity of these parties and leaders and this was difficult to show on a virtual platform. The energy from the speakers and parties was hard to portray on a virtual platform.
The beneficial side of the outcome is that both parties were on a virtual platform. Both parties had to adjust to a new way of showing success in this major presidential election cycle. While the DNC did produce more viewers, they still did not as many as they would have if the convention was in person. This entire election cycle will ultimately remain different than in years past, but it seems as if both parties are doing their best to try and deliver their message. Ultimately, virtual conventions were successful for the unprecedented circumstances, however, “normal” conventions may have produced a different outcome and reaction from the American people.

Work Cited
Epstein, Reid J., and Lisa Lerer. "The Democrats Are Downsizing Their Convention to Almost Nothing." The New York Times, 17 July 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/07/17/us/politics/democratic-convention-milwaukee.html.

Schere, Michael, et al. "How the Republican National Convention came undone." The Washington Post, 24 July 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-the-republican-national-convention-came-undone/2020/07/24/705c0afa-cdd8-11ea-bc6a-6841b28d9093_story.html?utm_campaign=wp_todays_headlines&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_headlines.

Deggans, Eric. “Democrats Beat Republicans in Convention Television Ratings.” NPR. https://www.npr.org/2020/08/28/907289022/democrats-beat-republicans-in-convention-television-ratings
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Ja'Vielle FoySeptember 1, 2020 at 12:19 PM
Though virtual conventions were new for each party, only one party visibly gave the pandemic real consideration. The Democratic party, and the way the Democratic National Convention (DNC) was run, showed how seriously, and to what extent those representatives take the COVID-19 crisis. Speeches were given by individuals in office from their respective states, some in their homes, and others in places of interest such as schools or landmarks. Former Vice President and Presidential candidate Joe Biden gave his speech in front of socially distanced crowds and wore a mask alongside his wife, Jill Biden. Although the parties are used to being all together in one building, networking, brainstorming, and working together, the party tried to keep the energy alive in the safest way possible. In contrast, the Republican party and National convention (RNC) gave the same regard and care to the pandemic as the President, which is minimal, at best. Although their convention did not take place at its intended arena in Charlotte, North Carolina. The party held many events in person with little to no social distancing. Strikingly, convention-goers, whether or not they spoke, were not wearing masks or face coverings of any sort.

Because of the differences in facilitation, each party’s candidate benefitted differently. The “convention bounce/bump”, or the increase in support for a candidate after their respective party’s national convention airs on TV, was not in favor of both candidates this election season. Political journalism website, POLITICO, states that former Vice President Biden was stagnant in the polls “In the horse race, the latest Morning Consult tracking poll shows Biden 10 points ahead of Trump, 52 percent to 42 percent. That is statistically unchanged from an 8-point lead on the eve of the Democratic convention…” (Shepard) However, after the Republican National Convention, President Trump did achieve a bump from “3-point post-convention shift to Trump from 9 to 6 points…” (Atkins) But David Atkins from the Washington Monthly publication stated in his last article, the parties chose to focus on different aspects of each candidate. Joe the friend, and President Trump, who has been making America great by inviting figures to the conventions to speak, that appeal more-so to the far-right voters than moderates. Ultimately, the conventions did not give the candidates the boost their teams were hoping for, but with than 100 days until November 3rd, candidates have been hitting the trail hard.
Nominating conventions, not only this election cycle but in elections past, have been especially futile. These Conventions are intended to “reaffirm and celebrate the democratic selection of candidates, thereby legitimizing both the process and the nominees. The conventions also …establish party unity, commitment, and excitement for the general election.” (Denton Jr. et al., 375-378) But the parties seem even more at within themselves refuting the intentions of “party unity”.Karen Tumulty of the Washington Post shares in my sentiment that once there became events before the conventions such as caucuses and primaries, the events became unnecessary. When these mid-cycle voting events were not a part of the routine, conventions would be used to cast votes for potential candidates, but due to the caucuses’, and candidates inevitably dropping out once they are far behind, the decision for a potential candidate is made for us. Tumulty refers to conventions as becoming “…last-ditch opportunities for the losers to air their platforms and offer a sour reminder to their disappointed supporters of what could have been.” (Tumulty) And it reigns true as many feel as though they are settling with former vice president Joe Biden as their candidate.
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Ja'Vielle W FoySeptember 1, 2020 at 12:21 PM
Works Cited
Atkins, David. “Trump Got a Bounce From His Convention. Biden Didn't. There's a Lesson There.” Washington Monthly, 30 Aug. 2020, washingtonmonthly.com/2020/08/29/trump-got-a-bounce-from-his-convention-biden-didnt-theres-a-lesson-there/.

Denton, Robert E., Judith S. Trent, and Robert V. Friedenberg. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practice, 9th ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2020.

Shepard, Steven. “Poll: No Convention Bounce for Biden, Who Maintains Big Lead over Trump.” POLITICO, POLITICO, 24 Aug. 2020, www.politico.com/news/2020/08/24/biden-polling-dnc-401081.

Tumulty, Karen. “Opinion | Get Rid of Political Conventions. Not Just This Year, but Forever.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 2 Apr. 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/04/02/get-rid-political-party-conventions/.
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Hannah TeboSeptember 1, 2020 at 4:17 PM
In the past, conventions for each respective party were to establish party nominations for president and vice president. Now, according to Denton, “the symbolic or ritualistic functions, in most instances, is the chief purpose” (36). In 2020, this has drastically changed as a global pandemic has made large gatherings unsafe and virtually impossible. The DNC and RNC were affected as conventions switched from a week long in person gathering to almost completely virtual. The DNC originally planned on 50,000 people attending the convention but drastically cut that number to around 300 attendees which includes news media, security personnel and medical consultants and party workers (Epstein and Lerer). According to Epstein and Lerer, instead of live speeches, the convention will be a mix of live speeches, pre taped videos and small events held at satellite locations in battleground states and at landmarks across the country. “The limited nature of the program will eliminate some of the spontaneous moments that make conventions compelling political events with appearances that can make or break a candidacy — and a political career”(Epstein and Lerer). On the other side, the RNC was doing everything they could to keep this year’s convention in person despite the ongoing pandemic. As case numbers grew, the RNC planning committee started discussing ways in which they could still hold an in person convention while keeping participants safe. “On July 6, the convention host committee announced that “everyone attending the convention within the perimeter will be tested and temperature checked each day,” an enormous undertaking that was never fully explained. Party officials said the plan was to send the tests away for processing in the mail”(Scherer, Dawsey and Linskey).
This pandemic has given us a chance to reexamine the relevance of political conventions. According to Gonyea, conventions still gives voters a chance to listen to their party’s candidate and find out “"What are the party's values? What is the party's vision? How is this nominee going to take us further? How are we planning to move the nation? Those are important things that voters, many of whom see conventions as their cue to start paying attention to the election, want to have answered.” The conventions were originally were broadcasted nationwide and TV stations broadcasted all kinds of speeches. Now, TV networks only carry the big prime-time speeches live and even during those speeches, anchors and guests talk over a lot of the action on the convention floor (Gonyea). While Gonyea doesn’t think this pandemic will completely eliminate conventions, there is a strong possibility that future conventions will be reformed and reformatted. While the 2020 convention will probably not be considered as a future template for political conventions, there will probably be big changes in future conventions (Gonyea).

Denton Jr., Robert E., et al. "Political Campaign Communications in the 2016 Presidential election." Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices, 9th ed., Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, pp. 375-378.

 Epstein, Reid J., and Lisa Lerer. "The Democrats Are Downsizing Their Convention to Almost Nothing." The New York Times, 17 July 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/07/17/us/politics/democratic-convention-milwaukee.html. Accessed 30 Aug. 2020.

Gonyea, Don. “Political Conventions Will Likely Never Be The Same.” NPR, NPR, 14 Aug. 2020, www.npr.org/2020/08/14/902160886/political-conventions-will-likely-never-be-the-same.

Schere, Michael, et al. "How the Republican National Convention came undone." The Washington Post, 24 July 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-the-republican-national-convention-came-undone/2020/07/24/705c0afa-cdd8-11ea-bc6a-6841b28d9093_story.html?utm_campaign=wp_todays_headlines&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_headlines. Accessed 30 Aug. 2020.

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Christyna StaggSeptember 1, 2020 at 5:45 PM
Christyna Stagg

Due to the pandemic, both the RNC and the DNC were switched to online virtual speeches and smaller venues, compared to years passed where the conventions would be hosted in huge venues, such as stadiums. Because of technology advancements, the candidates, like Biden, were able to take advantage of the new technologies in our society and be able to live broadcast and broadcast pre-recorded speeches to audiences all over the country that viewed the DNC. For the 2020 RNC, the conventions took place in smaller venues, with much fewer people present than past conventions. Compared to the opening nights of the DNC in 2016, the 2020 DNC opening night plunged twenty-eight percent because people were less interested in the low-energy pre-taped speeches from people’s homes (Ebony). In past campaigns, technology has played a huge part in the campaigns. For example, in 1952 when the television was first used to broadcast the primary campaigns, there was a rapid growth in public interest in the campaign. From the primary election in 1948 to the primary election in 1953, the turnout number went from five million primary voters to thirteen million primary voters. The campaigns did not get the “bump” they usually would receive from the campaigns. For instance, from the news article “Why Trump, Like Biden, Should Not Expect a Post-Convention Polling Bounce”, Mclean states the first post-DNC polls, from CBS News/YouGov and Morning Consult, show that Joe Biden did not bounce to a wider lead over Donald Trump, like he expected to get. Mclean also stated that Trump will probably not receive the “bump” either. This is typically not the case for most campaigns after the conventions because most candidates usually receive a “bump” from the conventions. Even though the candidates had already been chosen by the time of the nominating conventions during this election, the conventions are still relevant because the conventions still play a huge role in the election, besides selecting candidates. The conventions have three other important communication functions, besides nominating the party’s candidate. The first function of the conventions is that the convention serves as an opportunity for the legitimation and reaffirmation of the goodness and honor of the American dream or way. The convention serves as a way for Americans to celebrate what is good about our system and about the people of America. The second function of the conventions is that the two parties have a chance to show its unity to the American people. The wounds from the primary campaigns can be addressed and healed. If a party seems divided to their audiences and supporters, the campaign is not as successful as it can be. It is all about “appearance” during the campaign. The third function of the conventions is to provide the public with an introduction of what the candidates plan to achieve during their term if they are elected. The candidates signal issues on which they plan to campaign and announce their overall campaign style they intend to follow (Denton 40-45). Candidates do this by using a slogan. An example of this was in the 2016 campaign when Trump used the slogan “Make America Great Again”.

Work Cited
-Bowden, Ebony. “RNC and DNC 2020 TV Ratings Plunge from 2016 Spectaculars amid Pandemic.” New York Post, New York Post, 25 Aug. 2020, nypost.com/2020/08/25/rnc-and-dnc-2020-convention-tv-ratings-plunge-amid-pandemic/.
-Denton, Robert E., et al. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices. Rowman & Littlefield, 2020.
-Mclean, Scott. “Why Trump, Like Biden, Should Not Expect a Post-Convention Polling Bounce | Opinion.” Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2020, www.newsweek.com/why-trump-like-biden-should-not-expect-post-convention-polling-bounce-opinion-1527551.
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