Once upon a time, political conventions actually picked presidential tickets. That’s why there were called nominating conventions. Today, primaries and caucuses perform that role – though judging by the popularity of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, perhaps it’s time to bring back party bosses. So what is the function of conventions? For party professionals, the answer is easy: coronate the candidates in a manner that helps them win in November. But even if they’ve been reduced to theatrical productions, conventions allow Americans to take stock of the two major political parties at a quadrennial point in history.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/convention-722641-republican-speech.html
