Conventional wisdom

I'm doing my best to avoid paying much attention to the Democratic Convention. I'll probably do the same for the republicants.
I can't help but wonder just exactly what purpose a convention serves in 2008.

Back when I was a YoungGuy, the conventions actually has a purpose. The candidate was actually nominated at the convention. Oftimes I recall it was a close race, a fight. The favorite coming in didn't always win. Sometimes there was a surprise.

I recall it was the convention that selected the vice-presidential candidate. Although his say had some sway, it was not the presidential candidate who picked his VP. (Maybe it was but we just didn't know/realize it)

There was always a long, drawn-out and sometimes bitter debate on the party platform.

No more.

Who do you suppose is gonna be the Presidential candidate?
Who's gonna be the VP candidate?

The party platform? It's whatever the candidate says it is. (In actuality, it's what the candidate's handlers say it is. We can just hope the candidate reads it).

So, is the purpose to rally support for the candidate? It probably will among those political junkies at the convention. The rest of us? We pretty much ignore it.

But you know who is NOT ignoring it? The opposition party. They're scanning every word, every gesture, every nuance.

To find whatever they can to twist into a negative talking point. Into political mud. Something to use to get snarky, mean and underhanded.

So, I ask again, who is this convention for?

And why are the Democrats mining the political mud for the republicants?

Let them find their own dirt. They're good at it.

And so it goes.