US Conventions Showcase Presidential Candidates | Voice of America - English
American voters, busy with summer vacations and distracted by the Olympic Games will soon have an opportunity to focus their attention on the U.S. presidential race.  Bill Eagle reports from Washington, the Democratic and Republican parties are soon to begin their nationally-televised conventions which will showcase their candidates and and begin the final phase of the presidential campaign that ends with the election on November fourth.
J. Peter Pham is the director of international and publicaffairs at James Madison University near Washington, DC. He?s also a seniorfellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy. Pham says the conventions give foreign audiences a chanceto see the American model of democracy, where parties are built aroundgrassroots debates over principles and issues. He says in contrast, inmany developing countries parties are built around a strong personality orwealthy elites. "The convention is unique," he says,"in thatthe party structures are unique: they [allow for] the open involvement of mostpeople. In the US you can vote in (party primaries) without giving a dime tothe party. [But] In other countries, membership in a party means paying dues.So a limited set of people are involved." Party organizers want to persuade voters to support theircandidates. Robert Loevy  is aprofessor of political science at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. He says part of a successfulconvention is a well-received acceptance speech by the nominee. He says in the 2002 Republican convention, then-candidate GeorgeW. Bush said he wanted inclusion and demonstrated his point by putting lots ofminorities in front of the camera: "There was a feeling the convention wascreating a new image for the Republican Party among many viewers." Loevy says the candidate also gained by delivering aflawless speech. The press had said Mr. Bush, then the governor of Texas, wasnot a polished public speaker. On the other hand, Loevy says evena candidate known to be an eloquent speaker may not necessarily score withviewers. "[Barak] Obama," he says,"will be in a verydifficult position, in my view. He has a reputation as...a perfect speaker. Theexpectations for his speech will be so high that if it is mediocre it will be a[disappointment] for the party." The candidate?s speech canalso backfire. In 1988, the first president Bush, George H.W. Bush, introducedthe catch phrase, ?Read My Lips. No New Taxes.? But he did end upraising them, and during his re-election campaign four years later, opponentswere quick to accuse him of breaking his promise. Loevy says a successful conventionis a peaceful one. Many pundits say the tumultuous Democratic Partyconvention in 1968 likely helped Republican candidate Richard Nixon beatcompetitor Hubert Humphrey in a close poll. Millions of television viewerswatched violent clashes between the Chicago police and convention protestersagainst the war in Vietnam. Authorities expect anti-war protests at both partyconventions this year. Loevy says a group called Recreate 68 intends todemonstrate at the Democratic gathering in Denver. "The important thing," he says,"is how the city handles it. It has tobe in such a way that police do not hit protesters with nightsticks. [Some]demonstrators try to provoke [the police]. Cities and parties have gottenpretty good at handling this in recent years, but the potential is always there[for violence]." Convention organizers are working with protest groups andwith authorities to ensure that all demonstrations are peaceful. Partyactivists realize that television and the internet are powerful tools forshaping voters? opinions. The only images they want voters to see are thoseprojecting strength and unity.