CHICAGO– In 1948, the Republican and Democratic parties did something unthinkable in today’s climate of fierce political hostility: they not only held their national party conventions in the same city, but also shared some of the trappings.
Both organizations met in Philadelphia, largely because the Municipal Auditorium was already equipped with the necessary wiring for the then-groundbreaking live coverage of the convention on national television.
To save money, Democrats asked Republicans to leave the American flags and pennants up so they could be reused at their event 17 days later. The GOP complied, although some of the items have become faded and worn in the meantime.
Like party camaraderie, the more informal way conventions were organized is gone. Once a hard-fought contest to secure presidential candidates, modern gatherings have evolved in carefully scripted, made-for-television events designed to emphasise party unity.
There is a huge political drama going on behind the Democrats as their convention opens Monday in Chicago after President Joe Biden succumbed to increasing pressure from many in his own party And gave up his re-election bid last month. There is still the possibility of protests at the convention, but Democrats have coalesced around Vice President Trump with surprising speed and new energy. Kamala Harris at the top of the party ticket. Republicans showed similar strong unity in nominating former President Donald Trump during the GOP convention in Milwaukee last month.
But even with conventions being choreographed down to the smallest detail, something unexpected can still happen. Here’s a look at a few floating scenes, floor fights, street brawls, and other memorable convention moments that were uplifting, bizarre, or just plain uncomfortable:
Trump made a dramatic entrance on the first night of the Republican convention last month, entering the arena to loud cheers with a bandage over his right ear, just two days after surviving the Republican Party. an attempted murder.
The moment led to speculation that the former president would emerge from the attack changed, ready to embrace a more optimistic outlook and perhaps no longer engage in the political divisions he had thrived on throughout his political career.
Speaking at the convention three nights later — with his ear still bandaged — the former president initially seemed to do just that. He said early on that he wanted to “usher in a new era of security, prosperity and freedom for citizens of every race, religion, color and creed.” But by the end, Trump had returned to predictions of doom and division, warning, “Bad things are going to happen.”
The last candidate to defeat Donald Trump in the 2016 Republican primaries was Senator John C. Ted Cruz gathered enough delegates to address the party convention in Cleveland, but he refused to endorse his former rival.
Still angry over Trump calling him “Lyin’ Ted,” mocking his wife’s appearance and suggesting the senator’s Cuban-born father was involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Cruz implored delegates to “vote their conscience.” It drew prolonged booing.
Cruz turned around and endorsed Trump that fall, and today he is one of his most ardent defenders. But by that point, the vitriol was so high that Cruz’s wife, Heidi, was escorted off the convention floor, just in case.
A head-scratching moment came in 2012, when Clint Eastwood delivered a speech at the Republican rally in Tampa, Florida, where an empty chair replaced then-President Barack Obama.
The actor and director spoke to the piece of furniture for 12 minutes, even dodging the torrent of imaginary obscenities it evoked.
“What do you mean, ‘shut up’?” Eastwood crowed.
He also poked fun at then-Vice President Biden’s reputation for gaffes, a criticism that may have been prophetic given the questions raised by his disastrous performance at the June debate.
“Of course, we all know Biden is the brains of the Democratic Party,” Eastwood told the chairman. “Just a grin, with a body behind it.”
The year 2004 was terrible for the Democrats, by the way, the president George W. Bush re-elected and Republicans retained control of Congress. But one bright spot came from Obama, then a little-known Illinois state senator, whipping up his party’s Boston convention.
Obama called himself “a skinny kid with a funny name who believes there’s a place for him in America,” and summarized his political philosophy as built around “the audacity of hope.”
When he stepped onto the stage to deliver a speech accepting his party’s presidential nomination in 2000 in Los Angeles, Al Gore embraced his wife Tipper and kissed her profusely, lingering much longer than usual for a public display of passion.
The crowd cheered, but the kiss ultimately lasted only three awkward seconds.
Gore had been criticized for being too stiff during public appearances, which may have explained how hard he leaned. Either way, the kiss was more remembered than Gore’s speech.
He narrowly lost to Bush that November. Ten years later, the Gores separated after 40 years of marriage.
At the 1984 Democratic convention in San Francisco, the presidential candidate Walter Mondale announced Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate, making her the first woman on a major presidential ticket. Ferraro declared, “America is the land where dreams can come true for all of us,” though she and Mondale ultimately won only 13 electoral votes compared to President Ronald Reagan ‘s 525.
Twenty years later, senator John McCain chose Sarah Palin as his vice presidential candidate, and her speech at the Republican convention in St. Paul, Minnesota, was a hit, mixing the then-Alaska governor’s compelling personal story with humor and political punch. It gave McCain a boost, but he still lost to Obama.
During the 2016 Democratic convention in Philadelphia, Hillary Clinton became the first female presidential nominee of a major party, declaring, “When a barrier falls in America for anyone, it clears the way for everyone.” She ultimately lost to Trump.
Kamala Harris was the first woman on a winning ticket, accepting her role as Biden’s running mate during a largely virtual convention last cycle. Now that she has replaced Biden as the Democratic nominee, she is seeking to become the nation’s first woman to serve as president.
In 1976, Reagan, then governor of California, challenged President Gerald Ford from the right and sparked a bitter battle at the GOP convention in Kansas City. Ford won narrowly by 1,187 votes to 1,070, but lost to the Democrats that November Jimmy Carter.
Four years later, at the Democratic convention in New York, Carter himself was challenged by the senator from Massachusetts. Ted Kennedywho trailed far behind the president in delegates, but tried to relax the rules on how they were to vote. Tensions ran high, and although the change was rejected, Carter later lost to Reagan.
The pressure on Biden to withdraw from the race is unprecedented in modern times, especially when it comes to a nominee’s running mate.
Shortly after the 1972 Democratic convention in Miami, reports emerged that the Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern The vice presidential candidate from Missouri, Senator Thomas Eagletonhad previously undergone electroconvulsive therapy to treat depression.
A divided convention had prompted McGovern to sign Eagleton up on the last day after he had been rejected by several alternatives. Eagleton was therefore not given much control over his record, which might have brought the medical revelations to light earlier.
Eagleton resigned after 18 days on the ticket and was replaced by Sargent Shriver. Incumbent Republican President Richard Nixon won 49 of the 50 states that November.
After the president Lyndon B. Johnson chose not to seek re-election and Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated, Vice President Hubert Humphrey secured the 1968 Democratic nomination at the party convention. But that was only after a noisy floor battle that ended with the defeat of a peace platform that sought to end the Vietnam War.
What happened at the convention was overshadowed by thousands of anti-war protesters marching through the streets. Protesters were attacked by police, causing such unrest that the tear gas fired reached the 25th-floor suite where Humphrey prepared for his performance at a hotel five miles from the conference venue.
The Democratic convention returns to Chicago this week and large-scale demonstrations are planned to oppose the Biden administration’s plans. support for Israel in his war with Hamas —which has some wondering if a 1968 redux could be coming.
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