NON-"CONVENTIONAL" WISDOM

Current mass-media theory: "Since the nominations of the two major parties will be decided some 9-10 months prior to their conventions; the conventions will be a rousing bore"

My newness: "The media is (again) missing the donkey and elephant in the room"

The musical chairs scramble of state primaries means the first ones will be held close to a full YEAR before the two major parties hold their conventions.

The Dems: August 25-28, in Denver, Colorado.

The GOP: September 1-4, in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Here's the new future shock. What if one OR BOTH of the conventions is brokered.

The Dems haven't dealt with that since Kennedy, the GOP almost did with Reagan's supporters against Ford in 1976.

There are some who are thrilled with the idea of a brokered convention. A group called "Muslims for Kucinich" is openly praying (5 times a day we presume) for that to happen. No word if "space aliens for Kucinich" is blogging that as well.

Most Americans are weary already of the never-ending cable news television election cycle and bored to tears with the idea of two conventions that end up by rote in dull nominations.

Here is the scenario that either or both conventions become fantastical political theater.

"Hillary can't win!" - The Dems, batting first, hit the floor in Denver with the stark realization that Hillary is the winner, but the winner ONLY in Denver. The panic sets off a "draft" order among the delegates. Al Gore is suddenly a central figure in the show.

"Hillary can win!" - The GOP, with the slight advantage of going second, suddenly jerks hard right to run against Clinton. The threat of a walk-out by James Dobson, et al, forces Rudy to name Newt Gingrich his running mate. The GOP fears Newt will solidify the base but kill the party nationally at the same time.

Understand that the "media rooting for Hillary" refuses to see this potential. What they choose to see and tell you is that the GOP convention could plausibly be brokered but that the Democratic will be an all-American love fest.

CNN senior political analyst William Schneider speaking to a business lunch in New England recently slammed Mitt Romney to the crowd and then proclaimed that while many in the GOP view Mrs. Clinton as the "bride of Satan,” she is "perfectly electable", since she has moderated her image.

This despite the belief from New Jersey Democratic Pol Bertin Lefkovic that there could be "50-100" Al Gore delegates walking in the door of the Pepsi Center before the convention even opens.

And bingo the Dems already need someone to broker their opinions on brokering their convention.

Put it this way.  Knee jerk reactions in Denver in August could paint the following.

Panicked Dems scared to death of Hillary not being able to beat a sock puppet in a national election, turn en masse to their jolly green giant.  Al Gore stunningly wins a brokered convention.

The once quietly confident GOP is tossed into a tizzy.  They decide they cannot beat Gore straight up so they either....

A) Protect Rudy and/or Mitt by sending up John McCain as the new "Bob Dole".

B) Force Rudy even if he is not the presumptive nominee simply because Rudy stands a chance in New York and no one else does. 

This rests in the hands of the Democratic delegates.  If they are comfortable with the concept of Clinton/Clark against Giuliani/Gingrich then the conventions do become a bore.

Here's the question of the day.  Does the idea of Alabama's lead delegate screaming into the microphone "and X votes for the next President of the United States... Hillary Clinton!"  Make dems go "yeah we got this!" or "what have we gone and done now?"

As Paul Harvey is want to say...

"Stand by for news"