The U.S. Democratic National Convention in 2008 will kick off on Monday in Denver, Colorado, where Illinois Senator Barack Obama and Delaware Senator Joe Biden will accept nominations for the presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate respectively.
The following is a brief introduction of the U.S. Democratic National Convention.
The Democratic National Convention is an occasion held every four years since 1832, with three important functions: nomination of the party's presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate; formulation and adoption of the national platform containing the party's principles; as well as adoption of rules and procedures governing party activities.
Delegates from 50 states, the District of Columbia and all territories attend the convention, along with the party's elected officials and foreign dignitaries.
By 1824, the caucus system for the party's presidential and vice presidential nominees fell into disrepute and collapsed, paving the way for the national convention idea to come out.
In 1832, the party's first nominating convention was held in Baltimore, Maryland. A successful nominee needed to win two-thirds of the total votes, as a way to show the party's unity, but the rule was finally abolished in 1936.
The nature of the convention has been going through dramatic changes since 1972. As the presumptive presidential candidate and selected vice presidential candidate were usually decided before the convention, it became an occasion to officially ratify the nominees instead of choosing them.
Another distinct change is that more delegates were selected through primaries instead of caucus meetings.
Currently, the convention organization includes a permanent chair and several convention committees.
A contemporary convention usually lasts four days. The first day is devoted to some routine business, including the keynote speaker's address. The Day Two is used to discuss and adopt the party's rules and platform. On the third day, it is the time for the presidential candidate to get nomination. The last day witnesses the nomination of the vice presidential candidate, and the nominees' acceptance speech.
Source: Xinhua
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