American politics

[Allen Crisp]

Now there's a dull question title for you! I've just finished a novel whose events are based around a fictional Presidential election and it's reminded me of something I've never understood. If I've got it right, to determine who is going to stand for each of the major parties the USA holds primary elections. Depending on the number of votes gained in any particular primary the candidates secure delegates who will vote in their favour in things called the Republican and Democrat Conventions. The candidate with the most votes at the Convention is nominated as the party's official candidate for the Presidential election. It must be obvious at an early stage who has the most delegates, so why do they bother with an expensive Convention? Why don't they just say who has won? Or am I talking utter bilge? (By the way, the book was John Grisham's 'The Brethren'.)

[bernardo]

Usually it becomes clear fairly early who is going to win, but sometimes it is much closer and it may not be clear until the Convention - especially if there are three or more main candidates, in which case the votes would be split, and no one candidate has a majority. There was a convention not so long ago in which they had to vote loads of times before agreeing on the winner. And of course in 1968, the Democratic Party Convention had to elect a replacement after the assassination of Robert Kennedy.