Broad RNC support for earlier convention

[RogueBeaver]

Per RCP, potentially as early as July. Whole bunch of rule changes also being considered.

[barfbag]

not a good idea

[President Tyrion]

not a good idea

Yeah, you want to delay that boost to as close to the election as practically allowable.

[Mr. Morden]

It makes sense financially, now that nobody uses public matching funds anymore, for reasons discussed here back in November:

Yes, it's possible that we won't be seeing conventions held as late as September anymore:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324735104578118873224497426.html

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Demconwatch elaborates on the logic:

http://www.democraticconventionwatch.com/diary/5734/karl-rove-calls-for-gop-to-have-late-june-2016-convention

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[Likely Voter]

the solution to the long delay between the end of the primaries and the conventions is to move the primaries later not make the conventions earlier

[barfbag]

not a good idea

[Mr. Morden]

the solution to the long delay between the end of the primaries and the conventions is to move the primaries later not make the conventions earlier

There's no easy way to force the states to move their primaries later.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

not a good idea

Yeah, you want to delay that boost to as close to the election as practically allowable.

Considerign two cylces in a row, hurricanes have messed up the GOP convention, the benefits of such haven't been realized since 2004.

[Likely Voter]

the solution to the long delay between the end of the primaries and the conventions is to move the primaries later not make the conventions earlier

There's no easy way to force the states to move their primaries later.

obviously they have been trying to stop the frontloading of the primaries and how they have been creeping earlier and earlier, but this move of the convention seems like they are giving up on getting back to the way primaries used to be.  In the 90s the NH primary was in late February. In 2012 it was Jan 8th. 

[© tweed]

this would just be a return to the pre-2008 normal state of affairs, iirc.

[barfbag]

not a good idea

Yeah, you want to delay that boost to as close to the election as practically allowable.

I'd like to see the conventions be in late August to mid September when people are getting ready for the fall. Actually, in the political debate forums, I call for a limit of $200,000,000 per candidate provided by public financing as a requirement to run. This would have a very possible effect of delaying TV ads until Labor Day or later. Something has to be done to stop all the Super PACs and donations that don't come from actual voters.

[Mr. Morden]

the solution to the long delay between the end of the primaries and the conventions is to move the primaries later not make the conventions earlier

There's no easy way to force the states to move their primaries later.

obviously they have been trying to stop the frontloading of the primaries and how they have been creeping earlier and earlier, but this move of the convention seems like they are giving up on getting back to the way primaries used to be.  In the 90s the NH primary was in late February. In 2012 it was Jan 8th. 

I think there's a good chance that the new RNC penalties on states going early will be enough to push the starting date a bit later, perhaps with Iowa going in mid to late January.  So a couple of weeks later than last time.  But it's really hard to push it much later than that, to convince all those state legislatures to revise their election scheduling laws, and the national parties just don't care enough to force the issue.

But the timing of the conventions is really a separate issue.  It was always the case until 2008 that the first of the two national conventions was held in July.  That was the norm.  It's 2008 and 2012 that are the odd cases, with both conventions being held so late.  And as I said, that was done because of campaign finance law reasons that don't really exist anymore, since no one who wins the nomination of either major party takes public matching funds anymore.

[Mr. Morden]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/onpolitics/2013/08/15/republican-convention-june-priebus/2660779/

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[barfbag]

I heard mention of hurricanes the last two times. Maybe holding it earlier would help because then Democrats couldn't say we're using hurricanes to our political advantage.

[ShadowRocket]

Would the Dems move their convention up a little earlier if the GOP schedule theirs in July? Just so Hillary or whoever can access the gen election money earlier. Or would they still keep it during Labor Day week?

[Bull Moose Base]

The polling bump never lasts more than a couple days so mid-summer vs. late summer is irrelevant on that count. The Democratic 2012 convention was in early September, 2 months before Election Day. To help things out, the 47% tape was 2 weeks after that. 2-3 weeks later, Romney was leading. And in 2008, when the RNC went last, in early September, McCain came out leading Obama. 2 months later he lost by 7.

The purpose of the earlier convention is to cut way down on the number of Republican debates so as to (a) keep the country from seeing the GOP field fall over themselves to out-conservative each other (the unanimously-passed CNN and NBC boycott ostensibly over Hillary is actually for the same purpose) and (b) reduce the free airtime for guys like Ted Cruz and Rand Paul which somewhat levels the playing field against better-funded candidates. In a nutshell, party leaders fear losing control of the party. Or losing even more control.

[Vosem]

The polling bump never lasts more than a couple days so mid-summer vs. late summer is irrelevant on that count. The Democratic 2012 convention was in early September, 2 months before Election Day. To help things out, the 47% tape was 2 weeks after that. 2-3 weeks later, Romney was leading. And in 2008, when the RNC went last, in early September, McCain came out leading Obama. 2 months later he lost by 7.

The purpose of the earlier convention is to cut way down on the number of Republican debates so as to (a) keep the country from seeing the GOP field fall over themselves to out-conservative each other (the unanimously-passed CNN and NBC boycott ostensibly over Hillary is actually for the same purpose) and (b) reduce the free airtime for guys like Ted Cruz and Rand Paul which somewhat levels the playing field against better-funded candidates. In a nutshell, party leaders fear losing control of the party. Or losing even more control.

The debates are all held before the primaries even start (and so won't be affected) and guys like Cruz and Paul will still get airtime (especially considering they're both very likely candidates). If you'd gone through and read the thread, you'd know the point of earlier conventions was so that general-election money could be used earlier.

[barfbag]

Having a convention close to 9/11 always helps though.

[Mr. Morden]

FHQ argues that a June convention is most likely not logistically possible, in the event that you have a drawn out primary process that lasts until early June:

http://frontloading.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/june-conventions.html

There's really no easy way to force states with June primaries to move them earlier, especially since many of those states have Democratic legislatures.  Why would they cooperate?  So I don't see a June convention as very likely.  But a July convention, as was the norm for the "challenger" party up until 2008, that looks like a strong possibility.

[barfbag]

FHQ argues that a June convention is most likely not logistically possible, in the event that you have a drawn out primary process that lasts until early June:

http://frontloading.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/june-conventions.html

There's really no easy way to force states with June primaries to move them earlier, especially since many of those states have Democratic legislatures.  Why would they cooperate?  So I don't see a June convention as very likely.  But a July convention, as was the norm for the "challenger" party up until 2008, that looks like a strong possibility.

June wouldn't work. Some of the primaries don't happen until the first week of June. Mid-late July is the earliest time either party should want to have their conventions.