By announcing in July that he would not seek a second term, President Joe Biden inadvertently revived an American tradition many experts had deemed dead for a half-century: exciting national party conventions. The last-minute switch of the lackluster Biden with his electrifying Vice President, Kamala Harris — potentially the first female president and first president of Asian and Jamaican descent — makes this convention mostly ceremonial, however, as Harris' nomination is a foregone conclusion.
When political organizations like the Whigs and early Democrats first began holding national conventions in the 1830s, they served a function analogous to modern Zoom conference calls. Those conventions served a practical purpose, allowing leaders from all over the country to discuss their party's future in a single place. Until the mid-20th century, it was more common than not that a party would not have even formally decided on its presidential nominee until all of their delegates actually met face to face. Indeed, although former President Donald Trump and other Republicans are railing against Biden for stepping aside so late in the election cycle, historically, there is nothing unusual about political parties not formally choosing a candidate until the convention itself rolls around.
