ANALYSIS – After Republicans gathered in Dallas last week for a rare midterm convention, it’s worth pondering: Was it a one-off event or the beginning of a new election tradition?
In recent decades, conventions have typically been reserved for party business, including the formal nomination of a presidential candidate. It had been more than 40 years since a party had officially gathered during a midterm election cycle. Prior to Dallas, it was the Democrats who’d met during a midterm year, convening in Kansas City, Mo., in 1974; Memphis, Tenn., in 1978; and Philadelphia in 1982. The first two of those gatherings, however, were held in December, after the midterm elections.
