A secondary purpose was to establish the party's political platform which is made up of several planks. And, probably of equal importance to the solidarity of the platform, to name the individuals running as mates to the presidential hopefuls.

Each convention costs the taxpayers several million dollars, something like $12,000,000 apiece. The Republicans spent their allotted money this past week and the Democrats will spend theirs the week beginning August 26th.

If you care to put it into perspective, each convention can feed a family of four, at $600 per month for food, for (are you sitting down?), 20,000 months, or 1,666.67 years. Or, it could feed 1,666.67 families for one year.

Now the writer wonders who in this country did not know who the Republican party's candidate for president was before the convention? Did anyone not know that he, Bob Dole (in case you didn't know), had named one of his leading political opponents, Jack Kemp, as his running mate?

Basically, we can disregard any platform because it will change if the party determines it is necessary, just as Dole is now promising a 15 percent reduction in taxes if he is elected. Never mind that he has historically voted for nearly every tax increase he came across. Both Kemp and Gingrich have chided Dole for his support, and resulting votes, for nearly every tax-increasing measure.

Keep in mind politician's promises are too often just to get votes and not stated with any intention of being carried through. So, never mind promises that usually are certain to be broken. Apparently, we are all quite calloused to them, sad to say, since we joke about them instead of choking the politicians making them.

Back to the topic. Was there any chance that President Clinton and Vice-president Gore would not be the choices of the Democratic party?

The party's convention is currently going on (Mr. Clinton's candidacy was formally dealt with last evening, the 28th of August) but hadn't the primary purpose of the convention already been fulfilled. Or, did we have a surprise in store for us? Anyone expecting a shocking revelation or turn of events was disappointed.

Back in the real old days, like 36 years ago and longer, it is easy to understand the basis for having political conventions. The communications were really primitive and a message that now takes milliseconds to reach its targets then took hours or days, maybe longer to reach all parties concerned. People had to get together in order to make decisions on a national basis. But, is that true now?

Good Lord, no. The only people who don't or didn't know the candidates and running mates are people who really don't care anyway. And, for certain, the delegates knew, as did every politician in Washington. They have also discussed strategies and probabilities of what might be promised to win over a few more votes (e.g., Dole's 15% reduction in taxes). And, the results of those discussions and future discussions will be the basic platforms of the respective parties.

If the parties already had it all set and planned, with communications as effective as they are, why are the conventions necessary?

If they are held, why must the taxpayers pay for the conventions? And, let's not forget the partying that goes on during each of the conventions. Perhaps we will one day have satisfactory answers to these questions.

The writer thinks conventions are purely a case of the opportunity for leading politicians to spout whatever rhetoric they wish in order to convince, pump up, each of the respective party members to work harder to get them re-elected or elected. And, it goes without stating, to bash the candidates of the other party and its platform.

And, to the necessity of taxpayers financially supporting that premise, Ladies and Gentlemen, one can only say Bah! Humbug! Enough is enough! Put the money to better use or send it back to the taxpayers.