US party convention timeline

By THE DATA TEAM

AMERICA'S party conventions got under way in Cleveland on July 18th. Ever since 1972, when the Republicans began scripting their speeches with evening television audiences in mind, the quadrennial gatherings have been tightly stage-managed. Journalists and political junkies hoped that this year's Republican shindig would be the first convention with the nominee in doubt since 1980, when Ted Kennedy tried in vain to unseat the incumbent Democratic president Jimmy Carter. As it happened, Donald Trump managed to secure a comfortable majority of pledged delegates. Nonetheless, the convention's first day still offered a bit of suspense, when the #NeverTrump faction made a last-minute effort to register a protest. There was also a cringe-worthy moment when Melania Trump, the nominee's wife, repeated numerous phrases verbatim that Michelle Obama had used in her 2008 convention speech about her husband.

Any further drama that ensues at this year's Republican affair will still pale in comparison with the rows and splits of yesteryear. In 1912 the Republican convention saw Teddy Roosevelt, a former president, walk out and create his own Progressive Party. In 1948 southern Democrats did the same at their meeting and formed the States’ Rights party, in opposition to civil rights for blacks. And in 1968 protesters outside the Democratic convention scuffled with police while party grandees rejected calls to nominate an anti-war candidate. Mr Trump may be a master entertainer, but genuine conflict is hard to manufacture.