Democrats convene

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Democrats from across the nation will gather together today in Boston to continue a tradition that extends back to 1832. It's true that the Democratic National Convention will be a far cry from the sort of nominating convention that took place more than 170 years ago.

These days, there's very little suspense or surprise. There's no doubt that John Kerry and John Edwards will be nominated as the Democratic choice for president and vice president.

The modern national political convention has become, at worst, a pep rally for the faithful and a forum for members of one party to ceaselessly insult the members of the other major political party. At best, however, a convention is an opportunity for a national party to communicate its values and vision to voters so that Americans can make informed decisions at the polls. At their best, political conventions help democracy survive and thrive.

Even with the barrage of media coverage, polls indicate that many Americans don't really know much about what John Kerry hopes to accomplish if he's elected president. If the Democratic convention presents the party's ideas in a meaningful fashion, the convention truly will serve its historically useful function as voters consider their choices this November.