One big party

It was politics and pasta Monday inside Maggiano’s Italian Restaurant, across from the Reading Terminal Market.

Councilman-at-Large Jim Kenney was among the lunchtime crowd who, between bites of oversized portions of Italian fare, gazed at television screens tuned to the Democratic National Convention. When Kenney’s schedule precludes him from attending the conventions in person, he enjoys watching them on TV, he said.

One of the Democratic councilman’s staffers, Wilhemena Moore, was among the 207 delegates and alternates chosen to represent Pennsylvania at the convention. A total of 5,700 delegates from across the country are mingling with other party members through tonight at Boston’s FleetCenter.

Tonight, at the end of the high-security affair, Sen. John Kerry and running mate Sen. John Edwards will be nominated as the presidential and vice presidential candidates.

For those who were not politically connected enough to score credentials to the convention, the networks interrupted portions of their regularly scheduled programming for coverage.

C-Span covered the whole shindig starting at 3 p.m. PBS, CNN, FOX News and MSNBC also turned their cameras to Boston.

But some elected officials and political pundits argue the coverage wasn’t enough.

Conventions have changed considerably from the first Democratic and Republican nominating events in 1948 — both of which were held in Philadelphia, noted Republican City Committee Chair Vito Canuso.

"The reason both national parties decided to have their conventions in Philadelphia was the TV media said they would broadcast them live if they chose the same locations," said the South Philly resident.

Canuso was among the local officials to attend the 2000 Republican National Convention, held right in the neighborhood at the then-First Union Center.

Earlier this week, Canuso heard a TV anchor asked why conventions receive limited coverage. The anchor’s response was that since a lot of the political issues have been resolved in advance of the conventions, there is no news to report.

Not only have issues been decided before the conventions, but so have the nominees.

It used to be that Democratic and Republican national conventions existed to nominate a presidential candidate. A handful of hopefuls would engage in debates and, by the end of the convention, one man would be chosen.

"The public didn’t know until the last minute who the nominee would be. The politics were truly very exciting," said First District Councilman Frank DiCicco, who attended the 1996 and 2000 Democratic conventions.

The years he was unable to go in person, the councilman recalled staying up until 3 a.m. glued to the tube, watching words fly between candidates.

"I miss those floor fights," he said.

Debates are no longer a part of the conventions, and nominees — like Kerry — are determined by the caucuses and primaries held months earlier.

"In this day and age we live in a society where we want everything instant. The public wants instant news," DiCicco said of the change.

Although he misses the heated debates on the convention floor, the councilman sees a positive side to choosing a candidate in advance. That gives the public a chance to know the nominee a little sooner, he said.

In recent years, conventions have become staged media events, DiCicco noted. Signs go up on cue, signs come down on cue. The same goes for audience applause.

"For the most part, it’s staged because millions and millions are watching it," the councilman said.

Canuso also commented on the carefully managed nature of the events.

"Each political party has used their convention to showcase what they want," he said. "The parties are producing the convention. They make a determination as to what they want the public to see and that’s what they present."

But behind the showmanship lies a political message, and at no time is it more powerful than when the nominees address their delegates, DiCicco said.

"I’m sure the message Kerry and Edwards will give will be the basis of their campaign and their platform," he said. "The best time you’re going to have to watch these people is when they give their speeches. It will speak to who they are and what they envision for this country. You don’t get that second shot during media ads, which are often sound bites."

Canuso said a lot of people will get their first real feeling for a presidential candidate by watching the conventions.

As party conventions have evolved over the years, the gatherings still hold a valuable purpose, DiCicco, Kenney and Canuso agreed.

"It’s to gear up the troops for the election in November, to create some enthusiasm and excitement," Kenney said. "I think it’s also a way for someone like John Kerry — who has not spent a lot of time in the public eye — to project himself to the American people so they can begin to decide whether they like him and whether they feel comfortable with his approach."

Conventions are a key tool for a candidate to reach a nationwide audience and highlight the basic ideals his party stands for; multiculturalism and working-class policies are among the Democratic Party ideals, Kenney said.

The councilman believes healthcare, the war in Iraq and the economy will be the three biggest issues Kerry and Edwards face on their road to the White House.

"I think it’s going to be a spirited campaign," said DiCicco.