• AWistfulNihilist@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Actually the presidential candidate was selected on the day of the convention up until around 1970. They had conventions that would last days, they would lock the doors until a candidate was picked. Then ideally everyone stacked behind the final candidate.

    I’m pretty sure there was actually almost a contested convention in like 1980. So no, this is objectively wrong and a bit of a modern convention.

    • bionicjoey@lemmy.ca
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      3 months ago

      It’s been true for roughly the last half a century that there has been a clear presumptive candidate going into the general. And in any case, the purpose of a primary is to select the candidate. As I said I think it’s going to be detrimental that Harris hasn’t actually won a primary, even though the primaries are a sham.