ANALYSTS DEFINE AFFAIRS AS STAGED EVENTS FOR TV

Political conventions have become little more than staged events for television, with there being virtually no suspense as to the selection of the presidential candidates, two political scientists say.

That's clearly the case, they said, with the Democratic National Convention that began Monday.

"The presidential preference primaries have completely changed the meaning and role of the national conventions," said Peter Bergerson, chairman of the political science department at Southeast Missouri State University.

"It's become a coronation," he said. "What we are witnessing now is an event staged for television."

Russell Renka of the university's political science department said that even as late as 1968, actual decisions on selection of a party's presidential candidate were being made at the convention.

But since 1972, the selection has been determined by presidential primaries, with the convention merely ratifying it, he said.

"It is a formality for the convention delegates themselves to vote to affirm what has already been decided," said Renka.

At one time the major television networks provided gavel-to-gavel coverage of the political conventions. That is no longer the case.

"It is no longer worthy of gavel-to-gavel coverage because there is very little suspense involved," said Renka.

It's not like 1960, he said, when there was uncertainty at the Democratic convention as to whether John Kennedy had the votes to secure the nomination.

Renka said viewers who tune in the convention this week can expect "the usual, inflated rhetoric" about 90 percent of the time. The other 10 percent might give some clues as to how the presidential campaign will shape up this fall, he said.

Bergerson acknowledged that in recent years there has been a declining interest in political conventions on the part of the public.

With the "video surfing" on the part of television viewers today as they flip through the channels, political conventions don't attract viewers like they did in the past, he said.

"The American public is more interested in the results than the process. The process is something for political junkies and the news media and the political science professors," said Bergerson.

"This is Christmas week for us," Bergerson said of the convention.

But to the average viewer that's far from the case. "`I Dream of Jeannie' reruns may get higher ratings," he said.

Renka conceded that the Democratic convention in New York City this week may be of little interest to many Americans. "The average voter pays little attention to anything," he said.

At this point, he said, it appears doubtful that even 50 percent of voters will go to the polls in November.

Still, both Bergerson and Renka said the convention, and, in particular, presidential candidate Bill Clinton's acceptance speech will be important to the candidate's campaign.

Bergerson said Clinton's speech on Thursday could be one of the "most important political speeches" of the Arkansas governor's career.

"It is very critical. It would be, in at least a close election, one of the contributing factors to whether he wins or loses," said Bergerson.

"I think he is in a critical 60- to 90-day period as far as public opinion goes."

Millions of people will see at least "bits and pieces" of the convention activity, Bergerson said.

Renka said, "There is no question that acceptance speeches are absolutely very important. "There is no question people, who want to know what Bill Clinton is like, ought to tune in to watch his acceptance speech," said Renka.

Bergerson said it appears this year's Democratic convention will be more harmonious than some past conventions, with party delegates rallying around the presidential candidate to a greater degree.

Democratic challenger Jerry Brown has not yet come out in support of Clinton. But Bergerson said Brown is not a central player at the convention.

"At best, he is an off-Broadway production," said Bergerson. "He is a minor player."

Renka said that even with all the talk of party unity there will be signs of conflicting views within the Democratic Party.

"Keep an eye out. There are still going to be some revelations that this is a coalition and it is kind of rickety," he said.

"Jesse Jackson will put on a display somewhere that he is not entirely happy with things; Jerry Brown is going to try to disrupt things as much as he can," said Renka.