SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The gates open and thousands pour onto the New York State Fairgrounds in a ritual that marks to end of the summer season. This is a time spent catching up on leisure time before the focus returns to work and school. In the midst of all this, it may be too soon for many to begin focusing on a race that won't be decided for more than two months.
“It is a very busy time and, mostly, my interest is where they're going, what they do at these, but also who is going to be involved for running. Who's going to be our leaders,” said Margaret Hass.
“For me it's October. Probably four to six weeks before the election. Until then, you know, everybody's got busy lives. Everybody's working and finding stuff to do in their free time,” said Alan Brignall.
The nation's two major political parties have begun the job of formally naming their candidates for the number one job in the nation. It is an important step in the democratic process. The question is, are citizens of the nation really paying that much attention? Our Bill Carey says, after two weeks of marathon Olympic watching and with summer nearing an end, it's tough to get voters to pay attention.
With Olympics pushing the parties to delay their meetings, normally held in late July and mid-August, democrats and republicans are now holding conventions back to back, hoping to capture the attention of TV viewers in the midst of a Labor Day holiday. So far, the ratings have been termed "tepid."
“I think the other piece of this is, we've had a very, very long campaign already. And so, people have already had an earful and an eyeful of all the candidates. Particularly Obama and McCain and Hillary Clinton,” said Grant Reeher, a Syracuse University political scientist.
Reeher says if the viewing numbers are down, there are still important tasks ahead, primarily for the democrats. The need to find and focus its response to GOP attacks. And the need to at least convince the media that schisms within the party have been healed.
“The media are watching them very, very closely. And the public then will listen, to some extent, and read, to some extent, and watch, to some extent, what the media interpreters are making of it all,” Reeher said.
The politicians and media are keeping busy in Denver. Voters, for now, are still on vacation.
The democratic convention wraps up on Thursday. The GOP meeting in St. Paul begins on Labor Day.