Last Updated 8 months by Amnon J. Jobi | Amnon Front Page
Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro broke down the history of the Republican National Convention in the latest episode of “Facts,” explaining why the convention still mattered today even though it has changed over the years.
The episode, posted Wednesday as the 2024 RNC takes place in Milwaukee, delves deep into the history of the RNC, highlighting some of the most contentious and interesting conventions from the first one in 1856 to the 2016 convention when Donald Trump was nominated.
“In order to understand the way the Republican Party works today, it’s important to understand how the RNC worked historically and how that has changed,” Shapiro says in the episode. “That story is the story of the evolution of power from elites inside the Republican Party to broader swaths of the Republican primary electorate.”
The RNC was first established in 1856 and was designed to help the young Republican Party achieve its electoral ambitions. The organization’s first national convention was held in Philadelphia, where delegates chose John C. Fremont to be its nominee.
“Initially, the RNC served as a critical decision-making body where party leaders and delegates from across the country would gather to debate and decide on key issues, including the nomination of presidential and vice presidential candidates,” Shapiro explains in the video.
At the RNC’s second meeting in 1860, the party nominated Abraham Lincoln and solidified the party’s commitment to the abolition of slavery and the principles of equality and liberty.
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In the episode, Shapiro discussed several other RNCs, like the 1912 convention in Chicago where former President Teddy Roosevelt clashed with incumbent President William Taft for the nomination (Taft eventually prevailed).
At the 1952 RNC, World War II hero Dwight Eisenhower was able to secure the nomination despite Senator Robert Taft having more delegates going in, after Eisenhower’s team portrayed Taft as a political insider.
Eventually, the power to choose the nominee shifted more to states through primaries and caucuses.
“While the advent of modern primaries and caucuses has shifted much of the decision-making power away from the convention floor and directly into the hands of voters throughout the primary season, the convention remains an essential event for the Republican Party,” Shapiro explains. “It fulfills several vital functions. First, it nominates candidates. The primary purpose of the convention is to officially nominate the party’s candidates for president and vice president.”
Shapiro concludes by explaining that the RNC is still a “pivotal moment” because it helps set the tone for the election cycle and helps to mobilize the party’s base.
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