A Giant Soapbox

I used to think a party convention as a purely political event: People gather to cheer on the candidates and boost the public image of the party's platform. But because it's so widely publicized and covered by mass media, the party convention also serves as a giant soapbox from which to broadcast your message if you can get invited to speak. President Reagan's son will speak at the 2004 Democratic National Convention to advocate stem cell research.