Every four years, the two major political parties come together for four days each to nominate their presidential and vice presidential candidates and make the case for their platforms. With dozens of speakers and hours of punditry, it might seem easier to just tune it out. But conventions are also the biggest chance for those looking to skyrocket into fame — remember there is no Obama presidency without his 2004 keynote address at the DNC. So let us break down the speeches worth paying attention to to make your convention experience so easy the parties will envy you.
The South Carolinians
The Palmetto State is nothing if not proud, so here's a comprehensive list of all the native sons taking their parties' respective stages in Cleveland and Philadelphia.
Republicans:
The Rev. Mark Burns
Mark Burns, a pastor from Easley, had the chance to address the RNC not once but twice. He delivered the opening benediction as well as a fiery speech later in the convention that brought an often divided crowd together to its feet. Burns was also one of few African-American speakers, putting him even more in the national spotlight. As NBC's Brian Williams put it, most people don't work up a sweat giving a speech, but this man does.
Democrats:
Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin
Did the guy sitting next to former President Bill Clinton at the DNC look familiar? That's because you've probably seen his face on the wall in Russell House. Columbia mayor, and former USC student body president, Steve Benjamin has been growing his national profile for years now with his work as part of the National Conference of Mayors and President Obama's My Brother's Keeper initiative. His address at the DNC is a chance to take his career to the next level.
Rep. James Clyburn
James Clyburn has long been putting aside a brief stretch of iciness during the 2008 primaries, a close friend and ally of the Clintons. His speech will undoubtably draw from that personal relationship. But also expect him to touch on his own storied past as a civil rights activist and to address issues of gun violence and police brutality.
Former South Carolina Rep. Bakari Sellers
Bakari Sellers may have fallen on his sword for South Carolina Democrats in 2014 when he gave up his seat in the Statehouse to run for lieutenant governor, but his speaking role at the DNC is chance to pop back to a place of prominence in the political conversation. Sellers is one of the youngest politicians speaking at the convention, at 31 years old. With his youth, the South Carolina School of Law graduate has a shot at a lasting impact on the party in the Palmetto State and beyond.
The Up-and-Comers
Conventions turn little-known state and local leaders and back-bench congresspeople into national superstars. Here are the names to learn now so you can dazzle your friends later.
Republicans:
The Trump children
Donald Trump's children had one job in Cleveland — to soften their father's image to help draw in independents and wary Republicans. They did that and more. Strong performances from Donald Jr., Ivanka, Eric and Tiffany left delegates hoping for a campaign staffed by them and to one day see them on ballots too. Donald Jr. is now being floated as a candidate for NYC mayor, and conservatives see Ivanka's middle-of-the-roadness as a key to getting working class women on board. They also distracted from the plagiarism scandal surrounding their stepmother's speech.
Democrats:
California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom
California's Gavin Newsom has been on the cusp of national stardom for a while now. As mayor of San Francisco, he openly defied state and federal laws banning gay marriage and quickly became a favorite of the LGBTQ movement around the country. He's since advanced to the lieutenant governorship of one of the country's biggest states and was at one point thought to be a sleeper candidate for the VP slot. If his address goes well, the Newsom name may very well start to reach out beyond the "Left Coast."
The Dynasties
Yes, that name and face is familiar. Two of the newest Democratic darlings getting speaking slots are just the newest in prominent, and beloved, political families.
Democrats:
Rep. Joe Kennedy III
The grandson of Robert F. Kennedy and great-nephew of John F. Kennedy and Teddy Kennedy, the Camelot legacy is now firmly in the hands of Massachusetts congressman Joe Kennedy. His role at the DNC is introducing his former law professor, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, but if he's got even a fraction of his family's infamous oratorical skills, then it's a segway worth tuning into. The Warren-Kennedy pairing is also a sort of confirmation of the worst kept secret in Massachusetts politics — he's set to retake the Senate seat that made his family what it is today once Warren retires.
Georgia State Sen. Jason Carter
Jimmy Carter is one of those political figures whose popularity has risen with time and hindsight, so much so that his grandson Jason Carter is on the fast-track to being a Democratic leader in the South and nationally. He's currently a state senator out of Georgia who came up just short of taking the governor's mansion in the bright-red Peach State in 2014. Don't be surprised if the same Southern charm that got him there and once got his grandfather to the White House shines through when he addresses delegates in the Philly.
The Notably Not Speaking
Sometimes you say the most when you say nothing at all. Here are some of the significant politicos pointedly sitting out their parties' big days.
Republicans:
Gov. Nikki Haley
South Carolina's governor did make the trek to Cleveland for the RNC, but her actions spoke louder than her lack of words throughout the trip. It took an on-air MSNBC reporter three tries to get her to begrudgingly throw her support behind Donald Trump when she visited the South Carolina delegation on the floor of the convention, and she rushed to be photographed with Ted Cruz after his controversial non-endorsement of Trump on stage. Haley's seen as the kind of conservative that can keep the GOP afloat amidst a rising tide of shifting demographics. Her clear dissatisfaction with the ticket is not a good sign for the party.
Living presidents and presidential candidates
There are two living former Republican presidents and two more living Republican nominees. None of them were in Cleveland. It wasn't that long ago that the former Bush presidents thought the 2016 convention would see their son/brother at the helm, and their radio silence on how the race shaped out speaks volumes. Instead of addressing the convention, John McCain is in the fight of his career just to keep his Senate seat with Arizona's Latino community seeing blue after Donald Trump's inflammatory stances on immigration. And Mitt Romney has spent months actively campaigning against the Trump ticket.
Democrats:
Former Vice President and Presidential Candidate Al Gore
Gore threw his support behind the wife of the president he served under via Twitter at the start of the DNC, but that doesn't mean he actually made the trek to Philadelphia. It might be true that it's all just a scheduling conflict, but it also might be a reflection of a lasting chill between Gore and the Clintons. Gore ran from the Clinton legacy when campaigning as the Democratic nominee in 2000, a wound that time very well may have yet to heal completely.