And Mr. Obama last week added to the challenge, with his campaign saying the candidate would give his acceptance speech outside the convention hall, distancing himself from party insiders, donors and corporate leaders who typically dominate convention week.
Hoping to dampen such criticisms, Mr. Brodsky has introduced legislation that would provide public financing for those running to become delegates, perhaps preventing professional politicians from dominating a convention.
Scotland had little option but to accept a change of monarch and a Presbyterian-dominated convention offered the crown of Scotland to William and Mary.
Even so, she added, "We will dominate the convention".
The prime minister, who has the political instincts of a streetfighter, dominated the convention's agenda.
Mr. Clinton's prime-time speech instantly dominated a convention that featured two ex-presidents and an almost-president.
In the process he surely laid to rest the disunity storyline that, hitherto, had dominated the convention coverage.
Over the years, historians have made the case for each side by arguing that their opponents constituted the truly aggressive or obstructive minority seeking to dominate the Convention.
If Mr. Bush wishes to persuade voters that his G.O.P. will not resurrect the inflexible attitudes and stark policies of the Gingrich era, he must dominate the convention stage.
The grass-roots activists who dominated the convention elected Mr. Pauken, who became an irritant to Mr. Bush and his chief political strategist, Karl Rove.
