The Democrats are having a mess of a time in Charlotte, where convention organizers are reportedly more than $25 million in the hole, just changed their Monday plans again and have moderates such as Sens. Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Jon Tester of Montana steering clear. …

It all adds up to a big question: What’s the point of a publicly financed, four-day pep rally in the age of the permanent campaign? Are the conventions a thing of the past? …

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel said that lawmakers should stay away. “A trip to Charlotte may be interesting,” the New York congressman told the Reuters Washington Summit, “but why leave your districts?”