Why the GOP is holding its convention early

But it’s not a cost-free choice. A convention earlier in the year could mean the public isn’t fully engaged in the presidential race and voters aren’t paying attention, former Obama campaign manager and White House adviser David Plouffe tweeted, calling the GOP’s decision “Reince’s Folly.”

“Where convention is will be less important than when it is. GOP likely made huge strategic blunder with June choice,” Plouffe tweeted. “The 2 big moments you control in a Pres camp. are VP pick and convention. Both will be over too early. $$ reasoning weak,” he added.

Prior to 2008, candidates from both parties had always accepted public money to run their fall general election campaigns in exchange for agreeing to abide by spending limits. A late summer convention helped maximize the amount of non-general election, non-public money a candidate could spend before those spending limits came into effect.