With their outcomes scripted before they begin, are party conventions outdated spectacles? Contrary to popular belief, conventions can sway voters, argued Temple political scientist Christopher Wlezien in an op-ed co-authored by Robert Erikson of Columbia University. "Changes in the polls during or between the conventions can be fleeting," wrote Wlezien and Erikson, co-authors of The Timeline of Presidential Elections. "But wait a few weeks after the conventions and the change is likely to be rather permanent over the autumn campaign."