First, however, each party will try to put on the happiest face possible. Hard feelings? They may linger, certainly, but party stalwarts generally attempt to close ranks for the common cause — keeping those dirty, no-good (choose one: Republicans or Democrats) out of power.

The city that serves as host for these get-togethers can help shape that party’s image. Who, after all, can forget the images of police vs. protestors in Chicago back in 1968 — a scene that hardly helped the Democrats who gathered there that year.

Here’s a list of the Democratic convention cities of the last 40 years:

2008 — Denver

2004 — Boston

2000 — Los Angeles

1996 — Chicago

1992 — New York

1988 – Atlanta

1984 — San Francisco

1980 — New York

1976 — New York

1972 — Miami Beach

1968 — Chicago

Source: demconvention.com