I've been watching the Democratic National Convention (DNC) this week, and it has been terrific television. Given that everything is being done remotely, there have been only a few glitches along the way, and I think that in some ways, this is a better way to run a convention.

Cause let's face it—gone are the days when political conventions were the places where candidates were actually chosen. The mystery of who the candidate will be has been solved by seemingly endless primaries long before the actual convention begins. Convention fights are a thing of the past.

I've watched many conventions over the years, and they are sprawling, messy affairs with people wearing funny hats and holding up signs for whomever is speaking at that moment. Reporters on the floor are busy talking to politicians, and reporters in the booth are opining at length while the proceedings drone on through the afternoons and evenings.

The virtual roll call, wherein the states each announce who is getting their designated number of votes, was a vast improvement. In the past, the roll call was noisy, with everyone else on the floor yakking while the speaker for each state shouted into a mic as others in his delegation strained to get into the camera shot. Ugh.

By contrast the new roll call was quick, neat, and actually fun to watch. It gave us a chance to see folks from around this great land of ours and celebrate the diversity that is the United States of America. Each state picked a representative location, and a spokesman or two announced their choices. I even found out that Rhode Islanders love calamari, so win-win.

I also am getting used to hearing the speeches without the crowd reactions that are such a part of the excitement of a convention. Without the hubbub of the crowd or voiceover commentary, we are able to focus on the content of the messages being presented. We are not seeing cutaway shots of the candidate's family or being distracted by crowd reaction. The lack of background noise is actually a welcome change in our harried world.

I had very little idea what a remote convention would look or sound like, but these first two nights have been compelling, highly watchable television. By paring down the convention, the Democrats got rid of all the fluff and could tailor their messages and presentation carefully. At just three hours a night, with a plethora of inspiring speakers and the occasional entertainer, it turns out that the DNC is must-see TV.