talks to a scholar and researcher ivan eland about the race for the white house. what do you read into the g.o.p. convention. well conventions in the u.s. now are sort of a beauty contest they're not they used to be in the history they used to have a lot more effect than nominees actually chosen at the conventions but now we have a party primary and caucus system which does that so it's just sort of a coronation of the nominee of the particular party and they just script them pretty heavily romney has complete control over the conference convention and there observe you ron paul supporters that kicked up a little bit but largely even ron paul is playing the game inside the party so you don't see hardly any disputes or anything like that over the platform or anything else and no surprises all the romney started at the very beginning of his campaign was very rough there was a lot of competition a lot of other candidates so basically discredit him and yet now at the convention it seems as the g.o.p. just wants from need to be the president yes well they've all that's

creative all right gentlemen cross talk rules in effect that means you can jump in anytime you want ivan eland if i go to you first in washington what is the state of america's soft power today ok a lot of people think it was the u.s. to go real battering under the bush years and now we've had four years of obama what is this what is america's brand value. well i think america has a lot of brand value but i don't think it comes from. funding democratic forces in other countries i mean i don't think this through works very well since one thousand nine hundred we've tried to impose democracy using military power fifteen times and eleven times it's failed two times it's still out and four times it succeeded so it doesn't have a very success rate even when you force it on people so i think letting it bubble up from the bottom is better than funding democratic groups in elections and funding even things to bring about democracy i think people have to do it themselves in whatever country it is and i don't think we have the money for it here in the united states anymore to do these types of things ok

until they said this hour i'll see researcher ivan eland discusses the race for the white house and the actual significance of party conventions but here's a preview. conventions in the u.s. now are sort of a beauty contest they're not they used to be in the history they used to have a lot more effect the nominee was actually chosen at the conventions but now we have a party primary and caucus system which does that so it's just sort of a coronation of the nominee of the particular party and they just script them pretty heavily romney has complete control over the. convention and there are reserve you ron paul supporters that kicked up a little bit of dust but largely even ron paul is playing the game inside the party so you don't see hardly any dispute. and time now to cross over to the business desk natasha's that good morning to china is insisting on switching to national currencies in the bilateral trade please explain well that's really the idea china has been able to do it with some of its trading partners and now hopes that russia will be among them soon all the details in just a

communications program at american university school of international service also in washington we have ivan eland he is a senior fellow and director of the center on peace and liberty at the independent institute and in london we crossed the jonathan mcclory he is a strategy adviser edwin creative all right gentlemen cross talk rules in effect that means you can jump in anytime you want to anyone if i go to you first in washington what is the state of america's soft power today ok a lot of people think and read the u.s. to go real battering under the bush years and now we've had four years of obama what is this what is america's brand value. well i think america has a lot of brand value but i don't think it comes from. funding democratic forces in other countries i mean i don't think this rule works very well since one thousand nine hundred we've tried to impose democracy using military power fifteen times and eleven times it's failed two times it's still out of four times it succeeded so it doesn't have a very success rate even when you force it on people so i think letting it bubble up from the