Every four years, political conventions inspire absurd antics, from Vice President Al Gore's excruciatingly long smooch with then-wife, Tipper, to Clint Eastwood's recent conversation with an empty chair. Is it time to put an end to political pseudo-drama every four years?

For the Democrats, the conventions have an incredible history of foretelling the party’s direction and creating the biggest stars. Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, explains.

Political correspondent Todd Zwillich has takeaways from the Charlotte convention floor on what to watch for at the start of the DNC.

Last week, we heard from a range of delegates at the Republican National Convention in Tampa. This week, we are hearing from delegates on the other end of the ideological spectrum.

Arctic sea ice continues to shrink at record levels because of climate change. With polar ice melting at record rates, there is a strong desire to document the vanishing icebergs before they are lost forever. The Takeaway speaks with iceberg and storm photographer Camille Seaman about her painstaking efforts to capture the loss.

In a new approach to finding out how politicians win elections,"The Gamble," a book by John Sides and Lynn Vavreck, offers a real time analysis of the election. The e-book is being updated as the campaign unfolds, and draws upon data about the economy, public opinion, and news coverage.