If it is not too a fine point, I am a much bigger election junky than a political one. I am far more often disappointed by the quality of leadership than I am by the process of picking those leaders. But every process differs and, in this US election year, there is a chance that a little used process may rear its head this summer: the brokered convention. Fortunately, the Votemaster is on the job and provides a detailed description of how they work in today's edition of Election 2008:

What if no candidate gets a majority (2025 delegates for the Democrats, 1191 for the much smaller Republican convention)? This is where "brokered convention" comes in. Actually, it is more like "All hell breaks loose." All delegates are now up for grabs. All the candidates try to grab as many delegates as they can. Some state chairman may try to strongarm their delegates into obeying orders so as to give the state chairman more clout in negotiating with the candidates ("Romney offered us three dams, five bridges, and a national park. What's your bid?)" But after the first ballot, the delegates are free agents don't have to obey their chairman or anyone. Some might not care about dams and bridges but might trade their vote for a promise to insert a plank in the platform to [ban voting machines, build a 20' electrified fence on the Mexican border, declare the chicken to be the national fowl, you name it].