Do the DNC & RNC matter? Are you watching?

GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) - The Republican National Convention is over and the Democratic National Convention is in full swing. So we are curious-- are you watching and is it making a difference?

We decided to find voters, both republican and democrat, and ask them. We contacted the Kent County Clerk's office to find the local strongholds for each party. We were told that the 75th district which includes part of Grand Rapids traditionally votes democratic while East Grand Rapids, a mile away, tends to vote republican.

We set up on the corner of Wealthy and Lake in Eastown, a democratic stronghold, with our "What do you think sign?"

"I am not watching the Democratic National Convention," says Josh Ruhlman, a young Eastown democrat, "but I might as well as the Republican National Convention was great. It helped me learn all sorts about their political views."

So did the national convention change his mind? Josh says, "Not at all. It actually helped support the ideas I already believed."

We talked to many other Eastown residents, many of whom are democrats, and they seemed not to be all that interested in the conventions and thought they would do little to change their mind.

So we picked up our sign and headed to the Gas Light Village in East Grand Rapids to see if they had a different view. Lisa Siebert, an East Grand Rapids resident, hadn't watched the Democratic convention yet, but did catch the Republican National Convention.

Did the convention change her mind? "No... I am a Republican that is what I already believe."

Other East Grand Rapids residents were more cynical, calling the conventions nothing more than a dog and pony show for the parties, or just like some of their democratic counterparts just not interested in watching.

So it would seem, at least to the people we talked to, that the conventions are not a big priority, and they are doing little to change people's minds.