TO the television audience, a national convention comes on like a minor Gettysburg. There are frontal attacks, skirmishes in obscure corners-- all accompanied by fanfares and flourishes. But as any general will tell you, the thing to know is where the reserves are hidden, which woods conceal what cavalry and who commands them. It is this analysis of men of significance that is the yearlong concern of TIME'S political coverage-- and especially so during the quadrennial convention battles.

On hand in Miami Beach were Time Inc. Editor in Chief Hedley Donovan, TIME Managing Editor Henry Grunwald, Senior Editor Jason McManus, and the Nation staff of 16, who were intent on assessing an event that has no real parallel in all the world's governments.

Directing TIME'S 20 reporters was Chief of Correspondents Murray Gart. His principal command post was an advantageously placed row of seats and desks near the podium. Beside him sat his deputy and deskman extraordinary, Dick Duncan, amid a nexus of wires, phones and beepers with which he could dispatch one of TIME'S four floor reporters to cover a disturbance in the Ohio delegation or a fracas outside the hall.

"Our objective was to be on hand at the critical moments of decision," explains Gart. That involves an intimacy with political figures which may be months and years in the making. Senior Correspondent John Steele, who has attended no fewer than 14 conventions, and Simmons Fentress, veteran of four, used their vast expertise to report and analyze the differences between this and past political conclaves. Correspondent Bonnie Angelo kept in touch with the women's caucus. Hays Gorey, who had covered Hubert Humphrey all through his 1968 presidential campaign, was with the Senator during the credentials fight on the floor. Dean Fischer, assigned months ago to follow McGovern's fortunes, was the only reporter in the candidate's room when the Illinois delegation cast its votes to put McGovern over the top. "I offered him my congratulations," says Fischer. "I'm glad you were able to be with us at this moment," McGovern responded.

While the balloting for McGovern dragged on, Gart left his command post to contact some of his "old sources" on the convention floor. In this "new" convention, old sources were not as common as they used to be, but Gart was able to return with a secret "short list" of vice-presidential candidates: U.A.W.'s Leonard Woodcock, Senators Abraham Ribicoff of Connecticut and Thomas Eagleton of Missouri. Promptly, a reporter and photographer were dispatched to cover each of these three vice-presidential possibilities. As a result, Correspondent John Stacks was at Ribicoffs side in his hotel suite when McGovern phoned the next day to ask him to be his running mate. Stacks knew before McGovern himself -- because Ribicoff had told him -- that the offer would be refused. Correspondent Gregory Wierzynski sought out Eagleton for an hourlong interview -- a full twelve hours before the Missouri Senator himself knew whether he was to be the vice-presidential candidate.

While Gart directed his reportorial troops, Picture Editor John Durniak -- assisted by Arnold Drapkin, Deborah Pierce and Alice George

-- was directing a small army of photographers. He had wangled a girl photographer, Sahm Doherty, onto the central stand, usually an exclusively male prerogative. By week's end, the Nation staff had returned to New York to assemble the convention section, and Gart and his correspondents had begun taking a short breather before Round 2: the Republican Convention in four weeks.

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