Conventions That Matter?

What if no candidate has 50% of the delegates by the end of primary/caucus season?

It's entirely possible that the top 3 in both the Democrats and the Republicans will split most of the delegates, with a few delegates going to the 2nd-tier candidates.

Instead of a head-to-head Presidential candidate starting March 2008, we may have to wait until the fall. The convention may actually matter, as the candidates and delegates negotiate.

Would this be such a bad thing?