Chapter 14 The Campaign Process  To Accompany Comprehensive, Alternate, and Texas Editions American Government: Roots and Reform, 10th edition Karen O’Connor and Larry J. Sabato  Pearson Education, 2009

Nature of Modern Campaigns Most electoral contests are similar in a number of ways. Many military and sports metaphors used during these. Nomination campaign aimed at winning primary. Begins when someone declares, ends at election Can either help or hurt the party and candidate

Nature of Modern Campaigns Can be used to create a sense of inevitability Can also cause candidate to move too far right or left. General election campaign aimed at winning final race. Candidate adopts a slogan and major issues are chosen. Define stances on important issues. http://www.presidentsusa.net/campaignslogans.html

Think-Pair-Share Explain the difference between the nomination campaign and general election campaign

Think-Pair-Share Summarize the job of the campaign staff Who are the lifeblood of every national, state, and local campaign?

Rally Robin What are some of the things that volunteers and campaign staff do during the campaign?

Candidate and Staff Candidates run for a number of reasons. Can include ideology, ambition, or able to do job better. Try to meet as many people as possible. Long and grueling, can lead to mistakes. Volunteers focus on canvassing and get out the vote. Personal staff led by campaign manager. Closest to candidate, helps with decision-making.

Candidate and Staff Also have finance chair, pollster, Internet team. Key members deal with communicating with media. Communications director, direct mailer, press secretary. Campaign Consultants and media consultants may be hired. These are professionals that specialize in certain areas.

The Role of the Media Media can be paid or free; new media blur the line. Paid media usually takes the form of spot ads of 10-60 sec. It is well controlled by the campaign, and is an expensive part of it. Positive ads stress good points about candidate. Negative ads seek to attack opponent’s character and platform Contrast ads compare records and proposals. http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/

The Role of the Media Inoculation ads are used to anticipate negative ads from opponents. Free media is usually news coverage. It is difficult for the campaign to control, either good or bad. #Mcconnelling Media may be helpful, or may seem to favor one side. Media has shown to like a good horse race and pushes that.

The Role of the Media New media include Internet, e-mail, phone messages. Internet has grown from just an online brochure. Can run ads not for TV, and also raise money. Robo-calling targets narrow groups, usually for negative campaigning. Email and Social Media are free ways to reach massive audiences and build support.

Think-Pair-Share Explain the difference between paid media and free media

Rally Robin Identify the different types of ads

Strategies to Control the Media Isolating the candidate from the media. Can keep a story from growing, but can also backfire. Media may turn on a candidate for this. Holding staged media events. Ryan's staged photo-op at Soup Kitchen Creates sound-bites for news coverage. Fills the news with hopefully positive coverage.

Strategies to Control the Media Using spin, or a type of propaganda to make their candidate look best. Appearing on talk shows or in candidate debates. Candidate is in a more relaxed setting with easier questions on talk shows. Debates grew in importance following the 1960 televised debates between Nixon and Kennedy.

Strategies to Control the Media Debates have become more prominent since the 1980s. Have almost become another means to control the media. Now start with the primaries, and usually include 3 presidential and 1 vice presidential debate.

Think-Write-RoundRobin Which strategy do you think is the most effective that campaigns use to control the media

Campaign Finance Nearly $2 billion spent in 2008. Presidential Campaigns now over $1 billion. Senate campaigns usually between $3-$5 million. Reforms have been proposed many times. Civil Service Act of 1883 was first attempt. FECA was major step forward in 1970s. Disclosure requirements, public financing for Pres. Campaigns

Figure 14.2- Expenditures by PACs  Pg 514 Back

Think-Pair-Share Why are PACs much more likely to contribute to a congressional campaign than a presidential campaign?

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act Passed in 2002 to update FECA of 1973. Outlaws use of soft money to parties. Limits individual and political action committee funds. Individuals limited to $2,300 per election cycle. PACs could give $5000 to candidate, $15,000 to parties. Some argued this still gives PACS and special interests too much power

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act Political parties become larger players. Can give $5000 to House and $39,900 to Senate candidates Allows donations from “leadership PACs.” Members can transfer money to other party candidates. Does not regulate use of personal money. Regulates the use of public and matching funds. McConnell v. FEC upheld the BCRA (2003) Buckley v. Valeo allows candidates to contribute unlimited amounts to their own campaign.

Think-Pair-Share Explain the role of a PAC Explain the difference between public and matching funds What is the catch to accepting public/matching funds from the federal government?

Table 14.1- Contribution Limits  Back

The 527 Loophole Advocacy may only be paid for with hard money. Soft money is banned under BCRA. 527 political committees emerge to fill void. Cannot advocate for candidates, only causes and policy. 501(c)3 committees also can educate voters. Citizens United ruling has completely changed the game. Unlimited funding by groups and corporations now allowed.

Think-Pair-Share Explain how 527 committees and 501 (c)(3) committees circumvent the rules regarding PAC contributions

Citizens United v. FEC (2010) Citizens United sought to prevent applying the BCRA to its documentary Hillary: The Movie even though it expressed political opinions about her suitability as president. Majority Opinion of the Justices that under the First Amendment corporate funding of independent political broadcasts in candidate elections cannot be limited.  Corporations, like people, must still disclose to whom and what they are donating political funding to.

Think-Write-RoundRobin Why is the abolition of 527 committees of 501 (c)(3) committees highly unlikely?