Nominations, Campaigns, and elections “Throwing Your Hat in the Ring”

Election Process Time between a candidate’s announcement that he or she is running to the actual convention, could easily be two years from start to finish. “Invisible primary” – period between a candidate’s announcement that he or she is running for president and the day the first primary votes are cast After the candidate declares, the candidate starts building an organization, actively seeking funds-current start up fee for presidential races estimated at $100 million

Election Process Before first primary or caucus, candidate vies for endorsements from party leaders and attempts to raise public’s interest by visiting key states with early primaries (Iowa & New Hampshire). Debates are held among the candidates and political ads are shown in the early primary states. Early front runners are normally candidates that raise the most money.

Election Process Second stage of the campaign is the primary season. As early as February and March (before election) key regional primaries are held on “Super Tuesday.” After Super Tuesday, one candidate usually has enough delegates pledged to him that he becomes presumptive nominee (not in 2008 when Democrat candidates fought until the last primary was completed).

Election Process Third stage of the campaign takes place between the time both parties have a presumptive candidate and the conventions where the candidates are officially nominated. Fourth stage of the campaign is the nominating convention held by each party. Traditionally, the party out of power holds its convention first. Conventions are highly scripted, pep rallies for the party’s base. Key components: adoption of party platform, keynote speech, nominating speeches, and the acceptance speeches of the vice presidential and presidential candidates.

Election Process Election campaign seems like a 100-yard dash compared to the nominating process. Even though there are similarities to the campaign for nomination in terms of organization and strategy, once the candidate has the official party designation, the fall campaign turns into a fight for the finish.

Primaries First step on the road to the White House is the caucus and primary process. Winning delegate support takes place as a result of a high-tech campaign to convince party regulars that a particular candidate is best suited to run the country.

Primaries and Caucuses Continued Today, most of the delegates to the national conventions are selected in presidential primaries, in which voters in a state go to the polls and vote for a candidate. States selected their delegates to the national convention in a meeting of state party leaders (caucus), but today caucuses are open to all voters who are registered within the party.

Criticisms of primaries and caucuses Disproportionate amount of attention goes to the early caucuses and primaries. Running for president has become a full-time job. Money plays too big a role in the caucuses and primaries Participation is low and is not representative of the voting population. Primaries and caucuses exaggerate regional factors System gives too much power to the media.

National and Regional Primaries Proponents of a national primary to select party nominees believe that this would bring directness and simplicity to the process. Critics of a national primary believe it would require a runoff election between the two top finishers. Big money and media attention would become more crucial.

National and Regional Primaries Regional primaries would have groups of states that would vote one week, then another the following week, and so on. Major problem with regional primary proposal is the advantage gained by whichever region goes first.

Assignment Read Lanahan Reader pg. 496 and answer hand out questions. In a short paragraph, give your opinion on the following statement: “Reformers in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries held that the solution to democratic problems was more democracy…. In principle, more democracy always sounds better than less, but it is not such a simple issue in practice.”

Campaign Game Campaigning today is heavily dependent on technology. Television is the most prevalent means used by candidates to reach voters (but focuses on who’s winning rather than policy issues). Computer technology targets mailings to prospective supporters.

Campaign Game Once nominated, candidates concentrate on campaigning for the general election. Three ingredients are needed to project right image to voters: high-tech media campaign, organization, and money.

Campaign Game To effectively organize their campaigns, candidates must succeed in key areas: 1.) get a campaign manager 2.) get a fund-raiser 3.) get a campaign counsel 4.) hire media and campaign consultants 5.) assemble a campaign staff 6.) plan the logistics 7.) hire a pollster 8.) get a research staff and policy advisers 9.) get a good press secretary 10.) establish a web site

Money in Campaigns Campaigns are EXPENSIVE, and they are growing more so in America’s high-tech political arena. Congress passed the Federal Election Campaign Act in 1974 with the goals of tightening reporting requirements for contributions and limiteing overall expenditures. 1972: Watergate and illegal donations from corporation, unions, and individuals catalyzed change Brought about the 1974 federal campaign reform law and Federal Election Commission (FEC)

Raising Money Individuals can give $2,000; PACs can give $5,000 in each election to each candidate Candidates must raise $5,000 in twenty states in individual contributions of $250 or less to qualify for federal matching grants to pay for primary campaigns

Problems with Campaign Financing Independent expenditures: an organization or PAC can spend as much as it wishes on advertising, so long as it is not coordinated with a candidate’s campaign Soft money: unlimited amounts of money may be given to a political party, so long as a candidate is not named

Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act Banned soft money contributions to national parties from corporations and unions after the 2002 election Raised the limit on individual donations to $2,000 per candidate per election

Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act Sharply restricted independent expenditures Corporations, unions, trade associations, nonprofit organizations cannot use their own money for an advertisement referring to a candidate by name 30 days before a primary and 60 days before a general election

527 Organizations A new source of money under the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act Designed to permit the kind of soft money expenditures once made by political parties They can spend their money on politics so long as they do not coordinate with a candidate or lobby directly for that person

Money and Winning Presidential candidates have similar funds because of federal funding During peacetime, presidential elections are usually decided on the basis of three factors: Political party affiliation The economy Character

The Economy and Vote for President, 1948-2004 Updated from Robert S. Erikson and Kent L. Tedin, American Public Opinion, 5th ed., p. 271. Copyright © 1995 by Allyn & Bacon/Longman. Reprinted by permission of Pearson Education, Inc. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Quiz Chapter 8 (Political Parties) and chapter 9 (nominations and campaigns) on Thursday