1. The Election game
How is an election like a sporting season?

2. Who are the coaches? Consultants Speechwriters Pollsters
James Carville (B.Clinton)
David Axelrod (Obama)
Karen Hughes (GWB)
Karl Rove (GWB)
Speechwriters
Often go on to work in WH
Pollsters
Internal polling at WH
Other campaign staff
Legal staff, accounting, publicity, media

3. Political Coaches…?
Think about what a coach is supposed to do for his or her team?
How are their jobs similar?

4. What is the game plan or strategy?
When and where to campaign
Reactions to the opposition
Targeting the electorate
Maze of caucuses and primaries

5. Scoring Debates Press opportunities Key campaign phrases
“yes we can”
Soundbites
“compassionate conservative”
Negative campaigning
Appearances
Non-political shows like SNL or The Tonight Show

6. Negative campaigning

7. Mainstream Programming

8. Debate tactics

9. Penalties
FEC rules and regulations
Public opinion
Media reports

10. Stats? Poll numbers/“Horse race” coverage
Victories in primaries and caucuses

11. Season? Primaries (Jan-June) Caucuses (Jan-June)
Most states have primaries
New Hampshire (2/9/16)
AL has a primary (open) (3/1/2016)
Caucuses (Jan-June)
¼ of the states have caucuses
Iowa caucus (2/1/16)
General Election (1st Tuesday after the first Monday in November) 11/8/16

12. Championship?
Election day
Electoral college (December)

13. What are the four steps to the White House?
Nomination
Convention
General Election
Electoral College

14. Nomination Primaries (style: regular election)
Caucuses (style: town meeting)
Pre-elections held within party
Select delegates to attend the National Convention to be held in late summer

15. Convention
Party nominee with the most delegates win that party’s nomination
Superdelegates?
Official nomination of party’s presidential contender
Write platform, adopt party rules, etc.

16. General Election First Tuesday after the first Monday in November
State conducts elections within national guidelines
Winner of popular vote within state wins electoral votes for that state

17. Electoral College Constitutional
Each state has the same number of electors as it does reps in House and Senate
Winner takes all except in Maine and Nebraska
Popular vote winner could lose in the electoral college (4x…Gore in 2000)
Direct election is the most popular reform proposed but it would take a constitutional amendment
Why did the founders include it?