1. Nominations, Campaigns, and Campaign Finance
“The question is not whether I can get elected. The question is whether I can be elected and not be nuts when I get there.”
– Democratic Presidential Candidate Walter Mondale

2. The Nomination Game

4. The Nomination Game

5. The Nomination Game Why Run? Campaigns are long, exhausting, expensive
Other countries have short campaigns – generally less than 2 months
In U.S. (especially for President) campaigns can last 2 years

6. The Nomination Game How to win a delegates?
The Focus for a Presidential PRIMARY Campaign: Gain enough delegates at the national convention to secure the party’s nomination
Delegates:
supporters from a political party at the state level
Delegates from each state travel to the National Convention to cast their votes on behalf of each states’ pick for their own party
How to win a delegates?
Caucus Route
Primary Route

7. The Nomination Game Caucuses
meetings of party members (used to be state party leaders) to select which candidate will get delegates
Today, it’s often the voters who attend meetings to make the selection, starting at local level & working up to a state convention
Iowa is the first, giving it great strategic importance
A caucus can last a couple of hours and you must stay the whole time. This is why there is less of a turn out than traditional primary elections.

8. The Nomination Game
Primaries: State elections where voters select the nominee (or delegates pledged to nominee)
Much more common than caucus route
New Hampshire is the first: “Frontloading”
State law determines how delegates are selected
Establish momentum
Started in response to concerns over fairness in caucus system, leading to more openness: McGovern-Frasier Commission
Frontloading: moving up primary election to give state greater impact
Primaries are like an elimination contest in each party

9. The Nomination Game

10. The Nomination Game
Competing for Delegates: Problems with the System (Primary Election Explained- CPG Grey)
Disproportionate attention to early races
Time is an issue, especially for those in office
Expense is enormous
Voter participation low – how democratic is it?
November 3, 2018…. 3 days before the election
November 5, 2018… 1 day before the election
Media tends to focus on the “horse race” aspect: who’s ahead or behind, rather than on the issues involved

11. The Nomination Game The Convention Send-Off
Originally they were the critical event where the candidate was chosen (& they were started by a 3rd party!)
Today, candidate effectively chosen during caucus/primary season
Focus today is the platform

12. Superdelegates: Democratic Party
Politicians who are awarded convention seats on the basis of their position (former presidents, congressmen, etc)
For the Democratic Party, Superdelegates are “unbound” and make up about 10-20% of their total delegate count (depending on each election cycle)
Superdelegates Explained
The Democratic Party used superdelegates in the nominating process from
Party leaders are assured a role, no matter which candidate they support
They can change their minds as the process unfolds
Article 2015
Change in Superdelgate Rules 2018
Delegate- state political party supporter

13. Unpledged Delegates: Republican Party
Unbound delegates:
Same as superdelegates, this party doesn’t have as many, only worth about 5-10% of the total delegates
Republican unpledged delegates, election