1. The Conventions and the Campaign 3/19/2013

2. Clearly Stated Learning Objectives Identify and describe the formal and informal institutions involved in the electoral process Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the presidential nominating system in the context of the 2012 election

3. Office Hours Today 11-2 Wednesday 10-2

4. The Three Periods of the Campaign The Summer The Conventions to the First Debate The Final Month

5. The National Convention Not much fun anymore

6. Why aren’t the conventions much “fun” anymore?

7. Making it Work Selection and Timing Of Speakers Timing of the Convention itself (backloading)

8. THE REPUBLICANS

9. The Republican Convention Location Goal

10. Only 3 Days It was cut short for the second straight convention It still seemed like plenty of time

11. The Selection of Paul Ryan A rising star within the Party House Budget Chairman Advantages of the Ryan pick

12. The Dynamics of Paul Ryan Injected ideology into the race Tied Romney to the Ryan Budget Changed the Focus of the Race Impact?

13. Building the Romney Image Least Popular Nominee since 1988 Build a softer side He just couldn’t relate

14. The Eastwood Speech What they wantedwanted Left People Scratching their heads Overshadowed the Romney speech Excerpts

15. THE DEMOCRATS

16. The Democratic Convention The Location The Goal

17. The Dump Biden Movement Dump him for HRC Why it doesn’t materialize 4 more years of Joe

18. The Clinton Speech Obama’s speech was not memorable The Clinton Speech Excepts

19. THE FUTURE OF POLITICAL CONVENTIONS

20. The Convention Today We Would Rather watch regular stuff We have other ways of getting updates The excitement just isnt there

21. The Decline in Decision-Making It doesn’t decide anything It reinforces rather than changes Swing Voters watch other things

22. Why We Still Need Conventions Enhance Candidate images Energize the Base Kick off the General election Campaign

24. The 2012 Bounce

25. The convention to the first debate

26. THE OBAMA STRATEGY

27. Mobilize the Base Swing State Field Operations/ micro targeting Fundraise Focus on the High Points of the past 4 yearsHigh Points

28. The Obama Electoral Strategy Follow the 2004 Bush playbook Kill Romney and Go Negative (problems) Give Obama the benefit of the Doubt

29. Let Romney kill himself

30. “The Obama organization did the single best job of destroying a candidate I have ever seen in my career, from May to September,” Peter Brown, Quinnipiac University

31. ROMNEY

32. The Romney Strategy Run a lean campaign – Still broke – Doesn’t dip into personal funds Make it a referendum Focus on national issues, not personal charm

33. Bain Criticisms He could never find the right answer He couldn’t spin it positive He chose to ignore it and focus on Obama