Nominations and Nominations and CampaignsCampaignsChapter 9Two Stages: Nomination and campaigns

between the two nominees

The Nomination GameThe Nomination Game Nomination: the official endorsement Nomination: the official endorsement

of a candidate for the office of a of a candidate for the office of a political party.political party.

Campaign Strategy: The master game Campaign Strategy: The master game plan candidates lay out to guide their plan candidates lay out to guide their electoral campaign.electoral campaign.

The Three M’sThe Three M’s1.1.MoneyMoney2.2.Media attentionMedia attention3.3.MomentumMomentum

DECIDING TO RUNDECIDING TO RUN

• In America, campaigns seem endless; 1 – 1 ½ yrs.• In most industrialized countries they last no more than 2 months.

Most U.S. Presidents have held a key political office. (U.S. senators, U.S. representative, or Governor)

Famous Generals – Grant & Eisenhower

NATIONAL PARTY NATIONAL PARTY CONVENTIONCONVENTION

• The supreme power within each of the parties. • Meets every four years to nominate a presidential and vice- presidential candidates• Party platform is also written at this time.

The Caucus RoadThe Caucus RoadCaucus: a meeting

of all state party leaders for selecting delegates to the national party convention.

They are open to all voters who are registered with the party.

Iowa holds the nation’s 1st caucus.

Neighborhood

Congressional District

The Primary The Primary RoadRoadPresidential primaries:

Elections in which voters in a state vote for a candidate(or delegates pledged to him or her).

New Hampshire holds the first primary.

Frontloading: the recent tendency of states to hold primaries early in the calendar in order to capitalize on media attention.

MCGOVERN-FRASER MCGOVERN-FRASER COMMISSIONCOMMISSIONA commission formed at the 1968 Democratic convention in response to demands for reform by minority groups and other who sought better representation.

1968 – Democratic National Convention in Chicago a large riot broke out over discontent with minorities, women, youth and other groups being ignored as delegates.

Superdelegates: National party leaders who automatically get a delegate slot at the Democratic national party convention.

Criticisms of the primary & Criticisms of the primary & caucus systemscaucus systems

Disproportionate attention goes to the early caucuses and primaries.

Prominent politicians find it difficult to take time out from their duties to run.

Money plays too big a role in the caucuses and primaries.

Participation in primaries and caucuses is low and unrepresentative.

50% vote in November Pres. Election20% vote in primaries & less in

caucusesSystem gives too much power to media.

The Convention Send-offThe Convention Send-off1912 – Democrats took 46 ballots to

choose a candidate.1954 – Multiballot conventions

endedToday – winner is a foregone

conclusion1956 &64: 160 hours of TV

coverage2000: less than 20 hours of

coverage

The National ConventionsThe National ConventionsFirst Day: Keynote speech with some

dynamic speaker recalls party heroes, condemns the opposition, & praises the new nominee.

Second Day: Centers on the party platform, the statement of goals & policies for the next 4 years.

Third Day: Formally nominating a candidate for president.

Fourth Day: Vice-Presidential candidate is chosen by roll call vote; V.P. gives speech; Presidential candidate gives acceptance speech

The High-Tech Media The High-Tech Media CampaignCampaign

First half of 20th century – candidates used trains

Howard Taft on the campaign trail

Press aboard the campaign train

The High-Tech Media The High-Tech Media CampaignCampaignTelevision has become the most prevalent means of campaigning.

Nixon-Kennedy Debate

John Kerry’s TV ads

Computer TechnologyComputer TechnologyDirect Mail –

method of raising money for a political cause or candidate

Sending information & requests for money to people whose names appear on lists of those who have supported similar views or candidates in the past.

Goal of any media Goal of any media campaign -campaign -Get attention

with their advertising budget

Most have press aides who feed “canned” news releases.

Get “free” attention as newsmaker.

Plan where to eat breakfast, whom to include on the rostrum, when to announce a major policy proposal

Rarely do networks delve into the issues.

Organizing the CampaignOrganizing the Campaign1. Get a campaign manager – a

professional2. Get a fund-raiser3. Get a campaign counsel – legal advice4. Hire media & campaign consultant5. Assemble a campaign staff6. Plan the logistics – advance planners7. Get a research staff for all areas8. Hire a pollster9. Get a good press secretary

Lee Atwater – Slash & Lee Atwater – Slash & BurnBurn He became the

master of negative campaigning at 27.

Worked for Strom Thurmond, Reagan, & George Bush.

Concerning Dukakis, he said, “I’m going to scrape the bark off that little bastard.”

Lee Atwater of South Carolina

Lee AtwaterLee AtwaterHe used examples of how Dukakis had signed off on

furloughs for murderers & rapists while at the same time opposing the death penalty for even the worst offenders. He painted Dukakis as soft on crime.

Dukakis had vetoed a state bill requiring teachers to lead students in the Pledge of Allegiance, which made him seem unpatriotic compared to Bush.

Weekend furlough program

Michael Dukakis

Money & CampaigningMoney & Campaigning

1974- Federal Election Campaign Act

Created the Federal Election Commission (FEC)

Provided public financing for presidential primaries & general elections. (Raise $5,000 in 20 states; receive up to $250 matched by fed treasury)

Limited presidential campaign spending. (If accept federal money; they agree to limit their campaign spending to an amount prescribed by law)

Required disclosure. (list who gave & what was done with it)

Limited disclosures.

- individuals can contribute at least $1,000

1976 – Buckley v. Valeo changed the law to say candidates can contribute more to their own campaign

SOFT MONEY -SOFT MONEY -19791979

Such donations are not subject to contribution limits.

Philip Morris & Amway have made multi-million-dollar soft money donations.

Political contributions earmarked for party-building expenses at the grassroots level or for generic party advertising.

The Proliferation of PACsThe Proliferation of PACsPolitical Action

Committees Funding vehicles created

by the 1974 campaign finance reforms.

A corporation, union, or some other interest group can create a PAC & register it with the FEC, which will monitor the PAC’s spending.

They can contribute unlimited $ to a candidate.

Are Campaigns Too Are Campaigns Too Expensive?Expensive?Every 4 yrs., Americans spend over $2 billion

on national, state, and local elections.Yet, American elections cost, per person,

about as much as an audio CD.

Does Money Buy Victory? Important offices are rarely won these days

by candidates who fail to raise a substantial amount of campaign funds.

The Impact of CampaignsThe Impact of CampaignsCampaigns have three effects on

voters.1.Reinforcement2.Activation – contribute $ or

campaign3.Convert – changing minds

Factors weakening Factors weakening campaigns’ impact on campaigns’ impact on

votersvoters Selective perception: phenomenon that people often pay the most attention to things they already agree with & interpret them according to their own predispositions.

Party identificationName recognition and an established

track record

Are nominations and Are nominations and Campaigns too Campaigns too democratic?democratic?

Do big campaigns lead to Do big campaigns lead to an increased scope of an increased scope of government?government?