selecting a president part 2: the party nominating...

University of Virginia Center for Politics

SELECTING A PRESIDENT PART 2:

The Party Nominating Convention

Purpose: Though arguably less important than in decades past, the party nominating convention

officially launches the fall presidential campaign. In the second of two lesson plans

highlighting the presidential selection process, students will investigate the role and purpose

of presidential party nominating convention. This lesson may be used as a stand alone plan

or in conjunction with Selecting a President Part 1: Primaries and Caucuses.

Objectives:

1. Students will evaluate the role, purpose, and rules of party nominating conventions.

2. Students will analyze political cartoons.

3. Students will simulate a third party nominating conventions.

4. Students will interpret and analyze a song lyric.

5. Students will analyze party convention speeches.

6. Students will compare and contrast the major party platforms. Key Words:

nominating convention proportional system brokered convention

party platform winner-take-all system keynote address

plank pledged delegates acceptance address

delegate superdelegates

Materials:

1. Student handout and Teacher Key: Characteristics of a Convention

2. Overhead or handout: Road to the White House

3. Student handout: Presidential Nominating Convention: The Nuts & Bolts graphic organizer and

teacher key

4. Overhead or handout: Political Cartoons

5. Student handout and Teacher Key: Don’t Stop music lyrics

Procedures:

1. Warm-up: “What’s a Convention? “

a. Briefly review the Stages of Presidential Selection – Pass out and/or project via overhead

Road to the White House. Briefly review the four stages involved in the presidential

selection process.

b. Pass out the Characteristics of a Convention handout and ask students to write down several

characteristics of a convention.

c. Next, students should record their own definitions of a convention.

d. Then create a class definition for “convention.”

e. NOTE: See teacher key for sample answers.

f. Synthesis question: In what ways are political conventions similar and different from other

conventions?

2. What’s a Nominating Convention: The Nuts and Bolts – This activity immerses students in

the terms, purposes and processes culminating in the party’s national convention.

a. Pass out the Presidential Nominating Conventions: The Nuts and Bolts graphic organizer.

b. Project via PowerPoint Selecting a President: Nominating Conventions.

NOTE: Teachers may also choose to go over this material quickly in a class discussion using

the Presidential Nominating Conventions: The Nuts and Bolts teacher key.

3. Analyzing Political Cartoons - Project via overhead or pass out the party nominating

convention political cartoons, and have students address the discussion questions in small

groups.

1. Describe what’s going on in the political cartoon (Who? What? When? Where?)

2. Identify any symbols (ex: an elephant to represent the Republican Party) portrayed in the

cartoon and analyze what they represent.

3. What is the artist’s message in the cartoon? What do you think is its purpose?

4. Do you agree or disagree with the cartoonist's message? Explain your answer.

5. What light does this cartoon shed on party nominating conventions?

4. Making Connections: A Third Party Nominating Convention Simulation – In this role play

activity, students will simulate a national party nominating convention.

a. Pass out the simulation directions, Making Connections: A Third Party Nominating

Convention.

b. Go over the directions for the convention, and begin the simulation. The simulation should

last approximately one class period, but teachers adapt the length and breadth of the role play

to suit the needs of their particular classes.

5. School of Rock: “Don’t Stop” – Explain to students that Bill Clinton and the Democratic

Party’s 1992 Theme Song Pass out the lyrics to “Don’t Stop,” the Fleetwood Mac song chosen

by Bill Clinton as his campaign theme song in 1992. After listening to the song, ask students to

respond to the following questions:

a. Using specific lyrics from the song as well as what you know of the 1992 presidential

election, identify several things Bill Clinton is trying to get across to voters.

b. What demographic groups is the Clinton campaign trying to appeal to by choosing this

Fleetwood Mac song?

c. What campaign song would you choose for Barack Obama, Democratic candidate for

President in 2008? Why? What song would you pick for John McCain, the Republican

candidate? Why?

d. Do you think using theme songs is an effective campaign tool? Why or why not?

Extension Activities: 1. Convention Speech Scorecard - This activity requires students to critically analyze nominating

convention speeches. Teachers could easily incorporate third party convention speeches and/or

party platforms into this activity.

a. Pass out the Convention Speech Scorecard student handout [you may want to give students

two or more scorecards].

b. Ask students to watch and evaluate one or more convention speeches. Then have them score

the speech based on the criteria on the scorecard.

2. Party Platform WebQuest – In this activity, students must research the major planks of the

Democratic and Republican platforms. Teachers may choose to add third party platforms to this

activity as well.

a. Pass out the Party Platform Comparison directions and graphic organizer. Students may

research party platforms individually or in teams.

b. WebQuest Activity- Have students go online to compare and contrast the platforms of the

two major parties. Online Resources:

� http://www.democrats.org - Official website of the national Democratic Party

� http://www.gop.com - Official website of the national Republican Party

� http://www.ontheissues.org - A nonpartisan website that provides candidates stands on

issues as well as party platforms

c. Questions for discussion – After students have completed the WebQuest activity, address the

questions below.

� Identify and describe several platform issues (planks) in which both parties’ stands are

very similar.

� Identify and describe several areas where the two parties offer very different stands on

the same issue.

� To what extent do you think the party’s platform reflects the values and beliefs of the

presidential nominee from that party?

3. The West Wing Season 6 Finale: “2162 Votes” - This episode of The West Wing is set at the

Democratic Convention and illuminates the behind-the-scenes “horse trading” of a brokered

convention. The West Wing on DVD for all seasons can be found online at places like

www.amazon.com.

Episode Synopsis: WHO WILL BE THE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE? –

It’s the Democratic National Convention and the race to become the Democratic

Presidential candidate has narrowed to three candidates: Russell, Baker, and Santos. Also,

Bartlet must wrestle with the decision to launch the super-secret defense shuttle to rescue the

astronauts trapped at the space station and risk national security or let them die.

4. Nominating Conventions: Past and present – This activity allows students investigate the

issues and controversies of past nominating conventions as a basis for comparing those today.

a. Possible Case Studies: 1968 Democratic Convention, 1976 Republican convention

b. Online Resources:

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speechbank.htm

http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=49&aid=68171

http://www.youtube.com

5. The Daily Show: Indecision 2004 DVD – Jon Stewart and The Daily Show crew hilariously

covered the 2004 presidential election with great satirical segments on the Democratic and

Republican National Conventions. Zell Miller’s keynote address at GOP Convention, and

appearance on Chris Matthew’s show Hardball was particularly enlightening.

The Presidential Selection Process

Step 1: Caucuses & Primaries

January-June, 2008

Step 2: Nominating Conventions

National Democratic Convention

August, 2008 - Denver, CO

Republican National Convention

September, 2008 – St. Paul, MN

Step 3: General Election

November, 2008

Step 4: Electoral College Vote

December, 2008

CONVENTION

Student Handout

1. Definition of convention – _________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Examples: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Meeting or

formal

assembly

CONVENTION

Attended by

representatives

or delegates

Individuals

meet at a pre-

arranged place

and time

Delegates may

create/vote on

important

matters

Often held in

large cities with

Attendees share

common

interest or issue

3. Definition of convention – a meeting or formal assembly, as of representatives or delegates, for discussion of and action on particular matters of common concern.

4. Examples: North American International Auto Show, MacWorld Conference, Star Trek Convention, Constitutional Convention (1787), Seneca Falls Convention

(1848), Democratic and Republican Party National Conventions

Teacher Key

Term Definition Examples

(If applicable)

Nominating

Convention

Party Platform

Plank

Delegate

Proportional

System

Student Handout

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.




Winner-take-all

System

Pledged

Delegates

Superdelegates

•

Brokered

Convention

Keynote Address

Acceptance

Address


(If applicable)

Nominating

Convention

• An assembly held by political parties

every four years

• Usually held in late summer before the

general election in November

The Democratic and Republican

parties hold nominating

conventions as do third parties

[ex: Green Party, Libertarian

Party]

Party Platform

A statement of principles and objectives a

political party and a candidate supports in

order to win the general election.

• 2004 Democratic Platform:

“Strong at Home, Respected

in the World”

• 2004 Republican Party

Platform: “A Safer World

and a More Hopeful

America“

Plank Individual topics in a party’s platform

• abortion

• war in Iraq

Delegate

A voting representative to the party

nominating convention

Proportional

System

Candidates are allocated the same

percentage of a state’s delegates as they

received in popular votes

Primary system used by the

Democratic Party

Student Handout






Winner-take-all

System

The winner of the popular vote in that state

receives all that state’s delegates

System used in most Republican

primaries

Pledged

Delegates

• Each state allotted certain number of

delegates who vote at the party’s

convention

• Pledged delegates are chosen at state &

local level

• Pledged delegates are required to cast a

vote at the convention based on the

results of the primary or caucus in their

state

Superdelegates

• Members of the Democratic Party

establishment who serve as unpledged

delegates at the party convention

• They are free to vote for any candidate

at the convention

Include members of Congress,

governors, and members of

D.N.C. (ex: DNC chairman

Howard Dean)

Brokered

Convention

• A situation in which no one candidate

in a political party has received enough

delegates in the primaries and caucuses

to obtain a majority

• After the first ballot at the party’s

convention, nominee decided through

horse-trading and further ballots

• Thomas Dewey (R) in 1948

and Adlai Stevenson (D) in

1952 last two candidates

selected through brokered

conventions

• FDR (D) in 1932 last

candidate to win general

election after brokered

convention

Keynote Address

The speech given at the convention that

embodies that party’s core message

• Senator Barrack Obama gave

the 2004 DNC Keynote

Address

• Democrat Zell Miller

delivered the 2004 RNC

Keynote Address

Acceptance

Address

• The speech given at the final day of the

convention in which the winning

candidate formally accepts the party’s

nomination for president

• The Acceptance Address is always

televised by the major networks

1960 presidential candidates John

F. Kennedy and Richard M.

Nixon deliver their Acceptance

Addresses at their party’s national

convention

Title: 1920 Republican Convention

Artist: Petar Pismestrovic, Kleine Zeitung, Austria

Date: February 2, 2005







Today candidates secure their party’s nomination during the primaries, but in

1920 there was no clear nominee going into the Republican Convention.

Source: http://www.politicalcartoons.com

Title: Schwarzenegger Rocks Republican Convention

By Patrick Chappatte, The International Herald Tribune 09/21/2004

http://www.politicalcartoons.com/







Title: 2008 -- The Final Three

By Paresh Nath, National Herald, New Delhi, India 3/17/08

http://cagle.msnbc.com







Title: Superdelegates

By John Trever, The Albuquerque Journal 03/30/2008

http://www.politicalcartoons.com/





4. Why do you think the Democratic Party has superdelegates as well as pledged delegates voting

for the nominee at the convention? Identify pluses and minuses of this party rule.

5. What are some advantages and disadvantages of What light does this cartoon shed on party

nominating conventions?

Student Handout

A Third Party Nominating Convention

Simulation Situation: This simulation takes place during a presidential election cycle; the year could

be 2008 or some presidential election in the future. The class will create a hypothetical third party, and

stage a national party convention to select a presidential nominee, and nail down a party platform. All

members of the class will role play delegates at the convention.

Simulation:

Stage 1: Pre-convention Work

a) The class should brainstorm and vote on a name for the third party.

b) The class should agree that the party will represent a particular political ideology (which

may be reflected in its name).

Stage 2: Electing President and Vice-Presidential Nominees

a) The class selects a party chairperson who will call the convention to order, recognize

members to speak, establishes party rules at the convention, and calls when necessary.

b) At least two candidates should run for the party nomination for president. Each candidate

must deliver a brief speech defending their candidacy.

c) The party chair then calls for a vote for the presidential nominee. The vice-president is

chosen by the winning nominee.

Stage 3: Building the Party Platform

a) The class must create a party statement (plank) for each of the following issues:

� Economy

� Education

� Energy and the Environment

� Foreign Policy (includes global trade, immigration)

� Health Care

� Social Issues: Abortion, Gay Marriage

� War and Peace

b) The class is divided into seven sub-committees, each assigned an issue.

c) Each sub-committee is responsible for writing the plank for that issue on a poster.

d) The sub-committees present their issue statement to the convention, and delegates then

vote to approve, amend, or defeat each plank.

e) After all planks are approved, delegates must vote on a theme or title for their party’s

platform.

Stage 4: Simulation Debriefing – full class discussion

a) Ask students what was realistic about this simulation and what was not?

b) What did you learn about political party nominating conventions by doing this simulation?

Don’t Stop Recorded by the Fleetwood Mac, 1977

(written by Christie McVie)

If you wake up and don't want to smile,

If it takes just a little while,

Open your eyes and look at the day,

You'll see things in a different way.

Don't stop, thinking about tomorrow,

Don't stop, it'll soon be here,

It'll be, better than before,

Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone.

Why not think about times to come,

And not about the things that you've done,

If your life was bad to you,

Just think what tomorrow will do.





All I want is to see you smile,


I know you don't believe that it's true,

I never meant any harm to you.





Don't you look back,

Don't you look back.

In 1992, Presidential candidate Bill Clinton chose Don’t Stop by Fleetwood Mac to be his

campaign’s theme song. The song was played at the 1992 Democratic Convention after Clinton

accepted his party’s nomination for president.

Student Handout

Questions for Discussion

1. Using specific lyrics from the song as well as what you know of the 1992 presidential election,

identify several things Bill Clinton is trying to get across to voters.

2. What demographic groups is the Clinton campaign trying to appeal to by choosing this Fleetwood

Mac song?

3. What campaign song would you choose for Barack Obama, Democratic candidate for President in

2008? Why? What song would you pick for John McCain, the Republican candidate? Why?

4. Do you think using theme songs is an effective campaign tool? Why or why not?

Questions for Discussion – Sample Responses

1. Using specific lyrics from the song as well as what you know of the 1992 presidential election, identify

several things Bill Clinton is trying to get across to voters.

� “open your eyes and look at the day, you’ll see things in a different way” – after 12 years of

republicans in the White House, Clinton and the Democrats offer a new fresh alternative

� “if your life was bad to you, just think what tomorrow will do” – if you’re struggling, especially

financially, Clinton has a plan to offer relief (“it’s the economy, stupid” ~ James Carville

� “Don’t top thinking about tomorrow. . . .It’ll be better than before” – Clinton presidency offers

optimism, hope

� “All I want is to see you smile. . . I never meant any harm to you” – Clinton cares[“I feel your pain”]

about the average person and pledges to help

2. What demographic groups is the Clinton campaign trying to appeal to by choosing this Fleetwood Mac

song?

� young people – use rock song to come across as “hip” to young voters

� Baby Boomers – Clinton is the first baby boom generation president; Fleetwood Mac is a popular

group with many in the Baby Boom generation

� women a.k.a. “soccer mom’s – “Don’t Stop” has a theme of caring and compassion

3. What campaign song would you choose for Barack Obama, Democratic candidate for President in 2008?

Why? What song would you pick for John McCain, the Republican candidate? Why?

Obama Theme Songs McCain Theme Songs

Times They Are A-Changin’, Bob Dylan Time is on My Side, Rolling Stones

Dream On, Aerosmisth Born in the USA, Bruce Springsteen

Peace Train, Cat Stevens Against the Wind, Bob Seeger

4. Do you think using theme songs is an effective campaign tool? Why or why not?

Don’t Stop Recorded by the Fleetwood Mac, 1977

(written by Christie McVie)

If you wake up and don't want to smile,


Open your eyes and look at the day,

You'll see things in a different way.





Why not think about times to come,

And not about the things that you've done,

If your life was bad to you,

Just think what tomorrow will do.





All I want is to see you smile,


I know you don't believe that it's true,

I never meant any harm to you.





Don't you look back,

Don't you look back.

Teacher Key

In 1992, Presidential candidate Bill Clinton chose Don’t Stop by Fleetwood Mac to be his campaign’s theme song.

The song was played at the 1992 Democratic Convention after Clinton accepted his party’s nomination for president.

Party: Location: Date:

Speaker: Position: Speech Type:

Rhetorical

Skills Description Score

Appearance

Speaking Voice

Body Language

Style

Speech Content Key Points Score

Social Policy

Economic Policy

Foreign Policy

Political Points

(Attack on

Opponent)

Overall Comments:

Overall

Score =

4 = outstanding 3 = good 2 = adequate 1 = poor 0 = not included

Student Handout

I. WebQuest Activity- Go online to compare and contrast the platforms of the two major parties.

Write your responses on the Party Platform Comparison graphic organizer.

Online Resources:

• http://www.democrats.org - Official website of the national Democratic Party

• http://www.gop.com - Official website of the national Republican Party

• http://www.ontheissues.org - A nonpartisan website that provides candidates stands on issues

as well as party platforms

II. Critical Thinking – After you have completed the WebQuest activity, address the questions below.

1. Identify and describe several platform issues (planks) in which both parties’ stands are very similar.

2. Identify and describe several areas where the two parties offer very different stands on the same

issue.

3. To what extent do you think the party’s platform reflects the values and beliefs of the presidential

nominee from that party?

Party Platform ComparisonParty Platform ComparisonParty Platform ComparisonParty Platform Comparison

Presidential Election Year: _________

Key Issue Democratic Party Republican Party

Platform Theme

(Title)

Civil Rights

(Affirmative Action,

Gay Marriage)

The Economy

(Taxes, Government

Spending, Jobs)

Education

(School Choice, School

Prayer, Accountability)

Energy & the

Environment

(Oil, Alternative Fuels,

Global Warming)

Student Handout


Key Issue Democratic Party Republican Party

Foreign Policy

(US Role in the World,

War & Peace)

Health Care

(Costs, Coverage,

Medicaid, Medicare)

Homeland

Security

(Immigration, Intelligence

Gathering, War on

Terror)

Social Issues

(Abortion, Death Penalty,

Guns, Poverty)


selecting a president part 2: the party nominating...

Documents