selecting a president: the presidential nomination and election process
TRANSCRIPT
Selecting a President:Selecting a President:
The Presidential Nomination and Election Process
Stage 1: Caucuses & Primaries The Battle for the Party Faithful
Stage 2: Nominating Conventions “Glorified Infomercials?”
Stage 3: General Election The Fight for the Center
Stage 4: Electoral CollegePower to the People?
Presidential SelectionPresidential Selection
Stage 1: CaucusesStage 1: Caucuses
Closed meeting of party members in each state where party members get together to decide who they want to represent their party in the general election
Currently used in only six states
Barrack Obama campaigns in Iowa
Stage 1: CaucusesStage 1: Caucuses
Hilary Clinton (D) and Rudy Guilliani (R) campaigning in Iowa
The Iowa Caucus is the first primary/caucus.
Considering Iowa is a relatively small state, why are the Iowa caucuses so important??
It is the first and largest in the modern presidential election cycle
Stage 1: Primaries
Primary Season - January - June
Who Decides? - State party organizations for the most part decide the rules for the primaries in a particular state.
Types of Primaries:
Closed Primaries Open Primaries
Presidential Primary Elections - special elections in which voters select candidates to be the party’s nominee for president in the general election.
Mitt Romney campaigning in New Hampshire
Closed Primary• Voters may vote in a party's primary only if
they are registered members of that party
Open Primary
• A registered voter may vote in any party primary regardless of his or her own party affiliation.
Methods of Selecting Presidential Delegates by State
Which is most popular? Why??
2008 Open & Closed Primaries
Virginia has a “modified open primary”
Stage 2: Presidential Nominating Conventions
Barack and Michelle Obama at the 2004 Democratic National Convention
Nominating ConventionsNominating Conventions•An assembly held by political parties every four years
•Usually held in late summer before the general election in November
George W. and Laura Bush at the 2000 Republican
Convention
Purposes of Nominating Purposes of Nominating ConventionsConventions
1980 Republican National Convention in Detroit, Michigan1980 Republican National Convention in Detroit, Michigan
1. At the convention the party adopts a platform to unify support behind common goals.
2. Delegates to the convention elect that party’s nominees for President and Vice-president.
What is a Party Platform?What is a Party Platform?
•Platform - a statement of principles and objectives a political party and a candidate support
•Plank - Individual topics in a party’s platform (ex: abortion, war in Iraq)
Who are Who are DelegatesDelegates??
Delegate - A voting representative to the party nominating convention
Delegate SelectionDelegate Selection
Proportional System
Primary system used by the Democratic Party
Candidates get a % of delegates based on the popular vote
Winner-take-all System
System used in most Republican primaries
The winner of the popular vote in that state receives all that state’s delegates
Similar to electoral college
Democratic Party Rules:Democratic Party Rules:Two Types of DelegatesTwo Types of Delegates
Pledged Delegates Pledged Delegates v. v. SuperdelegatesSuperdelegates
Pledged DelegatesPledged Delegates
Pledged delegates count during the 2008 Democratic primaries
Pledged delegates are required to vote at the convention based on the popular vote in their state
(they have to listen to the people)
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 (don’t have to listen to the popular vote in their state)
Superdelegates
Superdelegates
By John Trever, The Albuquerque Journal 03/30/2008 http://www.politicalcartoons.com/
Convention Speeches: Convention Speeches: The Keynote AddressThe Keynote Address
The speech given at the convention that embodies that party’s core message
Extremely important event – can propel a politicians career
Do you know who gave the 2004 Keynote Address at the Democratic Convention???
Current President, (Then a Senator) Barrack Obama gives the 2004 DNC
Keynote Address
The Acceptance AddressThe Acceptance Address
Given at the final day of the convention - winning candidate formally accepts the party’s nomination for president
Huge media event - 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
Critics say that party nominating Critics say that party nominating conventions have become nothing more conventions have become nothing more
than infomercials.than infomercials.
1992 Democratic National Convention in New York City
What do you think?What do you think?
Stage 3: General Election
• Candidates ACTIVELY campaign by…
• (Basically do ANYTHING that they think will get them more voters)
Raise money
Barack Obama raised over $600 million dollars – more than any other candidate ever
Run ads (TV, radio, mail, internet etc)
Participate in Debates
Hold rallies and give speeches
Presidential Nomination/Election Process Pamphlet
• Create a pamphlet detailing the Presidential Nomination/Election Process
• Be sure to make it colorful and include at least one picture on each page.