Nominations and Campaigns

1. Nominations and Campaigns Chapter 9

2. The Nomination Game • Nomination: • The official endorsement of a candidate for office by a political party.

3. The Nomination Game • Deciding to Run • Other countries have short campaigns- generally less than 2 months. (Would the U.S. be better off doing this?) • U.S. campaigns (especially for President) can last 18 months or more. • Generally need to start out with an electoral base already established.

4. The Paradox of Campaigns • Candidates must appeal to people further from the political center in the primaries and caucuses, but must later appeal to the center in the general election.

5. The Nomination Game • Competing for Delegates • The Caucus Road • Caucus: Formerly meetings of party leaders, used to select delegates and nominees. • Now organized like a pyramid from local precincts to the state’s convention. • Not used by many states. • Iowa’s is considered the most important. • Obama and 2008 Iowa Caucus (6:50): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxESw0lY0CE

6. The Nomination Game • Competing for Delegates • The Primary Road • Primary: Elections in which voters choose the nominee or delegates pledged to the nominee. • Started by turn of the century reformers. • McGovern-Fraser Commission • Superdelegates • Most states use one of the forms of a primary (closed, open, blanket). • Many primaries are early (frontloading)- with New Hampshire being the first. • New Hampshire Primary 2008 (5:25): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e47isVJD8B0 • Generally serve as elimination contests.

7. The Nomination Game • Competing for Delegates • Evaluating the Primary and Caucus System • Disproportionate attention to the early ones.(Iowa and NH representative?) • Prominent politicians find it difficult to make time to run. • Money plays too big a role. • Participation in primaries and caucuses is low and unrepresentative. • The system gives too much power to the media. But… -Unknown candidates have a chance -Americans get to know candidates

8. Conventions Have lost their drama. Winner is known beforehand. Speakers have no power. Have lost their viewers. Networks aren’t showing as much. Viewers of 2004 convention:22 million (covered by all major broadcast and cable news channels) Viewers of a single episode of 2004 Survivor: 58 million (covered by CBS) 1964 Democratic Convention 2004 Democratic Convention

9. Conventions • The Convention Send-off • Once provided great drama, but now they are a basic formality- which means less TV time. • Are still important to the party to get organized and motivated (Pep Rally). • Obama acceptance speech 2008 (skip to 2:45): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZCrIeRkMhA • Party platform: Statement of its goals and policies and general beliefs. • Official nominations and candidate speeches.

10. Money and Campaigning • Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974 • FEC: Created by law in 1974 to administer campaign finance laws for federal elections. • Public financing of presidential elections (matching funds) • Limited spending & required disclosure • Limited contributions to campaigns • Buckley v. Valeo • Soft Money • Contributions (with no limits) used for party-building expenses or generic party advertising

11. Money and Campaigning • The Proliferation of PACs • Definition: Created by law in 1974 to allow corporations, labor unions and others to donate money to campaigns. • Over 3900 PACs donating over $212 million • Donate to candidates who support their issue, regardless of party affiliation • Not sufficient data that PACs “buy” candidates

12. Money and Campaigning Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (McCain-Feingold) 1) eliminated soft money 2) raised individual contributions to $2000 3) 527s 4) Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission From Table 9.1