Interactive Notes:

How were candidates chosen in the past?

TimelineTimeline

I. AnnouncementI. AnnouncementEvaluate chances of Evaluate chances of winningwinningExploratory CommitteesExploratory Committeesfiling with the FECfiling with the FEC

Timeframe: 2012 election Timeframe: 2012 election has started already.has started already.

2008 Election – Who were the 2008 Election – Who were the Republican choices?Republican choices?

Rudy Giuliani – Former mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani – Former mayor of New York CityCity

John McCain – US Senator - ArizonaJohn McCain – US Senator - ArizonaRon Paul-Congressman-TexasRon Paul-Congressman-TexasMike Huckabee – former Governor - Mike Huckabee – former Governor -

Arkansas Arkansas Mitt Romney – Massachusetts GovernorMitt Romney – Massachusetts GovernorSam Brownback – US Senator - Kansas Sam Brownback – US Senator - Kansas Duncan Hunter-Congressman-CaliforniaDuncan Hunter-Congressman-CaliforniaFred Thompson-former Senator-TennesseeFred Thompson-former Senator-TennesseeTom Tancredo-Congressmen-ColoradoTom Tancredo-Congressmen-Colorado

2008 Election – Who will be 2008 Election – Who will be our Democrat choices?our Democrat choices?

• Hillary Rodham Clinton – US Senate – New Hillary Rodham Clinton – US Senate – New YorkYork

• Barack Obama – US Senate – IllinoisBarack Obama – US Senate – Illinois• John Edwards – Former North Carolina John Edwards – Former North Carolina

SenatorSenator• Joe Biden – US Senate - DelawareJoe Biden – US Senate - Delaware• Bill Richardson – Governor of New MexicoBill Richardson – Governor of New Mexico• Dennis Kucinch-Congressman-OhioDennis Kucinch-Congressman-Ohio• Mike Gravel-former US Senator-AlaskaMike Gravel-former US Senator-Alaska• Chris Dodd-US Senate-ConnecticutChris Dodd-US Senate-Connecticut

2012

For Democrats – It’s easy…..

Barack Obama…………….

Republicans – They still have to decide… and there are a lot of choices…..

Michelle Bachman – US Rep from Minnesota

Buddy Roemer –Former Gov of Louisiana

Rick Perry – Current Governor of Texas

Rick Santorum – FormerUS Senator from Penn.

Andy Martin

Mitt Romney – Former Gov from Mass.

Jimmy McMillan

Thaddeus McCotter –US Rep from Michigan

John HuntsmanFormer Gov of Utah & AmbassadorTo China

Fred Karger – Political Consultant and Gay Rights Activist

Ron Paul –US Rep from Texas

Vern WuenscheBusinessman

Herman CainBusinessman, Politician & Media

Newt GingrichFormer Speaker of the House

Gary JohnsonFormer Gov of New Mexico

Tom Miller –Career Flight Attendant

How is it done in Texas?How is it done in Texas?

National Convention

State ConventionCounty ConventionPrecinct ConventionPrimary (Election)

II. Primaries – (Jan – June) of II. Primaries – (Jan – June) of election year.election year.

• Candidate selection Candidate selection process by narrowing the process by narrowing the field of candidates within a field of candidates within a party.party.

•States may use a States may use a primaryprimary, a , a caucuscaucus or some or some combination. States combination. States conduct federal elections conduct federal elections because of FEDERALISM!because of FEDERALISM!

What is the difference in a primary and a caucus?

•Primary-election between 2 or more candidates of the same party

•Caucus-town hall type meeting where party candidates are chosen

1968 Democratic National Convention

Photo from npr.org

• McGovern-Fraser Commission

McGovern-Fraser Commission

• Designed to make delegate selection process in the Democratic Party “open, timely, and representative.”

• Major changes• Delegates chosen through primary or caucus open to all

Democrats in state. • Delegates are not “winner-take-all.” (Not necessarily true for

Republicans).• Delegates became more representative (i.e. more women and

minorities).

• Drawbacks? • Some argue newer candidates are less “electable.” • Less effective politicians (Jimmy Carter as the example).

• Changed the drama of conventions• While McGovern-Fraser specifically dealt with

Democratic party, most of the changes were later adopted by Republicans.

Open PrimaryOpen Primary

Closed PrimaryClosed Primary

Problems? Advantages?Problems? Advantages?

Types of Types of PrimariesPrimaries

The increase in The increase in primariesprimaries

The primary and caucus system

• Key Events: • Iowa caucuses• New Hampshire Primary• Super Tuesday

• Frontloading: holding primaries early to try to capture attention and $ for your state

• Who are superdelegates?

III. National ConventionIII. National Convention

Purpose:Purpose:-To nominate the presidential -To nominate the presidential and vice presidential nominees and vice presidential nominees for the partyfor the party-To approve the party platform-To approve the party platform

Facts:Facts:- Each party holds a separate - Each party holds a separate convention towards the end of convention towards the end of the summerthe summer

Party Platforms

2008 Platform Activity – we’ll come back to this

- - the individual with the majority the individual with the majority of delegate votes becomes the of delegate votes becomes the presidential nomineepresidential nominee

- the nominee now runs against - the nominee now runs against the other party’s nomineethe other party’s nominee

IV. CampaignIV. Campaign

(Labor day – November)(Labor day – November)

- Democrat v. Republican- Democrat v. Republican- Incumbents - Incumbents (advantage or (advantage or disadvantage) ?disadvantage) ?

V. General ElectionV. General Election

Election DayElection Day

First Tuesday after the first First Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even Monday in November in even numbered yearsnumbered years

Next election – 2012Next election – 2012

We will vote for many different We will vote for many different offices at all levels of government.offices at all levels of government.

Australian Ballot CharacteristicsAustralian Ballot Characteristics

1. secret1. secret

2. Uniform2. Uniform

3. printed at government expense3. printed at government expense

4. includes all candidates and 4. includes all candidates and issuesissues

  

Electing a PresidentElecting a President

• Popular Vote - The vote of the Popular Vote - The vote of the people, this is important but will people, this is important but will NOT determine who wins. NOT determine who wins.

• Voters have a choice of Republican Voters have a choice of Republican and Democrat Presidential and and Democrat Presidential and Vice Presidential nominees.Vice Presidential nominees.

Electoral CollegeElectoral College

  Electoral vote - the vote that Electoral vote - the vote that actually elects the Presidentactually elects the President

    # of votes a state receives =  # of votes a state receives =  

House of RepresentativesHouse of Representatives + + SenateSenate== electorselectors

Winner Take All SystemWinner Take All System

Whoever wins the popular vote gets Whoever wins the popular vote gets all 38 electoral votes.all 38 electoral votes.

38 38 RepublicanRepublican 38 38 DemocratDemocrat

ElectorsElectors ElectorsElectors

Size of Electoral collegeSize of Electoral college

435 House of Representatives435 House of Representatives

100 Senators100 Senators

3 Washington DC (3 Washington DC (23rd 23rd Amendment)Amendment)

__________

538 Total # of electors538 Total # of electors

# needed to become # needed to become PresidentPresident

Simple majority of Simple majority of 538 = 270538 = 270

DANGER

…. A candidate may win the popular A candidate may win the popular vote, yet lose the election…. HOW?vote, yet lose the election…. HOW?

Popular Vote vs. Electoral Vote

STATES POPULAR VOTE

ELECTORAL VOTE

Florida 2,912,790 Bush2,912,253 Gore

25

Iowa 634,373 Bush638,517 Gore

7

New Mexico 286,417 Bush286,783 Gore

5

Oregon 713,577 Bush720,342 Gore

7

Total 4,547,157 Bush4,557,895 Gore

Bush 25Gore 19

DANGER – Has it happened? DANGER – Has it happened?

• YES – it has….YES – it has….• 1876 Tilden v. 1876 Tilden v. HayesHayes – –

Tilden had more popular votes.Tilden had more popular votes.• 1888 Cleveland v. 1888 Cleveland v. HarrisonHarrison - Cleveland - Cleveland

had more popular votes.had more popular votes.• 2000 Gore v. 2000 Gore v. BushBush – Gore had more – Gore had more

popular votes.popular votes.

What if no one receives a What if no one receives a majority?majority?

House of Representatives will House of Representatives will choose the new President – each choose the new President – each state gets one vote.state gets one vote.

Senate will choose the new Vice Senate will choose the new Vice President – each Senator has a President – each Senator has a vote.vote.

RedRed andand Blue Blue StStatesates

Purple StatesPurple States

Swing StatesSwing States

Debating the E.C.

Arguments against1. Can win the popular

vote and lose the election.

2. Certain states get ignored.

3. Biased towards small states, violates 1 person 1 vote.

4. Biased against third parties.

5. Faithless electors

Arguments in favor1. Imagine Florida in

2000, times 50. 2. Prevents candidates

from running up votes in one area of the country.

3. Protects the power of the states in a federal system.

Current Limits on VotingCurrent Limits on Voting• CitizenshipCitizenship• Residence – varies by state (10-30 Residence – varies by state (10-30

days)days)• Age – 18 yrs oldAge – 18 yrs old• RegistrationRegistration• Mental Institution patients Mental Institution patients

cannot votecannot vote• People convicted of felonies are People convicted of felonies are

not allowed to votenot allowed to vote

Understanding primaries

• Most state parties felt primaries were easiest way to implement McGovern-Fraser provisions. • In 2004, 35 states had primaries and 15 had caucuses.

• Primaries are elections between candidates of the same party, vying for a party’s nomination in the general election. • In Democratic presidential primaries, any candidate who

gets 15% of the vote or more gets proportionate share of delegates per district.

• Republicans in each state can choose proportional or winner-take-all.

• Democratic Party v LaFollette(1982): mandatory primaries are unconstitutional

• Open and Closed primaries