Nominations and Campaigns

Chapter 7.3

How does a candidate gain a party’s nomination for President? Nomination

Official endorsement of a candidate for office by a political party

Candidate chosen for a few reasons: Momentum Money Media Attention

Are presidential campaigns too long? Candidates for POTUS

announce they are running office almost two years before the election!

Is this too long?

When did Barack Obama begin his campaign for POTUS?

2004 Democratic National Convention

What happens after everyone says they are running for POTUS? We hold elections 2 types:

Primary elections State elections held before the Political parties national

conventions One goal = determine the candidates for each party!

**This takes place the year before the general election.

Caucuses state representatives meet to vote on who their state will

nominate for each political party.

Why do Primaries matter?

It eliminates weak competition. Nomination game is an

elimination contest

Goal is to win a majority of votes.

Whoever gets the most states to vote for them wins the party nomination!

How is the caucus different from the primary?

Competing for Delegates The Caucus Road

Caucus: meetings of state party leaders for selecting delegates to the national convention

Not a public vote!

Iowa is FirstHowever they go, so does the nation!

What are some problems with the primary and caucus system? Disproportionate attention to early primaries

Iowa New Hampshire

Money plays too big a role.

Participation in primaries and caucuses is low 20% vote in primaries

So what happens after the primaries? We are off to the Party

conventions. Held to nominate a candidate

for each political party. National conventions provide

great drama.

Significant rallying point for parties

Presidential nominee gives rallying speech. Talks about party platform

Party’s position on issues of the day.

2008 Democratic National Convention

2008 Democratic National Convention

2008 Democratic National Convention

2008 Democratic National Convention

2008 Republican National Convention

2008 Republican National Convention

2008 Republican National Convention

2008 Republican National Convention

Next Come the Debates…

We are off to election day…