The Presidential Election Process

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The Presidential Election Process

• Ch. 7

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Why do people run for political office?

• To run for president, a person needs a fire in
  the belly. For four years, thats all I did.
  I mean, all I did. Thats all you think about.
  Thats all you think aboutThats your leisure.
  Thats your luxuryI told someone, The question
  is not whether I can get elected. The question
  is whether I can be elected and not be nuts when
  I get there.

Walter Mondale, former Senator and VP. 1984
Democratic Presidential candidate.
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Why do people run for office?

• Like the political process

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Why do people run for office?

• Day to day
• combat debate

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Why do people run for office?

• CIVIC DUTY

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Why do people run for office?

• For fun!

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Looking back at the Presidential Race of 2008
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Presidential Race

• Its more than a two-year process now!
• YAWN?
• OR
• POLITICAL JUNKIE
• FIX?

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Announcement

• Summer 2006, (2-1/2 years before the actual
  election,) they were already in Iowa and New
  Hampshire!
• Exploratory Committees
• Fund raising
• Polling
• Appearances (they all go to the Iowa State
  Fair!)
• Announcements started coming in the fall 2 years
  before (2006).

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Self-Announcement

• Independent candidates self-announce. Thats
  how they get their nomination.

Ralph Nader, 2004 2008
Ross Perot, 1992
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For

• They will have to go through a primary/caucus
  process to get their partys nomination.

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Straw Polls

• Iowa 8/13/2007
• Results for Reps.
• Mitt Romney 4,516 32
• Mike Huckabee 2,587 18
• Sam Brownback 2,192 15
• Tom Tancredo 1,961 14
• Ron Paul 1,305 9
• Tommy Thompson 1,039 7
• Fred Thompson 203 1
• Rudy Giuliani 183 1
• Duncan Hunter 174 1
• John McCain 101 1
• John Cox 41 0
• Total votes 14,302

Sometimes, they bus people in from other states
to vote for them!
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Straw Polls

• Texas 9/11/2007
• Results for Dems.
• John Edwards 3,078 38
• Barack Obama 1,701 21
• Hillary Clinton 1,620 20

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Delegates matter

• Whats a DELEGATE and why are they important to
  the presidential selection process?

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Delegate Math
number accurate as of 6/2/08 (not counting
Michigan or Florida.)
More delegate information at CNN.com
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WWhats on your pizza?      
We can just take a simple vote to
decide Cheese Pepperoni Sausage Or, we can
discuss which topping is best, and then vote.
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• Which option would you choose, the first or
  second? Why?
• What are the advantages for each? Disadvantages?

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• Option 1just voting was the Primary.
• Option 2discussing was the Caucus.

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Primaries Caucuses

• Narrowing the field of candidates
• in a party down to one who the voters would
  like to be that partys nominee at the
  convention.
• Primarylike a regular election (Youre in and
  youre out.)
• Caucus group of like-minded people who meet to
  discuss decide who they will support in an
  upcoming election. Lasts all evening.

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Iowa Caucus

• 2000Jan. 31
• 2004Jan. 19
• 2008Jan. 3
• Why do they keep moving it up???

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Types of Primaries

• OPEN ANY qualified voter may take part. Do not
  have to declare a party. (only 15 states.) Dems.
  Reps. can cross over. ---strategy!
• CLOSED (other 35 states) Only declared party
  members may vote. Independents must choose
  between Dems Reps.

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Republicans didnt need a Presidential primary in
2004 Why not?

• Just because they didnt have a presidential
  primary, they may have had a primary for the
  other offices (Senator, House, Governor, etc.)
  where they was more than one person wanting to
  run in their party.

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Primaries

• Started earlier last year too!
• New Hampshire is always the first state to have a
  primary.
• New Hampshire2000-- Feb. 8
• 2004--Jan. 27
• 2008--Jan. 8

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The Texas 2-step

• Under Texas Democratic rules, they have a 2-part
  election process.
• Primary (voting 7AM-7PM)
• Caucuses (conducted after polls close for voting)
• Most of these were very overcrowded this year and
  some lasted into the wee-hours of the next
  morning!

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Who won the Texas 2-step in the Dem. Party?

• Clinton won the primary.
• Clinton 50.9
• Obama 47.4

• Obama won the caucuses.
• Obama 56.2
• Clinton 37.8

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Other states wanted in the game!

• Michigan Florida got into trouble with the DNC
  for moving their dates up earlier than party
  rules allowed.
• Michigan voted Jan. 15
• Florida voted Jan. 29
• October, 2007, the DNC voted to strip them of
  their delegate seats at the National Convention.
• More on this story coming!

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2008 Primaries/Caucuses

• Jan. 3 Iowa Caucuses
• Jan. 8 New Hampshire
• Jan. 15 Michigan
• Jan. 19 Rep. SC
• Jan. 26 Dem SC
• Jan. 29 Florida
• Feb. 5 Super Tues. Alabama, Alaska, Arizona,
  Arkansas, Colorado, California, Connecticut,
  Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas,
  Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New
  Jersey, New Mexico, New Your, North Dakota,
  Oklahoma, Tennesse, Utah, West Virginia.
• Mar. 4 Jr Tues. Connecticut, Georgia,
  Maryland,, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, TEXAS,
  and Vermont.
• Super Tues. was traditionally in Marchnow in
  February!
• Many more dates/states followed!

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Feb. 5 was a BIG day!

• This was called SUPER TUESDAY, and everyone
  thought one candidate from each party would have
  enough delegates to wrap up the nomination after
  this date.
• The Hillary Clinton campaign and her supporters
  thought she would have the nomination wrapped up
  after this night---but she was in for a long
  battle.
• Delegate Tracker

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Delegate Selection

• Out of total for Reps in 2008
• Iowa only 40 d (.03)
• NH only 12 d (.01)
• Concern that these two states have so much say so
  early.

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So whats the story behind Michigan Florida on
the Dem side?

• DNC Rules Committee met on May 31, 2008, and in a
  bitter debate between Clinton and Obama
  supporters, they voted to allow half of Michigan
  and Florida delegates to be seated at the
  convention this week.
• Clinton supporters were not happy about this!

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Clinton suspended her campaign on June 7th, 2008.
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States held their state party conventions over
the summer in 2008.

• Democrats in TX
• June 5-7
• Austin

• Republicans in TX
• June 12-14
• Houston

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Who was picked to be the VP running mates?

• McCain
• Gov. Sarah Palin
• (R-Alaska)
• Obama
• Sen. Joe Biden
• (D-Delaware)

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National Conventions

• Week-long conventions (and big party!).
• Each state sends delegates (who were chosen at
  the state conventions.)
• Write the party platform.
• Delegates vote for presidential
• and vice-presidential nominees.
• Acceptance speeches.

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Democratic National Convention

• Democrats met in Denver, Colorado, Aug. 25-28,
  2008, at the downtown Pepsi Center.

• Something different Obama gave his acceptance
  speech outdoors in a stadium.
• The audience estimate of 38.3 million means that
  Mr. Obamas speech reached more viewers than the
  Olympics opening ceremony in Beijing, the final
  American Idol or the Academy Awards this year,
  the Associated Press noted.

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National Conventions

• Republicans met in Minneapolis-St. Paul,
  Minnesota, the first week of Sep., 2008, at the
  RiverCentre / Xcel Energy Center.

• Something different
• The Republicans suspended the first day of the
  convention because of Hurricane Gustav hitting
  New Orleans.

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Major Candidates

• Democrat
• Barack Obama

• Republican
• John McCain

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Third Party/Independent Candidates

• Libertarian Party
• Bob Barr Wayne Allen
  Root
• Green Party
• Cynthia McKinney
• Independent
• Ralph Nader Matt
  Gonzalez
• Republicannever dropped out held his own
  convention at the same time as the RNC.
• Ron Paul

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Potential First Ladies

• Michelle Obama

• Cindy McCain

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Potential First Ladies

• Lucy!

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Debates

• Presidential
• Sep. 26, Oct. 7, Oct. 15
• VP
• Oct. 2

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General Election

• First Tuesday, after the first Monday in
  November. (Nov. 4th)

There are other races on the ballotnot just
President.
Get registered when you turn 18, research the
candidates, and VOTE in our next election!
Must have registered in TX by Oct. 6th.