Elections and Campaigns

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Elections and Campaigns

• AP Ch 10 Notes

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2 Phases to an Election

• Getting nominatedneed resources
• Getting electedneed to be creative (incumbency
  helps)

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President vs. Congress

• Nationwide
• Fundraising requirements
• Large staff
• 4 Ts
• More individual
• More candidates

• State/District
• State govt. can helpdistrict shape
• Franking
• Party support
• Less competition

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Primaries vs. General

• More focused on party stance
• Build momentum
• Show you can win

• Need the swingers
• Issues matter
• Media is more important

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Primaries

• Spring
• Select candidates from YOUR party
• Will divide the party initially

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Types of Primaries

• Open
• Closed
• Blanket
• Runoff
• Presidential (3 kinds)

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OPEN CLOSED

• Choose party that day
• Straight ticket voting
• 8 states

• Vote based on party affiliation from previous
  election
• Straight ticket
• 40 states

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BLANKET RUNOFF

• Can choose either party in the booth
• Split ticket
• Just like the General Election
• 2 states

• Only needed if you need a majority vs. a
  plurality
• Local elections usually

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Marketing

• TV is influential
• Free is not always good
• Debates can be good and bad
• Internet
• Control as much as you can

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Money

• FEC controls disclosure
• Pres gets matching funds
• Has to raise 100,000 in 20 states in maximum of
  250
• BCFR 2002
• Soft (527)vs. Hard

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Money

• Parties will give to incumbents
• PACs
• Page 247

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Whats Important Now?

• Need party support and party ID
• 4-Ts
• Prospective/Retrospective voters
• Win the swing
• Make promises you can keep

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Presidential

• Remember delegates?
• How committed the delegates are to voting for a
  particular candidate
• SelectionAdvisory---Binding
• (delegates
  choice) (suggested)
  (have to)