Election 2008

1. Election 2008 The Race to the White House

2. Election 2008 The Race for the White House

3. Key Election Terms • Political party – an organization to gain political power. • Candidate – a person who seeks an office, honor, etc. • Primary election – a preliminary election in which voters of each party nominate candidates for office, party officers • General election – a regularly scheduled local, state, or national election in which voters elect officeholders.

4. Key Election Terms • Caucus – a meeting of party members within a legislative body to select leaders and determine strategy • Closed primary – direct primary in which only persons meeting tests of party membership may vote. • Open primary – a direct primary election in which voters need not meet a test of party membership.

5. Electoral College? Huh??

6. Electoral College? Huh?? • U.S. presidents are NOT chosen by direct popular vote (meaning they got the most votes from the people)…just ask Al Gore (2000), Grover Cleveland (1888), Sam Tilden (1876), Andrew Jackson (1828). • Instead, the Electoral College actually decides the presidency… • In every state, a list of electors is pledged to each candidate. • The purpose of the direct popular vote in each state is to choose one of these electors.

7. Electoral College? Huh?? • Usually, the candidate who wins the direct popular vote in a state gets all of the state’s electoral votes… • These electors meet in their state capitals in December to cast their state’s electoral votes for president. • These votes are sent to the U.S. Congress for official counting…

8. Electoral College? Huh?? • The total number of votes in the Electoral College is 538. • The presidential candidate who wins 270 or more of these votes wins the election!!!

9. Election 2008 The Campaigning Begins!

10. Democratic Candidates • P.S. Why does the Democratic Party use a donkey as it’s symbol? • Most associated with President Andrew Jackson, who was called a “jackass” by his opponents!!! • President Jackson then took up the symbol to describe his own “stubbornness”!! • In 1874, Thomas Nast made the symbol popular in a political cartoon and it remains to this day!!

11. Democratic Candidates • Sen. Hillary Clinton (NY)

12. Democratic Candidates • Sen. John Edwards (NC)

13. Democratic Candidates • Sen. Barack Obama (IL)

14. Other Democratic Candidates • Gov. Bill Richardson (NM) • Sen. Chris Dodd (CN) • Rep. Dennis Kuchich (OH) • Sen. Joseph Biden (DE)

15. Republican Candidates • P.S. Why does the Republican Party use an elephant as it’s symbol? • In 1874, Thomas Nast again drew a political cartoon depicting the Democratic “donkey” kicking at a Republican “elephant”. • The idea stuck and is still used today!

16. Republican Candidates • Gov. Mike Huckabee (AR)

17. Republican Candidates • Sen. John McCain (AZ)

18. Republican Candidates • Gov. Mitt Romney (MA)

19. Other Republican Candidates • Fmr. Mayor Rudy Giuliani (NYC) • Fmr. Sen. Fred Thompson (TN) • Rep. Ron Paul (TX)

20. The Party Debates

21. Democratic Debates

22. Democratic Debates

23. Democratic Debates

24. Democratic Debates

25. Republican Debates

26. Republican Debates

27. Republican Debates

28. Republican Debates

29. Nomination Process • Each state holds a primary election or caucus • Depending on state or party laws, voters often are voting for a “delegate” who will be “bound” to vote for that candidate at the party’s national convention. • “Unpledged” delegates also participate in the party’s nominating convention, but are not bound to vote for a particular candidate.

30. Democratic Primaries • Obama – 2,206 • Clinton – 1,906 • Edwards – 26 • TOTAL NEEDED – 2,118

31. Democratic Primaries Obama = Green / Clinton = Red

32. Republican Primaries • McCain – 1,504 • Huckabee - 286 • Romney - 242 • TOTAL NEEDED – 1,191

33. Republican Primaries McCain = Blue / Huckabee = Orange / Romney = Green

34. The Nominees

35. Republican Nominee Sen. John McCain

36. Republican Nominee • Sen. John McCain • U.S. Senator from Arizona • 72 years old • U.S. Naval Academy, B.S., 1958 • National War College, 1974

38. Democratic Nominee Sen. Barack Obama

39. Democratic Nominee • Sen. Barack Obama • U.S. Senator from Illinois • 47 years old • Columbia University, B.A., 1983 • Harvard University, J.D., 1991

41. Election 2008 The Issues

42. Iraq War & “War on Terror” • Believes that the U.S. should fulfill it’s mission in Iraq. • Believes U.S. troops should remain until the mission is completed. • Believes war in Iraq is directly related to the “War on Terror”

43. Iraq War & “War on Terror” • Believes in a slow, scheduled withdrawl from Iraq. • Believes war was a “strategic blunder”. • Believes in open dialogue with Syria & Iran. • Believes focus of “War on Terror” should be on Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

44. Illegal Immigration • Supports giving illegal aliens eventual citizenship if earned. • Advocates fines, waiting periods, and deportation in some cases. • Supports building a wall to increase border security.

45. Illegal Immigration • Supports giving illegal aliens eventual citizenship if earned. • Supports border patrol and building a wall. • Advocates holding employers accountable for hiring illegal aliens.

46. Energy Crisis • Advocates development of alternative fuels. • Says oil profits should be reinvested into nuclear energy. • Does not support the Kyoto Protocol.

47. Energy Crisis • Calls for more investment in hybrid and ethanol production. • Advocates conservation and development of alternative fuels. • Would look into more nuclear energy.

48. Education • Believes in rewarding good schools. • Supports charter schools. • Opposed to national standards for funding. • Believes states should decide school voucher issue.

49. Education • Believes in providing incentives to improve the educational system. • Increase teacher pay to attract more qualified teachers. • Says “No Child Left Behind” is under funded.

50. Health Care • Opposes universal, mandated health care and insurance. • Supports tax credits and medical savings accounts for health care. • Advocates more community health centers.