The Nominating Process

1. The Nominating Process Chapter 7—Section 1

2. Nominations are Important • It is the prime function of political parties in the US • It is the leading reason for the decentralized character of the major parties • It puts limits on voter choice in the election

3. Ways of Nominating • Self-announcement • John Anderson in 1980 • Ross Perot in 1992 • Caucus • Meetings of “like-minded” people • Often the members of a party in the state legislature, or in Congress

4. The End of the Caucus--1824 • Three of the leading contenders boycotted the Democratic-Republican Congressional Caucus • The “nominee” ran a poor third in the electoral college balloting • As it died at the national level, it soon did at the state and local level too.

5. The Convention • The Whigs began in 1831 • The Democrats joined in 1832 • All major party presidential nominees have been chosen by convention ever since

6. Pyramid Process • Party members meet locally • Choose candidates for local offices • Choose delegates for county convention • County delegates meet • Choose candidates for county office • Choose delegates to the state convention

7. The Pyramid Grows … • State Convention • Delegates choose candidates for state-wide offices • Choose delegates to National Convention • National Convention • Delegates select Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates

8. Problems … • Party bosses manipulated the process • Controlled selection of delegates and the local level • They soon dominated the entire system

9. Growth of the Direct Primary • Except for nominating national candidates for Pres. & VP, the direct primary is used in most states • It is an election within the party to choose their candidates for a general election

10. Types of Primaries • Closed • Only the declared members of a party may vote • Open • Any qualified voter may take part

11. Closed Primary • Pros • It prevents one party from “raiding” the other’s primary to choose weaker candidates • Makes candidates more responsive to the party, its platform, and members • Helps make voters more thoughtful

12. Closed Primary • Cons • It compromises the secrecy of the ballot • It tends to exclude independent voters

13. Pros It answers the secret ballot and no independents concerns of the Close Primary Cons It permits party “raiding” It undercuts the concepts of party loyalty and responsibility Open Primary

14. Washington State • Blanket primary has been eliminated • Can only vote on one party’s ballot • Final decision is currently in the courts

15. Runoff Primary • Where a majority is required to win and no one gets a majority, the top two vote getters face each other in a runoff primary election and the winner of that vote becomes the nominee

16. Negatives • Because people don’t realize the importance of the primary—turnout is poor • Every election is expensive • Many qualified candidates don’t run due to the cost of a campaign

17. More negatives … • A fight within a party during the primary can cost them the general election • Primaries often are won based solely on name recognition

18. Presidential Primary • Some states use it to elect some or all of that state’s delegates to the National Convention • And/or it is a preference election in which voters can choose among various contenders for a party’s presidential nomination

19. Nomination by Petition • Found most widely at the local level • Petitions are signed by a certain number of qualified voters • Usually required to nominate independent candidates • Often a difficult process

20. The End