NOMINATING CAMPAIGNS

1. NOMINATING CAMPAIGNS Objectives: • Describe the role of campaign strategy in winning a nomination to elective office Bell Ringer: Sidney Blumenthal called the American electoral process “the permanent campaign.” In your own words, please explain what he meant by this. Agenda: Nomination process Campaign advertising Homework: Chapter 8 Overview

2. NOMINATING CAMPAIGNS Objectives: • Describe the role of campaign strategy in winning a nomination to elective office • Evaluate the effectiveness and impact of presidential campaign advertisements Bell Ringer: You Be the Policymaker: National and Regional Presidential Primary Proposals Agenda: Nomination process Campaign advertising Homework: • Chapter 8 Overview • Chapter 8 Reading Quiz next class • “A Killer Question” reading and handout due 12/8 (A) and 12/9 (B)

3. George W. and Laura Bush at the 2000 Republican Convention The Nomination Game • Nomination • The official endorsement of a candidate for office by a political party • Generally, success requires momentum, money, and media attention. • Campaign Strategy • The master game plan candidates lay out to guide their electoral campaign

4. The Nomination Game • Deciding to Run • Campaigns are more physically and emotionally taxing than ever. • American campaigns are much longer. • Barack Obama made clear his intention to run for POTUS in January 2007. • Other countries have short campaigns, most less than two months.

5. The Nomination Game • Competing for Delegates • Elimination contest • Goal is to win a majority of delegates’ support at the national party convention, or the supreme power within each of the parties • Convention every four years to nominate the party’s POTUS and VP candidates. • Conventions are but a formality today.

6. The Nomination Game • Competing for Delegates • The Caucus Road • Caucus: meetings of state party leaders to select delegates to the national convention • Organized like a pyramid from local precincts to the state’s convention • A handful of states use a caucus—open to all voters who are registered with a party • The Iowa caucus is first and most important.

7. The Nomination Game • Competing for Delegates • The Primary Road • Primary: elections in which voters in a state vote for a nominee (or delegates pledged to the nominee) • Began at turn of 20th century by progressive reformers • McGovern-Fraser Commission led to selection of delegates through primary elections • Most delegates are chosen through primaries. • Superdelegates: democratic leaders who automatically get a delegate slot • Frontloading is the tendency of states to hold primaries early to capitalize on media attention. New Hampshire is first. • Generally primaries serve as elimination contests.

8. The Nomination Game • Competing for Delegates • Evaluating the Primary and Caucus System • Disproportionate attention to early ones • Prominent politicians do not run. • Money plays too big a role. • Low participation in primaries and caucuses; 20 percent vote in primaries. • The system gives too much power to the media.

9. The Nomination Game • Suggested modifications to the caucus and primary system: • National primaries: a nationwide primary held early in the election year. • Regional primaries: a series of primaries held in each geographic region.

10. The Nomination Game

11. The Nomination Game • The Convention Send-off • National conventions once provided great drama, but now are a formality, which means less TV time. • Significant rallying point for parties • Key note speaker on first day of Convention • Party platform: statement of a party’s goals/policies for next four years • Debated on the second day of the Convention • Formal nomination of POTUS & VP candidates on 3rd & 4th days

12. The Nomination Game

13. NOMINATING CAMPAIGNS Objectives: • Evaluate the effectiveness and impact of presidential campaign advertisements • Examine the growth of PACs and their impact on modern campaigning • Assess the crucial role of money in American campaign organizations Bell Ringer: Last class you watched a number of presidential campaign commercials. Which ad did you find to be the most effective? Which was the most ineffective? For each describe the ad, the advertising methods/tactics, and talk about why the ad did or did not work. Agenda: Campaign advertising Campaign finance Homework: • A Killer Question: article and questions • Campaign Finance Reform/527 article • Test on Thursday, March 8th

14. The Campaign Game • The High-Tech Media Campaign • Direct mail used to generate support and money for the candidate • Get media attention through ad budget and “free” coverage • Emphasis on “marketing” a candidate • News stories focus more on the “horse race” than substantive policy issues

15. The Campaign Game • Organizing the Campaign • Get a campaign manager • Get a fund-raiser and campaign counsel • Hire media and campaign consultants • Assemble staff and plan logistics • Get research staff, policy advisors, and pollsters • Get a good press secretary • Establish a website

16. The Campaign Game

17. Money and Campaigning • The Maze of Campaign Finance Reforms • Federal Election Campaign Act (1974) • Created the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to administer campaign finance laws for federal elections • Created the Presidential Election Campaign Fund • Provided partial public financing for presidential primaries • Matching funds: Contributions of up to $250 are matched for candidates who meet conditions, such as limiting spending. • Provided full public financing for major party candidates in the general election • Required full disclosure and limited contributions

18. Money and Campaigning • The Maze of Campaign Finance Reforms • Soft Money: political contributions (not subject to contribution limits) earmarked for party-building expenses or generic party advertising • The McCain-Feingold Act (2002) banned soft money, increased amount of individual contributions, and limited “issue ads.” • 527s: independent groups that seek to influence political process but are not subject to contribution restricts because they do not directly seek election of particular candidates

19. Money and Campaigning • The Proliferation of PACs • Political Action Committees (PACs): created by law in 1974 to allow corporations, labor unions and other interest groups to donate money to campaigns; PACs are registered with and monitored by the FEC. • As of 2006 there were 4,217 PACs. • PACs contributed over $372.1 million to congressional candidates in 2006. • PACs donate to candidates who support their issue. • PACs do not “buy” candidates, but give to candidates who support them in the first place.

20. Money and Campaigning

21. Money and Campaigning • Are Campaigns Too Expensive? • Fundraising takes a lot of time. • Incumbents do worse when they spend more money because they need to spend to defeat quality challengers. • The doctrine of sufficiency suggests that candidates need just “enough” money to win, not necessarily “more.”

22. The Impact of Campaigns • Campaigns have three effects on voters: • Reinforcement, Activation, Conversion • Several factors weaken campaigns’ impact on voters: • Selective perception: pay most attention to things we agree with • Party identification still influence voting behavior • Incumbents begin with sizeable advantage

23. Understanding Nominationsand Campaigns • Are Nominations and Campaigns Too Democratic? • Campaigns are open to almost everyone. • Campaigns consume much time and money. • Campaigns promote individualism in American politics. • Do Big Campaigns Lead to an Increased Scope of Government? • Candidates make numerous promises, especially to state and local interests. • Hard for politicians to promise to cut size of government

24. Summary • Campaigns are media-oriented and expensive. • Delegates are selected through caucuses and primaries. • Money and contributions from PACs regulated by the FEC are essential to campaigns. • Campaigns reinforce perceptions but do not change minds.