Nom, nom, nom… ination

1. Nom, nom, nom…ination Chapter 9

2. Get Pumped! • http://www.quia.com/quiz/768980.html?AP_rand=809913705

3. The pressures of running • http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/mr-romney-hard-running-president-15255939 • Presidential candidates tend to run out of money before they choose to stop running for President • Jan 2012 : $226 millions • 2008 : collectively about $2 billion • 8 major candidates dropped out of the 2012 race

4. National Convention • National Party convention: meets every four years to determine who will run for President. • Formerly controlled by party “Bosses” • Usually leaders of big cities • Determined who attended and who they voted for. • 1968 Democratic Convention • http://www.history.com/videos/violence-batters-1968-democratic-convention - chicago-seven-conspiracy-trial

5. 1968 Democratic Convention • The methods to select a presidential Candidate were considered elite, and disenfranchised common voters. • McGovern-Fraser Commission: created in response to the convention to better decide how to represent voters when selecting candidates. • The result?! • Caucuses • Primaries

6. Spicing things up • Superdelegates: delegates who are guaranteed a say in the Presidential candidate regardless of voter opinion. • Surviving elitist portion of conventions • Why is this bad? • Undermines voter decision-making • Disconnected from public opinion.

7. Two Choices • Caucus: Voters must show up at a set time and express their Presidential preference. • States that choose these are mostly rural • Primaries: Voters go to the polls and express their preference for President. • Two types • Open Primary – don’t have to declare a party to participate • Closed Primary – have to identify with a party • All occur between Jan-June of election year

8. Get on up (or stay seated, whichever) • Identify possible problems that can be caused by caucuses and primaries. • Hint: Think about how large our voter turnout is • You’re running for President! How would you get voters out to the polls? • Decide where you spend most of your campaign money. • Slamming same party • Saving for ads while President

9. 99 Problems • Problems with Caucuses and Primaries • Disproportionate attention goes to the early caucuses and primaries • Prominent politicians find it difficult to take time out from their duties to run • Money plays too big a role in the caucuses and primaries • Participation in primaries and caucuses is low and unrepresentative • The system gives too much power to the media

10. Campaign Travels • http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/2012-presidential-campaign-visits/ • National primary: propose to replace current system with a nationwide primary. • Pros: Directness for voters and candidates, votes in all states of equal importance, lessen importance of media. • Cons: Americans have to vote twice in primaries, and once in November for President, nominee would only receive small margins (25% of vote)

11. Regional Primary • Regional Primary: Primaries held in various regions at different times. (Eastern, then Central, then Western etc.) • Pros: more rational structure on candidate travel, an end to focusing on states for attention in primaries. • Cons: Advantage gained by whichever region goes first