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CH. 13-4 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATIONS

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT. CH. 13-4 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATIONS. THE ROLE OF CONVENTIONS. The first method for political parties to nominate Presidential candidates was the Congressional caucus 1832—both major parties turned to the national convention CONVENTION ARRANGEMENTS

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CH. 13-4 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATIONS

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  1. AMERICAN GOVERNMENT CH. 13-4 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATIONS

  2. THE ROLE OF CONVENTIONS • The first method for political parties to nominate Presidential candidates was the Congressional caucus • 1832—both major parties turned to the national convention • CONVENTION ARRANGEMENTS • Convention system has been built entirely by political parties

  3. The national committee sets the date and picks the place • Usually the party out of power has their convention first– usually July • The President’s party convention is usually in August • Major cities bid for the right to hold the convention because of the financial return

  4. THE APPORTIONMENT OF DELEGATES • National committee determines how many delegates each state can send • Complicated formulas award bonus delegates to states based on support in prior elections • SELECTION OF DELEGATES • State law and/or party rules fix the procedure for picking delegates in each State

  5. Republican Party leaves delegate selection to the State party • Democratic Party has national rules to govern the selection process • These rules attempt to broad participation for young people, African Americans, other minorities, and women

  6. PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES • More than ¾ of all delegates come from States that hold Presidential Primaries • PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY—an election in which a party’s voters: • 1) choose some of all of a State party organization’s delegates to the national convention and/or • 2) express a preference among various contenders for their party’s presidential nomination

  7. HISTORY OR THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY • First appeared in early 1900s as part of the reform movement • WI passed the first primary law in 1905 • By 1916 nearly half the states had adopted primaries • Primaries fell into dis-favor so that by 1968 only 16 states and D.C. had one • In 2004—36 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico had primaries

  8. PRIMARIES TODAY • State rules for primaries have been re-written several times over the years • NH guards its status as having the first primary in the US • Most states prefer to have their primary early so the most primaries are held before mid-March

  9. PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION • Some primaries were winner-take-all • The victor got all the delegates in that state • Democratic Party has banned winner-take-all primaries • Democrats have a complex PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION rule • If a candidate gets at least 15% of the preference vote, they get a corresponding % of the delegates available • Ex. Candidate A gets 45% of the vote. There are 100 delegates available. Candidate A would get 45 delegates. • Most states had to change primary laws to get in line with Democrats’ proportional representation

  10. More than half the states now only hold a preference primary • Delegates are chosen at party conventions • EVALUATION OF THE PRIMARY • Primary system complicated with confusing variations • Primaries tend to democratize the delegate-selection process

  11. Primaries force would-be nominees to test their candidacies in actual political combat • Key function of primaries: screen out lesser possibilities to the point where only one or a few contenders remain • Few major contests for party in power because: • 1) President is seeking re-election • 2) President backs someone who is seeking re-election • President regularly gets his way

  12. REFORM PROPOSALS • 1) Do away with state primaries and have a national primary to chose the top candidates • This would do away with conventions except to possibly pick a vice-presidential nominee • 2) Have a series of regional primaries, held at two- or three-week intervals in groups of states • Either of these proposals would require action from Congress, States, and political parties

  13. THE CAUCUS-CONVENTION PROCESS • States without primaries choose their delegates by caucuses and conventions • The caucus system is the oldest method used to pick national convention delegates • Iowa caucuses tend to get the most attention because they are the first delegate-selection event every presidential cycle

  14. THE NATIONAL CONVENTION • Three major goals: • 1) naming the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates • 2) bringing the various factions and the leading personalities in the party together in one place for a common purpose • 3) adopting the party’s PLATFORM (a formal statement of basic principles, stands on major policy matters, and objectives for the campaign.

  15. THE FIRST TWO DAYS • First day: • --welcome delegates • --organize convention • --dozens of short speeches from various people • Second Day: • --speeches continue • --adoption of the party platform • --delivery of the keynote address

  16. The platform is usually written by the party leadership before the convention and is presented as a report from the committee on platform and resolutions • The KEYNOTE ADDRESS (major speech) is usually a barn-burner and given by one of the party’s most accomplished orators • The speech follows a predictable pattern: glorify the party, its history, its leaders, and its programs, and blister the other party, and predict victory in November

  17. THE LAST TWO DAYS • Nomination of candidates for Vice-President and President • Presidential & Vice-Presidential candidates gives acceptance speeches

  18. WHO IS NOMINATED? • Incumbent President make selection easy • If there is no incumbent, as many as a dozen candidates may surface to run and usually 2 or 3 make it to the convention • POLITICAL EXPERIENCE • The person that is the most electable • Extensive public record that is free of controversy • Previous elective office preferred • Exception: Eisenhower 1952

  19. Governorships of larger states have produced the most candidates since 1900—11 • Jimmy Carter (GA-1976, 1980), Ronald Reagan (CA-1980, 1984), Michael Dukakis (MA-1988), Bill Clinton (AR-1992, 1996), George W. Bush (TX-2000, 2004) • OTHER CHARACTERISTICS • Most candidates have been Protestant • Exceptions (all Dem. & Catholic)—Alfred E. Smith 1928, JFK 1960, RFK 1968, Michael Dukakis (Eastern Orthodox) 1988, John Kerry 2004

  20. Most have come from larger states—NY, OH, IL, TX, CA • Most have a pleasant and healthy appearance, appear to be happily married, and have an attractive family • A well-developed speaking ability is a plus • Few female candidates—Geraldine Ferraro 1984 (VP), Hillary Clinton (2008) • THE END

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