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Nominations and Campaigns
Chapter 9
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
The Nomination Game
Deciding to RunCampaigns are more physically and
emotionally taxing than ever.Other countries have short
campaigns, generally less than 2 months.
American campaigns are much longer.
• Whoever is elected president in November 2016 will likely have declared their intention to run in early 2015.
The Nomination Game Competing for Delegates
Nomination game is an elimination contestGoal is to win a majority of delegates’ support
at the national party convention, or the supreme power within each of the parties
• The convention meets every four years to nominate the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
• Conventions are but a formality today.• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_95I_1rZiIs
The Nomination Game Competing for Delegates
The Caucus Road• Caucus: meetings of state party leaders for
selecting 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.• caucuses
1. Local Delegates from precinct voting
2. County Convention selects delegates
3. State Convention select delegates
4. Delegates from state attend National Convention
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.
• Delegate Count
Discussion
What are the advantages and disadvantages to a long campaign process?
Do you think it is a good thing or a bad thing? Why?
The Nomination Game Competing for Delegates
Evaluating the Primary and Caucus System Which of the following criticisms is the worst thing
about our primary/caucus system:• Disproportionate attention to early ones
• Prominent politicians do not run.
• Money plays too big a role.
• Participation in primaries and caucuses is low and unrepresentative; 20 percent vote in primaries
• The system gives too much power to the media.
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
and policies for next four years• Debated on the second day of the Convention
Formal nomination of president and vice-president candidates on third and fourth days
Keynote speakers
2004 Keynote Address
2012 Keynote Address
The Nomination Game
The Campaign Game
The High-Tech Media CampaignDirect mail used to generate support
and money for the candidateGet media attention through ad budget
and “free” coverageEmphasis on “marketing” a candidateNews stories focus more on the “horse
race” than substantive policy issues
The Campaign Game
Organizing the CampaignGet a campaign managerGet a fund-raiser and campaign counselHire media and campaign consultantsAssemble staff and plan logisticsGet research staff, policy advisors, and
pollstersGet a good press secretaryEstablish a website
Money and Campaigning
Campaigns are expensive Campaigns need money to get their
message out Many people and groups who want
things from government are willing to give $
How much influence does money buy?...
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.
• Barack Obama rejected matching funds (McCain accepted)
• Provided full public financing for major party candidates in the general election – Barack Obama was the first major party candidate to turn down government funds ever (McCain accepted the $84 million dollar grant)
• Required full disclosure and limited contributions ( $1000 – now $ 2,300)
Buckley v. Valeo, 1976
Challenged the constitutionality of the 1974 campaign reforms
The SC struck down the portion that limited how much and individual could contribute to their own campaigns.Ross Perot – $60 million – 1992Mitt Romney - $44 million – 2008 primary
Another loophole in 1979…
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.”
A new loophole… 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
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7y1HMZNJy0
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.
$5000 per candidate in both primary/general As of 2006 there were 4,217 PACs. PACs contributed over $288.6 million to
congressional candidates in 2004. PACs donate to candidates who support
their issue. PACs do not “buy” candidates, but give to
candidates who support them in the first place.
Money and Campaigning
www.opensecrets.org
Debate
Side One: There is too much money in politics and it needs to be regulated and restricted, or removed
Side Two: Limiting money in politics is a violation of freedom of speech and goes against the capitalistic nature of our society
Citizens United v. FEC, 2008 Citizens United sought and injunction
against the FEC to prevent the application of the BCRA to its film – Hillary:The Movie
Money and Campaigning Are Campaigns Too Expensive? “Money is the mothers milk of politics”
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.”
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
Understanding Nominations and 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
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.
Campaign Finance Debate
Assignment: Read pages 284-289 Read McConnell v. FEC Research the McCain-Feingold Law
(BCRA) Visit www.opensecrets.org Prepare arguments both for and against
campaign finance
