Road to the White House
Preview
• Each event listed below is a step in the
process of running for president. Based on
what you know about elections, arrange the
steps in the most logical order.
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Form a campaign organization
Develop a campaign strategy
Run in primaries and caucuses
Build a coalition of supporters
Participate in televised debates
Hold popular election
Announce candidacy
Attend national convention
Raise funds
Once you put the steps in order:
Answer this question: Do you think this
process helps or hinders us in electing the
best individual as president?
Road to the White House
Official Constitutional Requirements
• Age: 35
• Citizenship: Natural born citizen
• Residency: Resident of US for last 14 years
Unofficial Requirements
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White, Ancestry: European background (62% British)
Male and older (43-69)
WASP: Protestant and wealthy
Marital status: married
Political background: political or law background
Organize 1-2 yrs
Primaries/Caucuses Feb-June
Campaign -- Sep-Nov
National Conventions (Rep:
8/27-30 ; Dem: 9/3-6)
Vote -- November
Electoral College – Dec/Jan
Transition – Nov/Jan
Inauguration – Jan
TIMELINE-8 STEPS
Step One: Organize and Planning
• Build a coalition of supporters
– Exploratory committee
• Raise funds
• Form a campaign organization
– Hire major staff
• Develop a campaign strategy
– State staff and organization
STEP 2: State Caucuses and
Primaries
Caucuses
• Purpose: Small meetings, where people come together to select delegates
• First state: Iowa
• Importance: as we have seen, Iowa can give a huge boost to a candidate
(Santorum and Romney) or force people out of the race early (Bachmann,
Perry and Huntsman)
Primaries
• State elections with in a party to get delegates support at the national
convention
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3 kinds: open, closed and binding
• First state: New Hampshire
• Importance: weeds out candidates, proves who can win and where
STEP 3:
Win Nomination at Convention
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Purpose of convention: Choose party’s candidate
Where do we hold the convention: Big
electoral state
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Why: Get media exposure for party and candidate
What is the Platform Committee: Writes
rules for convention and writes the party’s stance
on current issues (that is voted on by delegates)
Significance of the Keynote address: kicks
off convention, sets tone and exposes an “up and
coming star” of the party
Selection of the Nominee: as many ballots as it
takes to get the majority support of delegates
Acceptance speeches: Accepts Picks the VP
running mate
Call for unity: get the party faithful fired up
for the Fall election
STEP 4:
Campaign against other Parties
• Formal start of the
•Use of Media: Decide how and
campaign : Kick off is the where to spend money; ads, radio, talk
Labor Day weekend: the
beginning of September; 8
weeks to package the candidate
• Time constraints:
Campaign needs to decide its
strategy for winning the
elections; where to campaign,
how to spend resources; swing
states are states that can
“swing” the election because
they have more electoral votes
or independent voters that can
be swayed to vote for either
party
shows, TV
•Debates: A candidate has to decide if
(s )he will participate; if so when, where, the
format.
STEP 5:
General Election
• Day America votes:
Presidential elections are always
the first Tuesday after the first
Monday in November; every four
years; always in even number years
• Voting: goes on all day and polls
close at 8:00pm
• Exit Polls:
gets info about how
people voted as they exit the
polling place
• Media Coverage: As the east
coast polls close, broadcasting the
outcome can affect the west where
the polls are still opened
STEP 6:
Electoral College
• Electoral System: the people who
really elect the president
• Number of electoral votes
needed to win: 270
• Electoral votes by state: number
of representatives and+ 2 senators =
electors
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Vote:
Each states sends electors from
the winning party to the capitol to vote for
president on the first Monday after the 2nd
Wed. in December
• Plurality vs. majority: Most
popular vote vs 50% +1
• Problems with the system:
Popular vote doesn’t win; electors aren’t
obligated to vote any one way; messy
system if no one gets 270 electoral votes
STEP 7:
Transition Period
• Lameduck President:
Outgoing president
• President elect: Briefed by
appropriate government agencies
• Secret service
protection: Full time police
protection for president and family
• Transition: Cabinet selected,
inaugural address written; starts
putting the staff in place. An office
and staff is provided by the
government
STEP 8: Inauguration
• When: January 20th
• Oath of office: Sworn in
by Supreme Court Justice; gives
the inaugural speech to inspire the
country, Parade, if weather permits,
the president and family walks
down Pennsylvania Ave., assumes
the job
• Inaugural Ball:
There are
many parties that take place that
night; corporate sponsors; the
president and VP and spouses go
and make an appearance at all of
them.
Assignment
• You will be making a Road Map to the
White House. It will include a “pit stop”
for every one of the eight steps. You will
include a paragraph the explains the step
and include a visual that show what the step
includes. It will be done a piece of
construction paper given to you in class.