CAMPAIGNS
Or, HOW TO SUCCEED IN
POLITICS.
The Nomination Game
• A nomination is the party’s official
endorsement of a candidate who will
seek political office.
• Success in the nomination game
generally requires money, media
attention, and momentum. Candidates
attempt to manipulate each of these
elements through campaign strategy.
• The nominating stage is important
in the electoral process mostly
because nominations set real limits
to the choices voters can make.
Deciding to run
• Unlike Britain--where
campaigns are
limited by law to 5
weeks--a
presidential
candidacy in the U.S.
needs to be
announced or an
“open secret” at
least a year before
the election.
Sometimes some candidates decide not to
run and others benefit (‘92 election).
• Presidential candidates need to be risktakers; they need enough selfconfidence to put it all on line in pursuit
of the presidency.
• They need an electoral base from which
to begin.
• Most presidential candidates of major
parties hold a key political office before
seeking the office.
Competing for delegates
• The goal of the
nomination game is
to win the majority
of the delegates’
support at the
national convention.
• From January to
June in an election
year, the individual
state parties choose
their delegates to
the convention
through caucuses or
primaries.
• At one time, all states selected their
delegates in a meeting of state party
leaders, called a caucus. A caucus is a
private meeting of political party
members to do a variety of things
including the selecting of delegates.
• Today, caucuses are open to all voters
who are registered with the party. The
Democrats also have strict rules of
representation.
• As a nominating
device, the
caucus was
replaced by the
convention.
• Only a few states
hold caucuses
today, and the
earliest is held in
Iowa.
Caucus Pyramidal
Structure
• The basic unit is the
precinct. Each precinct has
1 polling place and is about
1,000 voters.
• Precinct-level caucuses
choose delegates (based on
their preference for a
certain candidate) to attend
county caucuses and then
congressional district party
caucuses, where delegates
are finally chosen for the
state convention.
• At the state convention,
delegates to the national
convention are chosen.
Presidential Primaries
• Today, most of the
delegates to the
national conventions
are selected in
presidential
primaries, in which
voters in a state go
to the polls and vote
for a candidate or for
delegates pledged to
a candidate.
• The primary season begins
in the winter in New
Hampshire. At this early
stage, the campaign is not
for delegates but for
images. A primary in which
candidates are not labeled
by political party is known
as a nonpartisan primary
(mostly, city elections).
• http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.
nytimes.com/2011/10/12/e
arly-new-hampshireprimary-could-backfire-onromney/?partner=rss&emc
=rss
•
•
In 1988, the southern states
(feeling that northern states
like New Hampshire had too
much influence in the choice of
Democratic nominees) staged
Super Tuesday by moving all
their primaries to the same day
in early March (it actually
happened first in 1984 with 3
Super Tuesdays). This created
a regional primary. Gore and
Jackson split them, but Dukakis
would ultimately win.
On February 5, 2008 we had a
Super Duper Tuesday as 20
states scheduled their primary
or caucus then.
• Each state sets up its own rules for how
delegates are allocated.
• Primaries serve as elimination contests.
Candidates who lose early see their
money-raising abilities dry up.
• Candidates want to build momentum,
but that is no guarantee of victory.
• Presidential elections are held in
November on the first Tuesday
following the first Monday of every 4th
year.
• An open primary is a primary election in which a voter
may vote for the nomination of any candidate
regardless of party affiliation. A year ago June (2010)
California passed an initiative to amend our state
constitution to authorize an open primary.
• In a closed primary a voter must declare a party
affiliation and vote only for that party’s ballot.
Why closed primaries?
• It makes candidates more
responsive to the party.
• It discourages “raiding” by nonparty members.
• It forces voters to be thoughtful
and choose between parties.
Primary and Caucus
Criticisms
• Too much attention to early
caucuses/primaries. Media attention
distorts campaign. (However, in Smith
v. Allwright it was held that primaries
are an “integral part of the election
process.”
• Running for president is a full-time job.
• Money plays too big a role.
• Presidential primary voter turnout is
extremely low (20%).
• Too much media power.
Proposals
• National Primary--length and cost of
campaign would be reduced and it
would be more simple and direct.
• Critics charge that underdogs would
never win.
• Regional primaries that occur week
after week. Critics say an advantage
goes to the first region.
• The “drama” has now
been drained from
conventions, as the
winner is a foregone
conclusion.
• Today’s conventions are
carefully scripted so the
party is shown in the
best light. No one wants
the ‘64 GOP or ‘68/’72
Demo conventions
repeated.
• Conventions are also
important for developing
a party’s platform.
Convention Organization
• First-day highlight is the
keynote speech.
• Second day centers on the
party platform.
• The presidential candidate
is chosen by roll-call vote of
the states, followed by
nomination and seconding
speeches.
• The vice-presidential
nominee is chosen on the
final day by roll-call vote.
Then, the acceptance
speeches by both are the
supposed highlights of the
convention (Don’t pull a
McGovern).
THE CAMPAIGN GAME
• Television is the most
prevalent means used by
candidates to reach
voters.
• Most of the money spent
on presidential
campaigns is spent on
media.
• 99% of US homes have a
TV and watch at least 4
hours a day.
• Visual nature of TV
makes its messages
more powerful.
• Money is an
indispensable campaign
resource because it
allows candidates to
make themselves known
to the public. For that
reason, among others,
presidential campaigns
now are organized and
conducted largely by the
candidates’ own personal
political organization,
rather than the national
party organization.
• Use of Direct Mail enables candidates to send info and
money requests to individuals culled from lists of people
who have supported candidates of similar views.
• Internet campaign sites, social networking, and
YouTube are some of the other technological advances
candidates use.
• Candidates have
delivered their
messages by
speaking to large
crowds, whistle-stop
tours, tree stumps,
soapboxes, and
shouting in town
squares.
• Television is the
modern-day tree
stump.
Campaign Organization
• Hire campaign
manager.
• Have fundraisers.
• Hire campaign
counsel.
• Hire media and
campaign
consultants.
• Assemble
campaign staff.
• Plan logistics.
• Get research
staff/policy
advisors.
• Hire pollster.
• Hire a good press
secretary.
Campaign Funding
• Two sources: private contributions
and public treasury.
• Private givers: Candidates,
individual citizens, PACs, and
temporary campaign
organizations. Major source of
funding.
• PACs, which can be formed
from interest groups, have
increased in numbers in
recent years, but can give
according to the following
FEC guidelines:
• http://www.fec.gov/pages/
brochures/fecfeca.shtml#Co
ntribution_Limits
• If a candidate accepts
public money, then there
are campaign spending
limits.
Federal Election Campaign
Act of 1974
•
•
•
•
•
•
Bipartisan Federal Election
Commission created to
administer campaign finance
laws.
Provides public financing for
primaries and general
elections.
Limits established for campaign
spending.
Candidates file public disclosure
reports.
Limited contributions-individuals only $2,500 per
election ($1,000 originally);
$30,800 to national party.
Only concerned with
presidential campaigns.
Buckley v. Valeo
• The constitutionality
of the act was
challenged and
struck down the
portion that limited
the amount
individuals could
contribute to their
own campaigns.
• Contributions=Free
Speech.
• This enabled Ross
Perot to spend
$50 million of his
own money on his
own independent
presidential bid in
1992.
Soft Money
• In 1979, an amendment to the Act made it
easier for political parties to raise money.
• They may spend the money on party
activities, but not on a specific candidate.
However, there is always a way--just make
and ad and don’t mention the name--just infer
it or attack the competition.
• WIKI link for more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campaign_financ
e_in_the_United_States
Bipartisan Campaign
Finance Reform Act of
2002
• Banned “soft money” contributions.
• Must receive contributions from “hard money”-individual donations and PAC donations.
• Limit raised from $1000 to $2000 per candidate per
election.
• “Independent expenditures” by corporations, labor
unions, and trade associations are restricted. 60 days
before a general election and 30 days before a primary
no ads for a federal candidate can be made by these
groups.
• Center for Responsive Politics
• http://www.opensecrets.org/
527’s
• Always looking for a
loophole, the IRS
provided the opportunity.
Named after a provision
of the code, 527
organizations can spend
money on politics without
any restrictions. FECA
does not regulate these
groups.
• http://www.opensecrets.
org/527s/527indivs.php?
cycle=2008
CITIZENS UNITED V. FEC
• On January 21, 2010 in a
5-4 decision the
Supreme Court held that
it was permitted to make
unlimited campaign
donations by unions and
corporations. This
revised McCain-Feingold.
• Washington Post poll
results shown to the
right (Feb. 8, 2010). It
showed that 80% of
Americans opposed the
decision.