Choosing the vice-presidential candidates
Until 1980 the VP candidate was always chosen and announced during the National Party Convention
o Until 1956 convention delegates choose the running mate
o Now the presidential candidate chooses himself and announces during the convention – 3rd day , before delivering his acceptance speech
o 1984 – Dem pres. Candidate Walter Mondale broke the tradition – he announced NY congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro 4 days before the convention
o 2004 John Kerry announced John Edwards 3 weeks before the Dem Convention
o 1996 – REPUBLICANS followed – Bob Dole = Jack Kemp day before the convention
o 2012 Romney announced Paul Ryan 16 days before in Florida
Strategies for choosing the VP candidates
Balanced ticket
- When choosing for the VP then the presidential candidate looks for a ‘balanced ticket’
Geographic region
– spread out the region representing, you would want someone from a different region to have a wider representation for America – represent different sides , Conservative balanced ticket to be from / political experience / age / ideology / gender
- Recent example of balanced ticket = 2008 Obama chose Senator Joe Biden (Delaware)
o Biden 65 year old = Balance to Obama 47
o Biden served in the Senate for 36 years (Obama 4)
o Biden = good political experience , served chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee – He knew who famous leaders were , had links to other countries
Sarah Palin – was the worst VP candidate because she would go back on her word often
o Running mate of John McCain 2008
o Younger people to be the running mate
Potential in government
- Presidential candidate = thinks long term and choose based on what they would bring to the White House
o Focus on governing than campaigning
- Strategy was adopted by George W.Bush 2000 choosing Dick Cheney
o Bush had no Washington experience , Cheney would help him to run the White house and the executive branch of Fed Gov – Had no GRAVITAS
o Cheney = served as White House Chief of Staff to Pres.Ford / Secretary of Defence to Bush’s Father / Also a member of Congress
- Mitt Romney chose Paul Ryan in 2012 = governing rather than campaigning
Party Unity
- VP candidate selection to promote party unity = RARELY USED
- A way of reuniting the party after primaries = Presidential nominee to choose a former rival for running mate
- Strategy used by Reagan – chose George H.W Bush 1980
- Problem = former rivals say nasty things about each other – makes it hard for them to become partners on a ticket
- If Obama did this he would have picked Hillary Clinton as his running – mate / Romney would have picked Rick Santorum or Newt Gingrich – Romney had picked Paul Ryan – he was known for fiscal and conservatism, Romney known as a flip flopper
- Too much disagreement to pick Rick Santorum
VP nominations may win it for you, OR may lose it for you
o SEEN IN MCCAIN – worked against his campaign, didn’t lose it for him, but undermined his campaign
o Sarah Palin gained scrutiny , she was inexperienced and lack of knowledge about the world
Until 1980 the VP candidate was always chosen and announced during the National Party Convention
o Until 1956 convention delegates choose the running mate
o Now the presidential candidate chooses himself and announces during the convention – 3rd day , before delivering his acceptance speech
o 1984 – Dem pres. Candidate Walter Mondale broke the tradition – he announced NY congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro 4 days before the convention
o 2004 John Kerry announced John Edwards 3 weeks before the Dem Convention
o 1996 – REPUBLICANS followed – Bob Dole = Jack Kemp day before the convention
o 2012 Romney announced Paul Ryan 16 days before in Florida
Strategies for choosing the VP candidates
Balanced ticket
- When choosing for the VP then the presidential candidate looks for a ‘balanced ticket’
Geographic region
– spread out the region representing, you would want someone from a different region to have a wider representation for America – represent different sides , Conservative balanced ticket to be from / political experience / age / ideology / gender
- Recent example of balanced ticket = 2008 Obama chose Senator Joe Biden (Delaware)
o Biden 65 year old = Balance to Obama 47
o Biden served in the Senate for 36 years (Obama 4)
o Biden = good political experience , served chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee – He knew who famous leaders were , had links to other countries
Sarah Palin – was the worst VP candidate because she would go back on her word often
o Running mate of John McCain 2008
o Younger people to be the running mate
Potential in government
- Presidential candidate = thinks long term and choose based on what they would bring to the White House
o Focus on governing than campaigning
- Strategy was adopted by George W.Bush 2000 choosing Dick Cheney
o Bush had no Washington experience , Cheney would help him to run the White house and the executive branch of Fed Gov – Had no GRAVITAS
o Cheney = served as White House Chief of Staff to Pres.Ford / Secretary of Defence to Bush’s Father / Also a member of Congress
- Mitt Romney chose Paul Ryan in 2012 = governing rather than campaigning
Party Unity
- VP candidate selection to promote party unity = RARELY USED
- A way of reuniting the party after primaries = Presidential nominee to choose a former rival for running mate
- Strategy used by Reagan – chose George H.W Bush 1980
- Problem = former rivals say nasty things about each other – makes it hard for them to become partners on a ticket
- If Obama did this he would have picked Hillary Clinton as his running – mate / Romney would have picked Rick Santorum or Newt Gingrich – Romney had picked Paul Ryan – he was known for fiscal and conservatism, Romney known as a flip flopper
- Too much disagreement to pick Rick Santorum
VP nominations may win it for you, OR may lose it for you
o SEEN IN MCCAIN – worked against his campaign, didn’t lose it for him, but undermined his campaign
o Sarah Palin gained scrutiny , she was inexperienced and lack of knowledge about the world
National Party Conventions - 4th stage of the presidential election process
- Dem and Reps usually hold then during Aug & Sept of election year – lasts 3 / 4 days
- Traditional for the challenging party to have it first
o 2012 Reps met in Tampa , Florida – 27 – 30th Aug
o 2012 Dems met in Charlotte , N.Carolina – 4 – 6th Sept
- Decided a year before when it is held – by National Party Committee
- Delegates attend – chosen in the primaries and caucuses
- Media attend from everywhere
- Convention each day will have a theme & a prime- time speaker
o 2012 – both conventions ran for 3 days than 4
§ This was seen as declining importance of the convention
- Held once every 4 years
Formal functions - NPC performs 3 formal events
- Formal functions aren’t as important as informal functions now
Choosing the parties presidential candidate
- In theory conventions choose the party’s candidate in a roll- call vote
o Each states delegates announce which candidate they want to
- Pre-reform days – delegates came to the convention and chose in the convention hall
o NOW – delegates turn up as ‘committed delegates’
§ Who turn up to vote for a particular candidate
§ Number of committed delegates = known beforehand (decided in each primary and caucus) - result of the convention ballot is foregone conclusion
- To win the pres.nomination – candidates must receive an absolute majority of the delegates votes
o 2012 – 2,286 Rep delegates – Romney needed 1,144 votes to win
- Convention confirms the party’s pres.candidate than chooses
o 1976 Gerald Ford (Rep) defeated Ronald Reagan by 1,187 to 1,070 votes
§ If 60 voters switched Reagan would have won
- If no one gets an absolute majority on the first ballot , ballot keeps happening
o Delegates become free agents – vote for who they want
o New candidates can enter at this time
o 15 elections from 1896 – 1952 – 8 times when there needed to be more than 1 ballot
o 1952 – 2012 only 1 has been needed
o The function is carried out by primaries rather than the convention – DIMINISHING IMPORTANCE
Choosing the party’s VP candidate
- CONVENTIONS ROLE CHOSING THE VP = LOST
- Last convention when the running mate was chosen = REP CONVENTION 1988
Deciding the party platform
- Party platform = document that has policies that the candidate will do if he’s elected
- Put together by the Platform Committee under the direction of the party’s National Committee – committee write up the policies
- Platform committee has hearings around the country during the first 6 months of election year
o 2008 Dems had 1,600 ‘listening sessions’ in over 50 states – 30,000 people participated
o Reps invited visitors to their website –share thoughts & communicate directly with policy – makers
- National Party Convention = agree to draft the platform
- Debates at the convention = “planks”
o Media portray debates as evidence of a divided party
- Party platform = support for American Dream and apple pie
o Differences between policies – 2012 Rep Platform stated on the issue of abortion & right to life
§ Human life has a right to life, and cannot be infringed
o Dem Platform on abortion & right to life
§ Supports Roe v Wade and a womans right to make decisions
- Platform can cause problems for the candidate – EG: Mitt Romney on abortion – wasn’t on the party lines
Informal functions
- Three of the formal functions of the National Party Conventions = ?
o No point in holding them
- Importance of the conventions is in their informal , hidden functions
Promoting party unity
- Most important function of all
- Primaries turn into bitter personal battles – internal wounds are healed before the general election campaigns begins
- Divided parties are rarely winning parties
o 2008 Dem convention important to show a united party despite the bitter rivalry between Obama and Clinton
§ Bill Clinton felt aggrieved that she hadn’t won a nomination race that was thought to be hers
§ 2nd night of the convention – Hillary Clinton = ‘proud supporter of Obama’/Barack Obama is my candidate ,he must be our president’ – Bill Clinton did the same
- Examples of where party unity wasn’t rebuilt
o 1992 George W.H Bush with rival Pat Buchanan – Reps conventions
o 1980 Pres.Carter with Edward Kennedy
o 2008 Rep Ron Paul = won significant support in Rep primaries – he refused John McCain
Enthusing the party faithful
- Vital for the party faithful in all 50 states feel committed to fight for their party and candidate
- There are meetings to make / phone calls
- The convention gives opportunity to enthuse the party faithful through speeches and appearances
o 2012 speech given former Pres.Bill Clinton brought the delegates to their feet with Obamas election
- Because of the lengthy process, it is important to keep voters motivated and still respect their party , so respected people can be called to keep the motivation up.
o Links for party unity because it is one big party at the end
Enthusing the ordinary voters
- They are not in the convention hall
- One opportunity to gain attention = acceptance speech
- Voters = pay little attention to primaries - low turnouts
o Primaries over so they pay attention to the candidate and policies
o 1st impressions = important , especially when entering first time
§ Bush 2000
§ Bush = first politician to enter the nominations of his party since Sen.Barry Goldwater 1964
- Opinion polls show the effect of the convention
o Instant polls showing that increase the candidate has enjoyed as a result of the speech
- Increase in candidates poll rating from pre-convention poll = ‘Bounce’
o Elections between 1972 – 2008 average bounce for the challenging party = 6 percentage points / white house party candidate = under 6 percentage points
o 2012 Mitt Romney -1 Bounce / Obama +3 bounce = under average
§ Showed lack –lustre nature of the Rep convention and Romney’s acceptance speech
§ There is a pattern to show that post-convention bounce may be declining because of increased partisanship
§ Before voters were more open , but now they are polarised that they wouldn’t change their minds from a candidates speech
o Importance of post-convention ‘bounce’ = exaggerated
Importance of modern day conventions
- Washington post end of Aug 2008 – ‘As you ….. How important will these conventions be in helping you decide how to vote
o 29% said important – 12% extremely important
o 71% said not important
o Suggests that modern day conventions aren’t important
- Conventions are scripted and devoid political content
o Modern day conventions have choreographed videos
- Television coverage of the convention declined
o ABC , CBS , NBC 1968 = 46 HOURS for Reps convention
o 2012 = 9 hours of coverage
Lesson notes:
McGovern Frasier allowed public to participate in the presidential candidates (vp nomination)
Winner of the primaries pick his running mate
- Role of the VP has increased massively - more professional
Plan :
Importance of the conventions
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19563003
No-one bombed, except for Clint Eastwood, and no-one had a major triumph, except perhaps former President Bill Clinton.
Neither of the candidates made memorable, knock-out speeches. Policy took a holiday, and the "vision thing" had a nap.
The other part of the Republican convention was to sell Mr Romney as a likeable man
- Formal functions have decreased , VP is chosen
Important:
- Only time they can promote party unity – EG: Reagan George H.W Bush
- Obama gained a 45% bounce out of convention. Important for the challenger because they should gain the bounce in order to gain momentum – if you gain the bounce then it can see you through McCain suffered from the fall apart of the bounce because of Sarah Palin 2008 because of scrutiny.
- Unifying the party – Hillary Clinton and Obama 08 , because of the bitterness of the primaries then they are together
- 30 mil still watch the convention than American idol – presidential candidates NEED TO GAIN THE BOUNCE FROM THE CONVENTION
Not important:
- The candidates are already chosen in the primaries and caucuses – announced before – hasn’t been a 2nd balance since 1962 – JUST ANNOUNCING
- Less media coverage
- Everything is agreed before , such as the platform
- There hasn’t been a 2nd ballot , its more about the publicity
- Dem and Reps usually hold then during Aug & Sept of election year – lasts 3 / 4 days
- Traditional for the challenging party to have it first
o 2012 Reps met in Tampa , Florida – 27 – 30th Aug
o 2012 Dems met in Charlotte , N.Carolina – 4 – 6th Sept
- Decided a year before when it is held – by National Party Committee
- Delegates attend – chosen in the primaries and caucuses
- Media attend from everywhere
- Convention each day will have a theme & a prime- time speaker
o 2012 – both conventions ran for 3 days than 4
§ This was seen as declining importance of the convention
- Held once every 4 years
Formal functions - NPC performs 3 formal events
- Formal functions aren’t as important as informal functions now
Choosing the parties presidential candidate
- In theory conventions choose the party’s candidate in a roll- call vote
o Each states delegates announce which candidate they want to
- Pre-reform days – delegates came to the convention and chose in the convention hall
o NOW – delegates turn up as ‘committed delegates’
§ Who turn up to vote for a particular candidate
§ Number of committed delegates = known beforehand (decided in each primary and caucus) - result of the convention ballot is foregone conclusion
- To win the pres.nomination – candidates must receive an absolute majority of the delegates votes
o 2012 – 2,286 Rep delegates – Romney needed 1,144 votes to win
- Convention confirms the party’s pres.candidate than chooses
o 1976 Gerald Ford (Rep) defeated Ronald Reagan by 1,187 to 1,070 votes
§ If 60 voters switched Reagan would have won
- If no one gets an absolute majority on the first ballot , ballot keeps happening
o Delegates become free agents – vote for who they want
o New candidates can enter at this time
o 15 elections from 1896 – 1952 – 8 times when there needed to be more than 1 ballot
o 1952 – 2012 only 1 has been needed
o The function is carried out by primaries rather than the convention – DIMINISHING IMPORTANCE
Choosing the party’s VP candidate
- CONVENTIONS ROLE CHOSING THE VP = LOST
- Last convention when the running mate was chosen = REP CONVENTION 1988
Deciding the party platform
- Party platform = document that has policies that the candidate will do if he’s elected
- Put together by the Platform Committee under the direction of the party’s National Committee – committee write up the policies
- Platform committee has hearings around the country during the first 6 months of election year
o 2008 Dems had 1,600 ‘listening sessions’ in over 50 states – 30,000 people participated
o Reps invited visitors to their website –share thoughts & communicate directly with policy – makers
- National Party Convention = agree to draft the platform
- Debates at the convention = “planks”
o Media portray debates as evidence of a divided party
- Party platform = support for American Dream and apple pie
o Differences between policies – 2012 Rep Platform stated on the issue of abortion & right to life
§ Human life has a right to life, and cannot be infringed
o Dem Platform on abortion & right to life
§ Supports Roe v Wade and a womans right to make decisions
- Platform can cause problems for the candidate – EG: Mitt Romney on abortion – wasn’t on the party lines
Informal functions
- Three of the formal functions of the National Party Conventions = ?
o No point in holding them
- Importance of the conventions is in their informal , hidden functions
Promoting party unity
- Most important function of all
- Primaries turn into bitter personal battles – internal wounds are healed before the general election campaigns begins
- Divided parties are rarely winning parties
o 2008 Dem convention important to show a united party despite the bitter rivalry between Obama and Clinton
§ Bill Clinton felt aggrieved that she hadn’t won a nomination race that was thought to be hers
§ 2nd night of the convention – Hillary Clinton = ‘proud supporter of Obama’/Barack Obama is my candidate ,he must be our president’ – Bill Clinton did the same
- Examples of where party unity wasn’t rebuilt
o 1992 George W.H Bush with rival Pat Buchanan – Reps conventions
o 1980 Pres.Carter with Edward Kennedy
o 2008 Rep Ron Paul = won significant support in Rep primaries – he refused John McCain
Enthusing the party faithful
- Vital for the party faithful in all 50 states feel committed to fight for their party and candidate
- There are meetings to make / phone calls
- The convention gives opportunity to enthuse the party faithful through speeches and appearances
o 2012 speech given former Pres.Bill Clinton brought the delegates to their feet with Obamas election
- Because of the lengthy process, it is important to keep voters motivated and still respect their party , so respected people can be called to keep the motivation up.
o Links for party unity because it is one big party at the end
Enthusing the ordinary voters
- They are not in the convention hall
- One opportunity to gain attention = acceptance speech
- Voters = pay little attention to primaries - low turnouts
o Primaries over so they pay attention to the candidate and policies
o 1st impressions = important , especially when entering first time
§ Bush 2000
§ Bush = first politician to enter the nominations of his party since Sen.Barry Goldwater 1964
- Opinion polls show the effect of the convention
o Instant polls showing that increase the candidate has enjoyed as a result of the speech
- Increase in candidates poll rating from pre-convention poll = ‘Bounce’
o Elections between 1972 – 2008 average bounce for the challenging party = 6 percentage points / white house party candidate = under 6 percentage points
o 2012 Mitt Romney -1 Bounce / Obama +3 bounce = under average
§ Showed lack –lustre nature of the Rep convention and Romney’s acceptance speech
§ There is a pattern to show that post-convention bounce may be declining because of increased partisanship
§ Before voters were more open , but now they are polarised that they wouldn’t change their minds from a candidates speech
o Importance of post-convention ‘bounce’ = exaggerated
Importance of modern day conventions
- Washington post end of Aug 2008 – ‘As you ….. How important will these conventions be in helping you decide how to vote
o 29% said important – 12% extremely important
o 71% said not important
o Suggests that modern day conventions aren’t important
- Conventions are scripted and devoid political content
o Modern day conventions have choreographed videos
- Television coverage of the convention declined
o ABC , CBS , NBC 1968 = 46 HOURS for Reps convention
o 2012 = 9 hours of coverage
Lesson notes:
McGovern Frasier allowed public to participate in the presidential candidates (vp nomination)
Winner of the primaries pick his running mate
- Role of the VP has increased massively - more professional
Plan :
Importance of the conventions
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19563003
No-one bombed, except for Clint Eastwood, and no-one had a major triumph, except perhaps former President Bill Clinton.
Neither of the candidates made memorable, knock-out speeches. Policy took a holiday, and the "vision thing" had a nap.
The other part of the Republican convention was to sell Mr Romney as a likeable man
- Formal functions have decreased , VP is chosen
Important:
- Only time they can promote party unity – EG: Reagan George H.W Bush
- Obama gained a 45% bounce out of convention. Important for the challenger because they should gain the bounce in order to gain momentum – if you gain the bounce then it can see you through McCain suffered from the fall apart of the bounce because of Sarah Palin 2008 because of scrutiny.
- Unifying the party – Hillary Clinton and Obama 08 , because of the bitterness of the primaries then they are together
- 30 mil still watch the convention than American idol – presidential candidates NEED TO GAIN THE BOUNCE FROM THE CONVENTION
Not important:
- The candidates are already chosen in the primaries and caucuses – announced before – hasn’t been a 2nd balance since 1962 – JUST ANNOUNCING
- Less media coverage
- Everything is agreed before , such as the platform
- There hasn’t been a 2nd ballot , its more about the publicity