ELECTIONS - Party Conventions and Campaign

Question 1

SELECTING V.P

Balancing the ticket

Answer 1

This means having two people with varied positions. In 2008, this could be seen through Obama being a young black man, and Biden being an old white man. Biden was selected as Obama’s running mate, but prior, he was a Senator.

Ideological balance = Ronald Reagan (right-wing) picked Bush (moderate).

Experience = Biden served in the senate for 36 years whilst Obama served for 4 years.

Question 2

SELECTING V.P

Balancing the ticket doesn’t always work… Sarah Palin

Answer 2

The Palin McCain duo = she was young and female (2008).

She was the Governor of Alaska… she goes wrong.

Infamous interview = she said that she had foreign policy experience because Alaska was near Russia. SNL did a skit on this which made it famous. Initially she was successful, but McCain eventually lost.

Question 3

SELECTING V.P

Potential in government

Answer 3

You must select a running mate who can run the country if the president must step down/dies/resigns.

An example of this can be seen through Governor George W. Bush selecting Dick Cheney in 2000.

Bush had 0 experience in Washington and so he lacked knowledge. He chose Cheney because he needed someone to help him run the White House. Cheney had been a member of Congress, rising to be the Republican whip in the House of Reps which is the number two spot in the house Republican leadership team.

Question 4

SELECTING V.P

Unifying the Party

Answer 4

This is one way to unify the party after the intense primaries - an eventual candidate usually chooses one of his formal rivals as his running mate.

Trump choosing Mike Pence in 2020.

Question 5

SELECTING V.P

Why do you think Kamala Harris was selected as Biden’s running mate?

Answer 5

She is a young, woman of colour, which fits Biden’s agenda perfectly - this was successful cause Biden won

Question 6

V.P additional info

Answer 6

1. you don’t want to be overshadowed.

2. Trump’s stance = I’m not a politician, so my V.P is an absolute politician.

Question 7

GENERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN

What is this stage?

Answer 7

This is the period after the convention when candidates and their running mates travel across the country to gain support. This also includes the TV debates in October and this period officially ends in November with Election Day.

Question 8

GENERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN

Where do candidates look to campaign?

Answer 8

BATTLEGROUND STATES - also known as swing states, but these are states that both parties can win.

Bellwether states are states that usually point towards the winner.

You DON’T campaign everywhere - Richard Nixon did this and he lost because John F Kennedy was in the Battleground states winning (1960)

Question 9

GENERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN

What are the bellwether states?

Answer 9

Michigan, Florida, Arizona, Ohio (though less), Georgia, and Texas (becoming more Democratic).

Question 10

GENERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN

How do you know if the campaign is working?

Answer 10

Polling - every day you commission polls, and no national polls, only state-wide polls.

Question 11

PARTY CONVENTION

When are they held?

Answer 11

Generally held in July/August in a major city. You often pick a swing state.

In 2016, Republicans picked Cleveland, Ohio. Republicans won Ohio.

Democrats picked Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Question 12

PARTY CONVENTION

What affects choice of location?

Answer 12

Whether you’ve been successful in that state before is important… if it’s a battleground state, you want to establish dominance there, so you’d select it.

Question 13

PARTY CONVENTION

What locations did Biden and Trump use in 2020?

Answer 13

None, because of Covid

Trump used the White House (controversially), and Biden did his online.

Question 14

PARTY CONVENTION

Trump’s main message in 2020

Answer 14

1. Patriotism, hence the many USA flags in the back of the podium.
2. ‘That China allowed to spread’ - blaming China for Covid.
3. ‘Biden is weak’ - he is being led by weak liberals.
4. ‘Americans build our future; we don’t tear down our past’ - referring to cancel culture briefly.
5. ‘Biden is a Trojan horse for socialism’ - whistle for the white working classes.

Question 15

PARTY CONVENTION

Biden’s main message in 2020

Answer 15

1. ‘The current president has cloaked the darkness for took long’
2. Used Charlottesville clips to address racial violence and white supremacy
3. ‘We the people, will come together’
4. Imagery of women and POC voters.
5. Still patriotic - ‘battle for the soul of the nation’ - flags and fireworks were present.
6. Uses a video of Trump moving BLM protest for a photo op outside Church.

Question 16

PARTY CONVENTION

a) Informal role: Selling the candidate

Answer 16

Multi-million dollar event with extensive TV coverage - this allows the candidate to have significant media coverage especially during their acceptance speech.

Obama’s 2007 speech had an audience of 39 million television viewers.

The nominee can talk directly to their voters in speech and set their campaign narrative - it allows rising starts to mark their future campaigns, as Obama did in 2004.

Question 17

PARTY CONVENTION

b) Informal role: Party unity

Answer 17

Invisible primaries and the following primaries are internally bruising - candidates from the same party are pitted against each other. The convention gives the party the opportunity to repair the damage done by having them compete against the opposing party -

2008, Hilary Clinton opened her convention speech with ‘I am honoured to be here tonight. A proud mother. A proud democrat. A proud American. And a proud supporter of Barack Obama’

Question 18

PARTY CONVENTION

a) Formal role: Selecting party candidates for presidency

Answer 18

Most party delegates are bound by rules as to whom they have to vote for, but this is still a process which takes place at conventions which formally acknowledges the party’s nominee for president and V.P. In the vote of delegates, a simple majority of votes cast is needed to approve a candidate.

Question 19

PARTY CONVENTION

b) Formal role: Adopting a party platform/policy

Answer 19

In theory, the convention allows for discussion on and amendments to the party platform (manifesto). Parties consider what their members want but the National Party Convention is a rubber stamp for the platform. The majority of platform policy is established by the Platform Committees of each party in the days before the convention - this is done now in collaboration with the presumptive nominee. The platforms are then rubber-stamped by a vote at the convention.