How to Understand the US Presidential Elections
A Guide to Follow the American Political Process
Aug 15, 2008
American presidential elections are the most scrutinized voting processes in the free world, and they’re also among the most difficult procedures to understand. Foreigners, and unfamiliar American voters, find the U.S. process highly convoluted, dissimilar from other representative democracies and abhorrently unfair. Steeped in history, only minor changes have been effected over the centuries. Grasp these steps and a better understanding will arise.
6 Steps to the White House
- Recognition is the most expensive, time consuming and necessary part of a campaign. Successful candidates set up exploratory committees to determine whether the contender has name identification. Voter familiarity with a challenger will not guarantee election; but, without acknowledgment an aspirant’s campaign will quickly end.
- Primaries & Caucuses (P/C) are determined by individual states. There are 50 state P/Cs along with D.C. and 5 territories for each political party. They assign delegates to the party’s national convention based upon voting results. The small Midwest and Northeast states of Iowa and New Hampshire have the nation’s first caucus and primary. South Carolina and Nevada have the first P/Cs in the South and West respectively.
- Party Pledged Delegates (PD) are individuals representing the state's election results. The rules of a particular state determine their distribution. In most cases each (federal congressional or state congressional) district will have a preset number of delegates.The candidate that wins the most votes in a district is awarded the pledged delegates; either completely or proportionately. Under most circumstances, these delegates must vote for that candidate at the party’s national convention.
- Party Super delegates (SD) are unpledged delegates (UPD) who are able to vote their conscience. They consist of state party officials, ex-presidents and vice presidents, senators, representatives, governors, and national party leaders. Accounting for 20% of all delegates, their stature can influence voters.
- National Conventions set party agendas (platforms) for the next four years and while unexciting, the direction a political party will lead the nation is publicly explained. More importantly, the states and territories announce the total votes they have for the respective candidates. A winner is announced and that party’s nominee for President is chosen.
- The Electoral College is probably the most misunderstood part of the American presidential selection process. Historical in its roots, it was designed for the young United States' intelligentsia to override the supposed ignorance of the populace. Today it allows 538 individuals to potentially nullify the voters, however, it always elects the President – unless there’s an Electoral College tie.
There are four basic problems seen in the American electoral system.
Time and Money
The election process takes about 2 years and cost over a billion dollars. According to a 6/15/08 AFP article, Senator Barack “Obama's…fundraising [raised] more than $330 million.” On August 10th Open Secrets.org claimed the 2008 presidential election candidates have spent “$833.8 million to date.”
Big State Verses Small State
During the 2008 primary season, Florida and Michigan legislatures were infuriated. They argued the historical “First in the Nation” states had an unfair voting advantage. Of the 9 Democrat and 11 Republican candidates, originally running for President, only 5 remained after the 1st three state contests.
Super Delegates
Accountable to no one, they present the biggest problem to the Democratic Party. Their undue influence and voter nullification ability is being called into question.
Electoral College
This has been a hot issue ever since the 2000 presidential election between Al Gore and George Bush. Gore won the most votes for President but Bush became the President. According to the Federal Election Commission’s final election total, Gore had 50,999,897 votes (48.38%) to Bush’s 50,456,002 votes (47.87%). But, Bush had 271 to Gore’s 267 electoral votes and therefore, Bush won.
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