Presidents on the Presidency

Presidents on the Presidency• Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) – “[It] is a place of splendid misery”• John Quincy Adams – “The four most miserable years of my life

were my four years in the presidency.”• Rutherford B. Hayes – “Nobody ever left the presidency with less

regret.”• James A. Garfield – “What is there in this place that a man should

ever want to get into it!”• William McKinley – “I have had all the honor there is in this place

and have had responsibilities enough to kill a man.”• William H. Taft – “I’m glad to be going – this is the loneliest place

in the world.”• Warren G. Harding – “[The presidency] is a prison.”• Harry S. Truman – “There is no exaltation in the office of the

President of the United States – sorrow is the proper word.”• Dwight D. Eisenhower – “Oh, that lovely title, ex-president.”

HOW A PRESIDENT IS ELECTED

1. Plan to Run for Office is Announced• Get their name “out there” for potential voters to know

and remember• Usually 1 to 2 years before a presidential election

• John McCain 2008 election announcement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJZA8Vft-Eo

• This begins the endless commercials and baby-kissing

2. Candidate campaigns to win delegate support

• Competing with members from their own party

• Hope to gain popularity and financial support

• They also hope to win the support of party delegates who will vote for a specific candidate at the party’s national convention

3. Caucuses and Primary elections take place in the states

• Primary elections: D vs. D and R vs. R• OPEN primary – any qualified voter can take part in the

vote (23 states)• CLOSED primary – only declared party members can take

part in the vote (27 states and DC) • Pennsylvania has a closed primary

• Caucus – meetings where people decide and discuss which candidate/delegates to support

Along the way, the herd is thinned…• Candidates will drop out for personal reasons, because of

party influence, or because of major “woopsies” along the way

• Best ways to not become President:1. Forget your own platform2. Follow the Herman Cain School of Employee Relations3. Get dominated in a debate4. Scare your own supporters5. Get your nation’s history wrong

4. Nominee for President is announced at the National Party Convention

• Main purpose: unify party members behind nominee and platform• Minority Party goes first• 3 functions:

1. Organize (rewrite Platform: a political party’s formal statement of basic principles, stands on major issues, and goals)

2. “Pep Rally” and a keynote speaker3. Announce candidate…today it has become simply a

formality

How is a Vice President Chosen?• Factors to Consider1. Regional Balance

• Ex: JFK (from New England) chose Lyndon Johnson (a Texan)

2. Ideological Balance• Ex: Conservative R. Reagan chose moderate George H.W. Bush

3. Carrying a State• Ex: Eisenhower chose Nixon from California, whom he didn’t like

4. Buzz Factor• Ex: Against incumbent Reagan, W. Mondale chose the first woman running

mate: Geraldine Ferraro

5. Who would be the best President?• Not very often is this the case

• Should we take this decision more seriously?

5. Lots of Campaigning…then voting• Voting Day – Tuesday following the first Monday in November (on an even year)

• Democrat v. Republican (and a possible 3rd party)

• We are actually voting for ELECTORS not the presidential candidate• Each state picks D and R electors

• A winner-takes-all system - whichever candidate wins, ALL of their (the winning party’s) electors are sent to cast their votes for that candidate

• Electors cast their vote on the Monday after the 2nd Wednesday in December

6. President is Inaugurated

January 20th of the following year (always an odd year) the President officially takes office!