Presidential nomination process
Incumbency advantage – not fit for purpose
Obama – John Wolfe – 117,000 votes, 1.7% popular vote
Trump – Bill Weld – 2.35% popular vote, 1 delegate
Money – Joe Manchin got $300,000 from companies after voting against Build Back Better
Pork barrelling – Big Dig, Boston - $14 billion for 3.5 miles
Third parties can change campaigns of incumbents – for purpose
HW Bush 1992, Pat Buchanan
o Pushed Bush more right wing
o Uncovered faults in tax rises and defence spending cuts
o ‘Read my lips – no new tax rises’
o Buchanan – 3 million votes – 24% popular vote
Caucuses – not fit for purpose
Attracts extreme fringes – inaccurate representation
o 2020, Democrats held 4 caucuses, Bernie Sanders won 2 outright and came second
in other 2
o Of his largest win, Sanders got 53% vote in North Dakota, closest to him was Biden
on 39%
Primaries have extreme results as well – fit for purpose
2020, California primary, Sanders won with 36% vote
2020, Wyoming caucus, Biden won 72% vote
Length of time – not fit for purpose
2015, Ted Cruz announced he was running 11 months before first primary, Obama still had
just under 2 years left in office
Biden announced he was funning April 2019, first primary August 2020
Debates + test – fit for purpose
Length of campaign is a good test for physical/mental ability to do the job e.g. Biden
Democratic National Party scheduled 12 debates from June 2019 to March 2020
Incumbency advantage – not fit for purpose
Obama – John Wolfe – 117,000 votes, 1.7% popular vote
Trump – Bill Weld – 2.35% popular vote, 1 delegate
Money – Joe Manchin got $300,000 from companies after voting against Build Back Better
Pork barrelling – Big Dig, Boston - $14 billion for 3.5 miles
Third parties can change campaigns of incumbents – for purpose
HW Bush 1992, Pat Buchanan
o Pushed Bush more right wing
o Uncovered faults in tax rises and defence spending cuts
o ‘Read my lips – no new tax rises’
o Buchanan – 3 million votes – 24% popular vote
Caucuses – not fit for purpose
Attracts extreme fringes – inaccurate representation
o 2020, Democrats held 4 caucuses, Bernie Sanders won 2 outright and came second
in other 2
o Of his largest win, Sanders got 53% vote in North Dakota, closest to him was Biden
on 39%
Primaries have extreme results as well – fit for purpose
2020, California primary, Sanders won with 36% vote
2020, Wyoming caucus, Biden won 72% vote
Length of time – not fit for purpose
2015, Ted Cruz announced he was running 11 months before first primary, Obama still had
just under 2 years left in office
Biden announced he was funning April 2019, first primary August 2020
Debates + test – fit for purpose
Length of campaign is a good test for physical/mental ability to do the job e.g. Biden
Democratic National Party scheduled 12 debates from June 2019 to March 2020
