POLSCI 242 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Richard Mourdock, Michael Dukakis, Path Dependence
8 May 2018
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9.02.15 POLISCI Lecture Notes
Candidate-centered = focus on the individual candidate
Ex: Media on Obama in 2008
o Charisma
o Young and bold
Ex: McCain – previous background as military hero
o Described as a maverick
Ex: Mitt Romney in 2012
o Lacked emotion
o Mormon
Role of technology
Railroad
o Ex: President Truman’s whistle stop campaign tour (1948)
▪ Speeches at train stops
o Able to interact with people directly
Radio
o Ex: FDR’s fireside chat
Television
o Idea of bringing the candidates to your living room and seeing them directly
o Ex: Eisenhower for President, 1952
▪ One of his first commercials
▪ Not very great at TV presentation – very rigid and not very charismatic personality
o Ex: Kennedy-Nixon debate (1960)
▪ People who listened to the debate believed that Nixon won
• Refused to wear makeup for the television appearance
▪ People who watched believed that Kennedy won
o Ex: Daisy ad – President Johnson’s campaign
▪ Only ran one time
o Ex: 1988 Dukakis vs. Bush
o Ex: 1992 Bill Clinton – Modest beginnings, altruistic saint
▪ Contrasts Bush, who came from a wealthy, established family
o Ex: George W. Bush campaigns in T-shirt, casual, talks about eliminating mudslinging
▪ Contrast between Bush and Gore
• Bush is the guy who you can sit back and have a beer with
▪ Al Gore is in a suit and tie and talks about environmental issues, which may not
resonate as much with voters
Election of 1800 – Jefferson v. Adams
Nasty
Adams accused of taking importing French mistresses
Jefferson painted to be demonic
Campaigns in the Internet Age
Internet and social media
o Instantaneous transmission of information
o Mobilization, targeting specific groups of voters
o Politicians have to more attentive to what they say
Examples of perils of the Internet Age
o George Allen introduces a macaca
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Ex: mitt romney in 2012: charisma, young and bold, lacked emotion, mormon. Ex: mccain previous background as military hero: ex: president truman"s (cid:498)whistle stop(cid:499) campaign tour (1948, ex: fdr"s fireside chat, able to interact with people directly, speeches at train stops. Adams accused of taking importing french mistresses. Internet and social media: instantaneous transmission of information, mobilization, targeting specific groups of voters, politicians have to more attentive to what they say. Examples of perils of the internet age: george allen introduces a (cid:498)macaca(cid:499) election, u = pb c + i, increased competition. Strategic politicians theory candidates run when their chances of winning are the best. U = pb c: candidates picked by party caucuses, direct primary. Under the party ballot, parties give candidates an insurance to individuals who happen to lose the. Consequences tips partisan balance if there is a close majority. Set a precedent state regulates actions.
