With Jon Edwards out of the race, it’s now inevitable: the Democratic Party nominee will be the first major party candidate for president who is not both white and male. This historic event means that anyone can become president – even you.
Below is a handy-dandy breakdown of how to run for president. Even if you’re not planning on running, check it out and get informed. Apparently, this stuff is supposed to be pretty important.
A few prerequisites: You have to be at least 35 years old, born as a citizen of the United States and have resided in the United States for at least 14 years (to run for president, not to read this).
“I’m thinking about considering the possibility of perhaps running.”Some candidates who hold high-profile public offices like those in the Senate or the executive branch know well ahead of time whether or not they can garner enough support to run a serious campaign. Others, however, need to test the waters first – which, in American politics, can be expensive. Thus, most potential candidates form “exploratory committees” before officially announcing their candidacy. These committees enjoy special exemptions from campaign finance rules governing donor disclosure.
“Okay, I’m in it to win it. What now?”Presidential elections are held every fourth year in the U.S. Before general elections are held, however, each party must choose its nominee. Democrats and Republicans choose their nominees at national conventions, in which party delegates from each state vote for a specific candidate. The delegate vote is determined by a series of state primaries and caucuses held prior to the convention. In some states, delegates are legally bound to vote at the convention in accordance with the outcome of their state’s primary or caucus. In others, this is not the case – but a “defection” is rare.
What’s a primary?A primary is a straightforward election by ballot in which any eligible voter may participate. Some primaries are open (meaning unaffiliated persons can vote) and some are closed (meaning only a registered Democrat can vote between the Democrats, or only a registered Republican can vote between the Republicans). Parties often hold open primaries to attract more independents to their candidates.*
*California’s delegates are selected through an open primary for the Democrats and a closed primary for the Republicans.
What’s a caucus?A caucus is a slightly more complex series of town meetings in which participants jointly select a candidate.
“Survival of the fittest – or some variation thereof.”There are 4,049 delegates to the Democratic Convention and 2,380 delegates to the Republican Convention. In order to win the Democratic nomination, a candidate needs 2,025 delegate votes. In order to win the Republican nomination, a candidate needs 1,190 delegate votes. There are a number of strategies used by the candidates to lock up these delegate votes, and victory depends upon a combination of organizational ability, charisma, political appeal and, in a big way, money. In 2004, candidates collectively spent over $1 billion on the presidential race. Despite the fact that Iowa and New Hampshire send only a few delegates to the party conventions (due to their small populations), the Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire Primary are considered politically important because they are the first two contests in the election and often set the tone for states that vote later on. In the past 14 presidential contests, New Hampshire voters have picked candidates that later won the general election 12 times. The most important date during the primary season is Feb. 5, or “Super Tuesday.” On this day, 24 states hold primaries or caucuses, awarding 52 percent of the Democratic Party’s delegates and 41 percent of the Republican Party’s delegates. The California Primary is held on Super Tuesday.
“I want you to want me.”After party nominees have been selected, the general election season begins. In an attempt to capture middle-of-the-road voters, candidates generally soften the harder line positions they took in order to secure their parties’ nominations. The winner of the general election (held on Nov. 4 this year) becomes the next president of the United States. This president-elect is then inaugurated on Jan. 20 of the following year. In a manner similar to the primary election, the winner is chosen not directly by the voters but by “electors” from each state in the U.S. Electoral College. The total number of electors from each state is based on population, with one delegate for each member of congress from that state. California, the nation’s most populous state, has the most electors in the college: 55. States award delegates on a winner-take-all basis – therefore it is possible for a candidate to win the popular vote yet still lose the election. Although many have criticized this system, the framers of the constitution developed it so that candidates didn’t spend all of their campaign time in the nation’s most populous states and tailor their politics exclusively to the views of citizens in those states.
