APLS 493s Presidential Elections

Written Assignment: Write a paragraph on why you would or would not give money to a presidential candidate. How do you think presidential campaigns should be financed?

Sarah Palin on Colbert Report -- http://www.kendallharmon.net/t19/index.php/t19/article/15805/

527 Committees – OpenSecrets website; http://www.opensecrets.org/527s/index.php

Bob’s List of 10 Things you need to know about campaign finance

Thursday, Sept 4. How the times affect elections

Assignment: Read Wayne, Ch.3. Political Environment

Written Assignment: Write a paragraph on how the current political environment should affect this election?

Partisan divide in 2008 – Pew Center Report

Zell Miller keynote speech at the 2004 RNC

Joe Liberman keynote speech at the 2008 RNC

McCain acceptance speech at Republican National Convention

Factors in how voters decide

Tuesday, Sept 9. Race for the Nomination

Assignment: Read Wayne, Ch.4. The Race for Delegates

Ch 4. Key Questions

Thursday, Sept 11. continued

Democratic Primary/Caucus Results

Mark Penn Memo on how to beat Obama

Republican Primary/Caucus Results

Tuesday, Sept 16. The Nomination Race

Assignment: Read Wayne, Ch.5. Campaigning for Nominations

Ch 5. Key Questions

SNL video clip

Thursday, Sept 18. Preconvention General Election Campaign and Conventions

Assignment: Read Wayne, Ch.6. Spring Interregnum: Consolidating Victory

Written Assignment: A section of this chapter discusses the negative and often misleading ads used by both the Kerry and Bush campaigns before the 2004 conventions. Thinking about those ads and the ads used up to and right after the conventions this year as well as what the text tells us about these kinds of ads, write a paragraph discussing the following question: do negative ads work? Explain why or why not.

Tuesday, Sept 23. Review for Test 1.

***Research Paper Topics DUE***

Debate Format Link

Debate teams:

Obama Side

Lyle Todd (captain)

Patrick Long (asst. captain)

Logan Sharpe

Lauren Spence

Holly Hutchins

Joey Bramlett

Heather Johnson

James Makin

Latoshia Broadwater

Thanaria Johnson

Christina Wizorek

Dylan Barton

Heath Wheat

McCain Side

Christopher Skeen (captain)

Christie Hightower (asst. captain)

Kevin Loman

Laura Storey

Matt Giftos

Matthew Cabbil

Chris Woods

Sylvia Boston

Jameka Jackson

Priscilla Felder

Courtney Turner

Michael Paul Battzegar

Thursday, Sept 25. Midterm Exam

Friday, Sept 26. First Presidential Debate—9 pm—foreign policy

Tuesday, Sept 30. Discussion of debate

Written Assignment: Compare your own analysis of the debate (strong and weak points for each candidate--which you should do immediately after the debate) with what the media seems to conclude in the 24-48 hours after the debate. Do the media reach a consensus? How do the media “frame” the analysis (perhaps several ways)? Written paper to be turned in.

1960 Kennedy-Nixon debate

Thursday, Oct 2. The General Campaign

Assignment: Read Wayne, Ch.7. Organization, Strategy and Tactics -- outline

Written Assignment: Who has the better strategy and more effective tactics in this campaign?

Vice Presidential Debate—9pm--preview

Tuesday, Oct 7. Vice Presidential Selection and Discussion of the Debate

SNL Skit of Biden/Palin Debate

Second Presidential Debate—9 pm—“town hall” format

EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY (for up to 10 points on the final exam): My APLS 301 class is doing an exit poll at 10 different precincts across Aiken County on election day. I can use up to two people to assist my students in performing that at each location. Helping will make you familiar with the mechanics of how exit polls work, including the labor involved. This will take from 3-5 hours on election day and some simple training. You will have to provide your own transportation. We will be working in two time slots, one beginning at 7 am and the other at 11 am. If interested, please seek me as soon as possible.

Thursday, Oct 9. FALL BREAK – midpoint in semester

Tuesday, Oct 14. The Media

Assignment: Read Wayne, Ch.8. Media Politics – outline of key points

Wednesday, Oct 15. Third Presidential Debate—9 pm—domestic policy

Thursday, Oct 16. Discussion of debate

Written Assignment: Compare your own analysis of the debate (strong and weak points for each candidate), which you should do immediately after the debate, with what the media seems to conclude in the 24 hours after the debate. Do the media reach a consensus? How do the media “frame” the analysis (perhaps several ways)?

Tuesday, Oct 21. Final Preparation for In-class debate

Thursday, Oct 23. In-class Presidential Debate—Debate Format Link

Get Your Facts Straight Before You Vote!

Obama or McCain? Learn where each candidate stands on the issues as one of the most important elections in recent history approaches. Dr. Botsch’s Presidential Elections class will be hosting the 2008 Presidential Debate in the Student Activities Center Mezzanine on Thursday, October 23^rd from 10:50-12:05.

Free admission!

Co-sponsored by the Student Government Association.

Debate Results

Tuesday, Oct 28. Polls and Predictions

Assignment: Read Wayne, Ch.9. Understanding Presidential Elections – lecture outline

Remember to turn in a typed statement detailing what you did to aid your team in their presentation (this statement can include notes and research done in preparation). This counts for 10 percent of your course grade. Your grade will be determined by: 1) the substance of your presentation, 2) the authority with which you make your presentation, and 3) the work you put into helping your team, as revealed by your written statement and our observation. Even if you missed, you can at least get partial credit for this statement and details.

Thursday, Oct 30. Forecasts for 2008?

Written Assignment: Write you own prediction and explain the basis of that prediction.

Tuesday, Nov 4. ELECTION DAY—NO CLASS

Thursday, Nov 6. Discussion of outcome.

Written Assignment: Write one paragraph explaining why Barack Obama won the election. I want some analysis here, not just that he got more electoral votes!!!

Tuesday, Nov 11. Analyzing Exit Polls

NBC National Exit Polls

CNN Exit Polls

Aiken Standard Story on our class – and some reader comments! – click here

Thursday, Nov 13. The transition to governing and claiming mandates

Lecture Outline “So Far So Good” – David Broder (The State, 11-13-2008)

Tuesday, Nov 18. Electoral Reform?

Assignment: Read Wayne, Ch.10. Reforming the Electoral Process—lecture outline

Written Assignment: Write a paragraph on how you would change the way we elect presidents or why we should keep the current system the way it is.

Article on the shrinking red states—has the South rendered itself irrelevant? A New York Times article—click here—what happens to a region where politics are still race based in a nation that is moving beyond race?

Thursday, Nov 20. Electoral Reform--continued

Tuesday, Nov 25. No class!!! Work on papers!!!

Where do the Republicans go from here? If any of you are doing papers on the future for the losing party, you might consider this editorial by Kathleen Parker, a conservative columnist, that ran in the 20 Nov. 2008 issue of The State, p.A13.

Thursday, Nov 27 THANKSGIVING!

Tuesday, Dec 2. Paper presentations (Tell the class three things: what you were looking for, what you found, and why should we care—five minutes each.)

Lyle Todd

Patrick Long