Presidential Elections

1. Who are the candidates for President? What parties are they running under and what are their political initiatives? The candidates for president are for the democratic party Hillary Clinton who is very involved in dealing with the healthcare, John Edwards who deals with lower income for the Americans and the Iraq war , Mike Gravel is dealing with environment, immigration, economy and business, Dennis Kucin ich is dealing mostly majorly with the environment, Iraq war and Healthcare, Barack Obama top political initiatives are health care, social security, iraq, national security, energy, and immigration and Bill Richardson's political initiatives are health care, social security, Iraq, gun contrl and stem cell reseaerch. For the republican party there is Rudolph Gulliani whose political initiatives are health care, social security, Iraq, gay marriages, abortion immigration and affirmative action, Mike Huckabee's are Stem Cell research, top priorities, budget, social security, health care Iraq and Social Security, Duncan Hunter's are economy, immigration and the Iraq war ,John McCain whose political initiatives are health care, socail security, Iraq, Poverty, Aboratiion adn economy, Mitt Rommey whose political initiatives are Iraq, health care, social security, affirmative action, gun control adn top , and lastly Fred Thompson whose political initiatives are Social Security , national security, Iraq, Immigration and stem cell research .http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/









2. What is a Caucus? Why are they held?




A caucus is a closed meeting of a group of persons belonging to the same political party or faction usually to select candidates or to decide on policy; also : a group of people united to promote an agreed-upon cause. They are held because they find out who teh party reresentatives are going to be in the nation election.(http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/caucus)









3. When are the national conventions for each political party? Why are they held? What is determined there?







The natinoal conventions for each political party for the constitution april 22-27, Libertarian it may 23-26, for Green its july 10-13, for Democratic its august 25-28 and for Republican its september 1-4. (www.ballot-access.org/2008/01/01/national-convention-schedule-for-most-active-political-). National conventions are held so that in each group can choose its presidential canidates and they determine the presidentail canidate for each party.(http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:S80QGXa0nGUJ:usgovinfo.about.com/cs/politicalsystem/a/delegateprocess.



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4. What is the election process? How often do we elect or re-elect a president?




According to the United States Constitution, a presidential election is to be held once every fourth year. The process of electing a President and Vice-President begins long before Election Day. Candidates from both major and minor political parties and independent candidates begin to raise money and campaign at least one year in advance of the general presidential election. In order to officially represent a political party, a candidate must be nominated by that party.WE re elect or elect a president every four years. http://bensguide.gpo.gov/9-12/election/primary.html









5. Besides election techniques, how is the public exposed to candidates



The public is exposed to canidates by phone calls and door to door stops, tv advertisements, billboards, media, donating, showing up at events like concerts and speeches. (http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/news-article.aspx?storyid=99063)









6. Is the presidential election system broken? Has the selection of a president become like “American Idol” or “Survivor”? Does the primary system as it is currently constituted produce the “best” candidates? Is the “best” candidate necessarily the best president?

I don not think the presidential system is broken. The selcetion of a president has become like some tv shows where the person known the best and has the most advertisement usually becomes one of the top canidates. The system doesnt produce the best presdient because some people can not get enough of funding like other people because they are not as well known. The best canidate is not always the best president




7. Are we electing skilled and thoughtful leaders or the best-financed celebrity package? How much does it cost to run a campaign? How does this cost make you feel about our election system? Where do candidates obtain the money to fun for president? Do you feel candidates are pressured to push for issues desired by their contributors?

We are doing both, electing skilled and electing the best-fincaced celebrity package. We have people like Gulianni and Clinton who are known for scandals but both have also had alot of prior expierence. To run a campign it can cost as much as 22 million like Hilary Clinton has spent. I think the cost of the election is a little overboard because we could be doing other stuff with this money instead of spending it on so much public attentiion things. The canidates get the money for campign by individuals and PAC's.Yes I feel canidates are pressured to push for issues desired by the contributors because in order to kepp getting the funding they want they have to do what the contributors want otherwise they will not get the funding.http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/



8. If you could vote for president in this election, who do you feel you would vote for and why?
Gulianni is the best choice for president because of his previous experience as the mayor of New York City. He was able to handle everything dealing with the after math of 9/11and a lot of people like him because of that. With the expirence of dealing with a crisis like that many people of the area and people affect and happy with with how he handled the after math will vote for him.