The Campaign

Campaigning for the general election traditionally begins on Labor Day in early September. From that time until Election Day, in early November, voters are bombarded from all sides - by radio, television, newspapers, mail, and personal communications­ with political material. Long-standing friendships and even marriages can become bat­tlegrounds as Americans argue about issues and candidates. Ordinarily soft-spoken people become outspoken supporters of their candidate. Neighborhood political work­ers from each party knock on doors and give voters information about the candidates they support.

Each candidate tries to convince a majority of the American voters that he is best qualified to lead the country for the next 4 years. Since the candidate has only 2 months in which to do this, he must campaign very hard, day and night. All of the resources of modern communication are used to acquaint the voters with the candidates' views and personalities. Television has become a powerful influence. The candidate who lacks per­sonal appeal on TV is at a great disadvantage. In 1960, a series of televised debates be­tween Richard Nixon and John Kennedy probably influenced enough voters to change the election results. It has been said that if Abraham Lincoln were alive today, he prob­ably wouldn't be elected president because he wasn't handsome.

Although modern communications have better acquainted voters with candidates and issues, the resulting costs of election campaigns have created a serious problem. The various candidates who participated in the 1996 presidential campaign spent a combined total of more than $400 million. About $ 152 million of this total was con­tributed by the federal government. To receive government campaign money, candi­dates must raise an equal amount from private donations. Accepting private donations means that the person elected has many "friends" who may expect political favors in re­turn for their financial help. Also, sometimes very well-qualified people cannot raise enough money to campaign for the presidency.

Campaigning is extremely expensive, and a candidate must receive a majority of the electoral votes to be elected; therefore, only the candidates of the two major parties can expect to win. Still, third parties play an important role in American politics by focusing attention on particular issues and by influencing the policies of the major parties.

Critics often ask, "Does it matter who wins? Are there any real differences between the two political parties?" No candidate can hope to win by appealing to only one or two groups of voters, such as farmers or businesspeople. Because of the need for broad ap­peal, the philosophies of both parties usually take a middle course so as not to offend any large groups of voters. The government does change somewhat depending on which party is in power, but it doesn't change as much as political campaign speeches might lead one to believe.

During an election campaign, one hears a lot of political labels, such as reactionary, conservative, moderate (middle-of-the-road), liberal, and radical. Most Democrats are moderates or liberals. Most Republicans are moderates or conservatives. People sometimes refer to liberals as being to the left and conservatives as being to the right. In terms of specific programs, Democrats (or liberals) tend to favor more spending for social pro­grams to help poorer people and less spending for military programs. Republicans' (or conservatives') goals tend to be the opposite. Traditionally, Democrats have also fa­vored a stronger federal government while Republicans have emphasized states' rights. The Democratic party is generally considered more supportive of the poor and the middle-class worker. Republican policies generally support big business and the rich.

Each party has a familiar symbol. For the Democrats, it is a donkey, known for its stubbornness. The Republican symbol is an elephant, an animal that is supposed to have a long memory. These symbols were created by Thomas Nast, a famous nineteenth-century political cartoonist. The Republican party is also called the Gap (Grand Old Party).

To preserve free democratic elections, candidates in all elections are allowed to express their opinions publicly. They may even severely criticize other candidates and their viewpoints, without fear of punishment. This is true even when an opponent is an incumbent president (one who is currently holding office).

Check your comprehension.

What are the two major political parties in the U.S.?

What are some differences between them?