Political Parties

9-25-2006

Parties

• What’s Good- Simplicity- Focused Objectives- Strength in numbers

• What’s Bad- Lack of options- Does your vote matter?- Minority opinions are silenced

Who wants to be a candidate?

• Primary – Election before the election. In Indiana, primaries happen in May.

• Convention – Delegates decide at a Convention.

Hoosier Candidate!

• Primary – Federal Offices (Senator, House Representative, President)

• Convention – Statewide candidates (except Governor) Treasurer, Auditor, and Secretary of State.

• Slating – Party endorses candidates that are in a primary.

Structure of Parties

State Chair

National Chair

County Chair

Township Chair

Precinct Committeemen

Ward Chair

Party Leadership

Republican National Chair Ken Mehlman

Democrat National Chair Howard Dean

Indiana Party Leadership

Republican State Chairman Murray Clark

Democrat Chair Dan Parker

County Leadership

• Democrats – No idea… sorry ☹

Marion County Republican Chair Mike Murphy

It keeps going…

• Franklin Township Chair – Tim Ping

Pictured w/ wife Jennifer Ping Marion

County Auditor Candidate

More…..

• Ward Chair – Teresa Young

• Precinct Commiteeman – John ‘high on the totem pole’ Schaefer

We be Clubbin’!

• Downtown GOP Club• Marion County Young Republicans• Federation of Republican Women• New Generation of Republican Women• College Republicans• 1st Republicans • Benjamin Harrison Republicans

Where are parties the strongest?

2004 Presidential Historical ‘Swing’ Voters

Rock the Vote!

• Party Based Voters – Support the Party, and the Party alone.

• Issue Based Supporters – Vote on a single issue(s) regardless of Party.

• Candidate Based Voting – Pick on the person, and not the Party.

Head of the State – Change is good (every once in awhile)

• 20 years of Republicans ended w/ Evan Bayh

• 16 years of Democrats ended w/ Mitch Daniels

Strengths

• Republicanso Far Christian Right

• Democratso Unions

Party Negative Stereotypes

• Republicans – RICH GET RICHER… POOR GET POORER! MWA HAHA!

• Democrats – God hating baby killers

3rd parties

• Is it wasting your vote?• Is it fair?• There are tons!!

• Psst… don’t tell anyone that I’m really a Libertarian

Politics Today

• Republicans losing popularityo In power for too longo Iraqi Waro Counterterrorism methods

• Democrats have an opportunityo Capitalize on weaknesseso Develop alternatives and a ‘blue print’