Talks about candidates' flaws rather than attributes

For negativity:

-freedom of speech

-more perspectives

-must raise doubts about those in power

-Dec. of Ind. is negative

-counteracts candidates self-promoting exaggerations

-Geer says they are more specific, more documented, more about the issues

-longer life span of ad due to media attention

against negativity:

-makes people uncomfortable

-"devalued the industry of politics"

1.    Early voting- democrats want more turnout

2.    Operation: Get out the Vote! (encourage, drive people to polls)

3.    Candidates who are behind go extra negative (nothing to lose)

4.    Find “surrogates,” politicians, celebrities to endorse you (Clinton)

5.    Go to T.V. get sound byte

6.    Maintain morale (even loser, if margin too big, ruin chances for next time)

7.    Candidate needs to be informed, prepared for Q’s, rested, healthy

8.    Candidate voting for self – early morning photo op (symbolic)

9.    Stand with signs (>100 ft from poll)

10.After polls close, retire somewhere with family

Mismatch between our political parties and our political institutions; parliamentary like political parties trying to operate in a separation of powers system

-money plays an overwhelming role

-routine flips due to polarization

-hard for any president to maintain approval ratings

-Republicans are a unified party

Pros:

-policing force

-creates more interest in politics

-makes change more likely

Cons:

-moderate viewpoint isn't represented

-makes change more likely

-Nancy Pelosi will hurt the democrats because the represents the far left (issue during the campaign)-->desire to be more moderate

1. Gender Gap = More men than women in elected positions in America
(Statistics = women only 9% of Republican caucus)
-Men think they’re qualified; women don’t
-Pipeline Theory: majority of political candidates come from being
lawyers, business executives, educators and political activists
-Men and Women raise equal money, win equally
2. Women just aren’t running
3. Because ambition affected by:
a. Gender roles (mother expectations delay political entrance)
b. Faith in abilities (Not “thick skinned” enough)
c. Political recruitment geared towards men (gatekeepers are men, cyclical)
4. Why Republican gap bigger than Democratic? Pro-choice interest groups encouraging women to run in Democratic Party and Women generally focus on education, family, women’s rights.
5. Take-Away Action: Stop perpetuating myth that women are less likely to win and can’t fundraise. Eliminate stereotypes about domestic woman w/o career.

-An Ego (all Senate members think they could be president)
-Thick Skin (people will be nasty)
-Ambition (lots of people won’t vote for you)
-Moral ambiguity (must balance noble and political intentions) Ex. Obama and tax breaks, Bush on Iraq war, LBJ becoming champion of civil rights after racist president|
-Ability to sense the public mood beyond polling
-Ability to detach emotionally (react to facts rationally. GWB after 9/11)
-Phrase things effectively, good rhetoric (helps to be “folksy”)
-To be comfortable with half-truths

-internet campaigning

Tea Party Campaign: Too early to tell for the tea party…they’re all old and white; not the people who voted for Obama in the first place. There’s no majority race in CA, so people comfortable, but Tea party “not racism, its just discomfort.” Demographic shift in next generation, our country will get more diverse and people will change. “The tea party is not the significant force that they think they are”…Bad economy is most of Tea Party hype.
Midterm Elections: Bad predictor because African Americans and young people don’t turnout for midterms in big numbers anyway. Obama was elected by people under 35 years old.
Republicans: Historically anti-gay, anti-immigration, but now we have day, lesbian, black, white etc. friends and family, “So I don’t have a lot of advice for these Republicans”
Sarah Palin: “A turnoff to women” because she appeals to older men, mid class values in 1950’s, well-spoken (not well-educated), attractive. But take her seriously. Speaks to those fearful of change, she has no international credibility. Take her very seriously.
Obama advice: Stay on same message every day. Bush reelected because “strong and wrong, not right and weak.” Obama should not negotiate with tax cuts for rich just to appease people.

He would take on a candidate who was not too risky/life-changing unless great personal affinity (ex. Gore). Merit matter, age doesn’t. Thinks Romney will lose because of his 2006 Massachusetts health care plan just like “Obama-care”, Palin has fundamental intelligence flaws, Huckabee has issues, TV influence waning, “I did a lot of negative ads, and I was pretty good at them,” Incredible importance of Fox News (65-70% of Republicans watch every single night) . Demise of 30-second T.V. ad effectiveness, if you have a unique theory for running media will publicize you. Negative ads: Public hates them, but they seen to work, so short-term gain gets you elected, but at end of the day you “devalued the industry of politics”

 "The rest of the country is not hyper partisan. They say, 'There's MoveOn on the left, the tea party on the right and nothing in the middle for me.' We're trying…to create a system that rewards and gives a shout-out for good behavior." -Mark McKinnon, Republican consultant for GWB and McCain
-Build a network of citizen activists and establish offices in all 435 congressional districts
-Police the new Congress, calling out lawmakers they think are too partisan
-Speak up for those who cross party lines to find solutions
-Will not advocate specific policy positions, but will aim to foster a more civil discourse in Washington
-“Defend moderate candidates…against attacks from the far right and the far left…There's this idea that somehow walking in lock step with a party is courageous…I think it's conformity. . . . That's the opposite of courageous. It's cowardly" -John Avlon, speechwriter for former NY mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani (R)
-“We're going to call ourselves the radical center, the people who care about results, not rhetoric,"
-Tom Davis, former moderate Republican congressman from Virginia.