By Nick Ubels and Sean Evans (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: March 7, 2012
Have a hard time following conversations about the American primaries? Have no fear. Sean and Nick discuss and debate American politics for the everyman, so even your cat can follow along! Soon you, too, will be able to name-drop in drunken conversations with PoliSci students. Stay smart, stay informed. It might be States politics but it affects us Canadian kids too.
Nick: Let’s talk tactics. We find ourselves entering our third month of primaries and caucuses, and four candidates are still vying for the Republican nomination. It’s obvious these men care about realizing their respective goals, but how does one continue to campaign with the same fervor, attract new supporters, and keep voters’ attention so far into what is turning into a long and ugly race for the prize?
Perhaps in desperation (born of his last-place delegate count and floundering campaign donations) Newt Gingrich has employed every old trick in the book to try to get the people behind his bid for President. Aside from turning the tables on CNN moderator John King, who inquired about Gingrich’s history with his ex-wife, and promising moon bases to NASA-happy Floridians, Gingrich has recently shown that there is no tactic too low and no option too remote not to be worth exploring. It’s like the man doesn’t stop to consider how these stunts might affect his campaign in the long run. However, it does make an excellent case study what sort of political tactics to avoid.
Gingrich has been recently catching flack for robocalling voters with anti-Rick Santorum messages. Robocalling is telemarketing by another name; it specifically refers to the automatic playing of a pre-recorded message. It’s invasive, obnoxious, and fits surprisingly well with Gingrich’s unabashedly aggressive persona and campaign.
What’s more surprising is that he’s not the only one. Rick Santorum recently targeted Democrats and Independents in Michigan (an open state where members of both parties can vote) in an effort to blow open the delegate race in the state. Sean, do you think robocalling is an acceptable practice? How would you feel to receive an automated call from the office of a political candidate?
Sean: Nick, there is a difference between effective and acceptable. Is robocalling acceptable? Probably. There is nothing wrong with phoning someone – if they’re annoyed, they can simply hang up. That said, I don’t see robocalling as an effective tactic. People aren’t going to be won over because an angry, biased, uber-conservative robot phoned them and told them that Rick Santorum is bad for America. The effective campaign will find a way to engage the general population by getting them excited about the candidate’s vision for the future. I see robocalling as an immature, last-ditch effort to win over some support. All I can say is, good luck, Gingrich.
Nick: That’s a helpful distinction. In terms of what is acceptable and what is not, there are many far more pressing problems in U.S. politics than robocalling. While I, too, doubt its efficacy, I worry that these kinds of tactics may dissuade more people from getting involved, even voting at all. It makes the electoral process that much less personal—and much more frustrating—for many voters.
Sean: Nick, what are your thoughts on the importance of the Super Tuesday? Could you explain what Super Tuesday is, for those who may be wondering?
Nick: Super Tuesday is the single day in late February or early March where the largest number of states select their delegates. This year, 10 states will be holding Republican caucuses or primaries. In a single day, 410 delegates will be awarded. That’s enough to make or break a campaign; whoever wins Super Tuesday is often considered to have the nomination pretty much sealed up.
What do you think, Sean? Are people putting too much stock in a single day? Will the injection of more delegates make the winner of the nomination any clearer?
Sean: Well, traditionally, by Super Tuesday it is pretty clear who the nominee will be and usually that candidate wins all of the delegates on Super Tuesday. The day usually serves as a confirmation of the victor. Clearly, this year is different.
Nick: Of course, this year all bets are off. But I wouldn’t be surprised if a predictably poor showing from Gingrich would mark the end of his bid.
Sean: Exactly. There is no clear front runner, in the traditional sense. Mitt Romney is the man to beat, but he has in no way sealed up the nomination – the fight will be long and bitter. So, this year, Super Tuesday is more important than ever. It really does have the power to determine who the front runner is – and, as you noted, make or break the campaign of Newt Gingrich. More likely, however, is that the day will leave the nomination as up in the open as before. Buckle up, it’s going to be a long election year.
Stay tuned next week, when Sean and Nick tackle more American politics and issues that you don’t understand! (But don’t worry – you will. And so will your cat.)
