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Unit 7

Unit 7. The Selling of the President. Part I Pre-reading activities Part II Background Information Part III Text A Part IV Text B Part V Post-reading activities. The White House. Pre-reading questions. 1.What do you know about American presidential election?

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Unit 7

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  1. Unit 7 The Selling of the President

  2. Part I Pre-reading activities Part II Background Information Part III Text A Part IV Text B Part V Post-reading activities

  3. The White House

  4. Pre-reading questions • 1.What do you know about American presidential election? • 2.Can you name some Us. Presidents? • 3.Which President do you know much? Please state specifically? • What do you think of the election campaign? • What does the title suggest you?

  5. Background information • How the President of the United States is Elected • Start with the Constitution. The basic process of selecting the President of the United States is spelled out in the U.S. Constitution, and it has been modified by the 12th, 22nd, and 23rd amendments. Many additional steps have been added over the years, by custom and by state law -- the process has changed quite a bit over time. • Who Can Run? The President and Vice-President are elected every four years. They must be at least 35 years of age, they must be native-born citizens of the United States, and they must have been residents of the U.S. for at least 14 years. (Also, a person cannot be elected to a third term as President.)

  6. How Do the Political Parties Choose Their Candidates? That's up to the political parties. Most political parties hold conventions, which are large meetings attended by "delegates." Some delegates are selected by state "primary" elections, some are selected by state caucuses (very much like primaries, except with public voting instead of secret ballots), and some are chosen for their prominence in the party. A majority of delegate votes is needed to win the party's nomination. In most cases, the delegates let their chosen presidential candidate select a vice-presidential candidate. • The Electoral College. The national presidential election actually consists of a separate election in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia; in these 51 elections, the voters are really voting for "electors" pledged to one of the tickets. These electors make up the "Electoral College." (In most cases, the names of the electors aren't written on the ballot; instead the ballot lets voters choose among "Electors for" each of the tickets, naming the presidential and vice-presidential candidates each slate of electors is pledged to.)

  7. Each state has the same number of electors as it has senators and representatives (there are two senators from each state, but the number of representatives depends on the state population in the most recent census). The District of Columbia, although it isn't a state, also participates in presidential elections -- it currently has three electors. The Electoral College Votes for the President. The Electoral College then votes for President and for Vice-President, with each elector casting one vote; these votes are called electoral votes. Each elector is pledged to vote for particular candidates for President and Vice-President. In most elections, all the electors vote in accordance with the pledge they made; it is not clear what would happen in the unlikely event that a large number of electors violated their pledge and voted differently. Normally, one of the candidates for President receives a majority (more than half) of the electoral votes; that person is elected President. That candidate's vice-presidential running mate will then also receive a majority of electoral votes (for Vice-President), and that person is elected Vice-President.

  8. 美国总统竞选程序

  9. 美国实行总统制，总统选举每四年举行一次。 邦联条例以及邦联制政府分为预选、党的全国代表大会、总统候选人竞选、全国选民投票选出总统“选举人”和“选举人”成立选举人团正式选举总统５个阶段进行，整个程序需耗费近一年的时间。 预选通常在大选年的２月份开始进行，６月份结束。其间，各政党登记参加总统竞选的人将为获得党内总统候选人的提名而展开竞争。预选的另一项任务是各党推选出各州出席本党全国代表大会的代表。预选通常从美国东北部的小州新罕布什尔州开始进行。预选方式主要有两种：一种是由各党从基层选区开始，自下而上逐级选出出席县、州和全国代表大会的代表；另一种是由各党的选民在同一天到投票站秘密投票，分别选举各自支持的总统候选人，然后根据各候选人的得票比例确定该州参加各党全国代表大会的代表人数。由于第二种方式比较正规，在近几届总统大选中，绝大部分州采用这一方式。 各党的全国代表大会一般在７、８月份举行，其主要任务是确定该党的总统、副总统候选人，并通过党的竞选纲领。 全国代表大会之后，总统竞选便正式拉开帷幕。这一过程一般要持续８至９周。在此期间，各党的总统候选人要耗费巨资，穿梭于全国各地，通过广告大战、发表竞选演说、会见选民、召开记者招待会以及进行公开辩论等多种形式，阐述其对国内外事务的政策主张，以赢得选民对自己的信任，争取选票。 全国选民投票是在选举年１１月份的第一个星期一后的第一个星期二举行。全国选民投票日也叫总统大选日。由于美国总统选举实行选举人团制度，因此总统大选日实际上是选举代表选民的“选举人”。 真正的总统选举则是在１２月第二个星期三之后的第一个星期一举行。届时，各州被推选出的“选举人”将前往各州的首府进行投票，最终选举出总统。当选总统将于次年１月２０日宣誓就职。 另外，在总统大选日，选民还要在联邦范围内进行参议院和众议院选举。根据美国１７８７年宪法，两院议员由各州选民直接选举产生。参议院有议员１００名，任期６年，每两年改选三分之一。众议院议员４３５名，任期两年，期满后全部改选。

  10. Election Campaign Financing • Election campaigns for public office are expensive. Candidates need funding for support staff, advertising, traveling, and public appearances. Unless they are independently wealthy, most must finance their campaign with contributions from individuals and from businesses and other organizations. Today state and federal laws set limits on campaign contributions, create contribution disclosure requirements, and impose record-keeping requirements for candidates seeking elective office.

  11. Private Funding of Federal Election Campaigns • FECA illustrates the way election campaign finance laws work. FECA requires that candidates for federal office form a campaign committee and a campaign fund, and disclose campaign contributions to the Federal Election Commission. A candidate is subject to these requirements if the candidate or an authorized agent of the candidate has received campaign contributions totaling more than $5,000 or has made campaign expenditures totaling more than $5,000. Most campaigns for federal office cost more than $5,000, so most candidates are subject to the financial reporting requirements set by the act. • FECA places dollar limits on campaign contributions. No person may contribute more than $1,000 a year to a candidate's campaign committee. No person may contribute more than $20,000 in one calendar year to a candidate through the candidate's national political committee, and no more than $5,000 may be contributed to other political committees (§ 441a(2)(3)). The act also places special limits on contributions by national banks, corporations, labor organizations, and government contractors (§§ 441b, 441c).

  12. Public Funding of Presidential Campaigns • Some presidential candidates may receive federal tax dollars to fund their campaigns. Federal funding for presidential campaigns comes in three forms: general-election grants given to individual candidates, matching funds given to nominated candidates for primary campaigns, and funding provided to parties for their nominating conventions.

  13. Barack Obama

  14. The Iraq war should never have been started, and it's long past time to end it. • We were one signature away from ending this war, but President Bush defied the majority of Americans and vetoed the legislation. He has shown, again and again, since the invasion began, that he will not listen., that he will not listen.But the will of the American people must be followed. • If President Bush won't end the war, it's up to Congress -- the representatives of the people -- to end it instead. We need 16 Republican Senators to override a veto -- any 16 of the 49 Republicans can choose the people over their party and decide to end this war.

  15. President Mountain

  16. The Two Major Parties • Democratic Party / Republic Party • The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. • Currently, during the 110th Congress, it is the majority party in the United States House of Representatives and the Democratic caucus constitutes a majority in the United States Senate. Democrats also hold a majority of governorships and a plurality of state legislatures. Republic Party: One of the two primary political parties of the United States, organized in 1854 to oppose the extension of slavery.

  17. Independent Parties • Although the United States has a firmly established two-party system, independent parties play an important role in U.S. politics. Democrats and Republicans win the vast majority of federal, state, and local elections, but independent candidates often reflect popular attitudes and concerns. Most independent parties—also known as third parties—begin in response to a specific issue, candidate, or political philosophy. • The current two-party system of Democrats and Republicans evolved during the mid-nineteenth century. Before that, the Democrats squared off against the Whigs, led by Henry Clay and Daniel Webster. The Whig party was founded around 1834 to oppose the populist policies of Democratic president Andrew Jackson. Its members objected to Jackson's views on banking and the designation of federal funds, among other things.

  18. Watergate • Watergate was a little-known place that became significant in the American language thanks to politicians in Washington, D.C. During the 1972 presidential campaign, it happened that the Democratic National Committee had its headquarters in a Washington residential and office building that was known as "The Watergate" for its location at former site of docks on the Potomac River. On June 17,1972, several men were caught breaking in to the DNC office at The Watergate. What looked at first to be a minor burglary eventually was discovered to have direct links to President Richard Nixon's re-election campaign and to the president himself. During two years of investigative reporting, judicial proceedings, and Congressional hearings leading to Nixon's resignation, the growing scandal of "dirty tricks" involving the Committee to Re-elect the President kept the name Watergate, even though most of the tricks took place in the courts, in Congress, and in the White House itself.

  19. Text organization

  20. Detailed study of text 1 • Paragraph1 • This paragraph presents the author's thesis-- presidential election has been determined largely by heavy spot buying on electronic media in recent years. • Question : • Why does the campaign strategist say “I can elect any person to office if he has $60,000, an IQ of at least 120, and can keep his mouth shut”? • Because he believes that advertising and public relations play a decisive role in the presidential election. • Prior to the 1960s when TV surpassed newspapers as an information source for the first time, the medium that played the dominant role in the publicity campaign was print, which laid emphasis on " issues" rather than "images". The success in generating favorable publicity was up to the campaign strategist, thus making it necessary or even desirable for the candidate to " keep his mouth shut" before the medium.

  21. Key points • Words: campaign (2) publicity (2) supplant generate spot strategist specialist • Time clue: back in the 1960s—since the 1896—in recent years

  22. Language work (1) • 1. campaign v. / n. • 1) Joan is campaigning for equal rights for women.琼在从事争取妇女平等权力的活动。 • 2)That politician won the presidential election campaign and became the President.那位政治家赢得了总统选举，成为了总统。 • 3) She spent her life campaigning for women‘s rights. • 4) He fought in the N African campaign during the last war.在上次战争中他在北非战役参战. • 5) The resistance movement started a campaign of terror against the colonial rulers.抵抗运动开展了一场反对殖民统治者的恐怖活动。 • 6) The terrorists have intensified their bombing campaign.恐怖分子增加了炸弹爆炸活动. • 7)The new managing director will act as spearhead of the campaign.新上任的常务董事将在这场运动中挂帅。

  23. 2. generate: v. cause (something, especially an emotion or situation) to arise or come about • 1)The Employment Minister said the reforms would generate new jobs. • 2)John is recalling the excitement generated by the visit to the pyramids in Egypt. • 3. Publicity: n. • 1)The matter received wide publicity.这件事已是众所周知。 • 2)The newspaper gave much publicity to the concert.报纸对这次音乐会进行了充分报道。 • 3)The publicity for the book was poor and sales were low. • 该书宣传工作没有做好, 所以销量不大. • 4)Her new play has attracted a lot of publicity.她的新剧作获得广泛宣传. • 5)Despite all the publicity, her latest novel was a complete flop. • 她的最新小说尽管广为宣传, 结果还是彻底失败. • 6)Voters have been distanced from the party by adverse publicity.选民受到反面宣传的影响, 对这个政党冷淡了.

  24. 4.supplant: v. • 1)She has been supplanted by another in his affections.他爱上了另一个人，不再爱她了。 • 2)Oil has supplanted coffee as our main export. • 原油已经取代咖啡成为我们的主要出口货物。 • 3)The party leader has been supplanted by his rival.那位政党领导已被他的对手取而代之了。 • 5.Spot: n.a short program / commercial on TV or radio that is often for advertising • --a talk show spot / a news spot • The director was given a 15-minute spot after the news.

  25. Interpretation and translation • The election of a president has been determined largely by the ability of information specialists to generate favorable publicity. • pp: the election of a President has been decided mainly by the information specialists to arouse positive/ good public interest or notice. • Translation:总统选举在很大程度上取决于信息高手/专家制造良好的公众效应的能力。 • In recent years that publicity has been supplanted by heavy spot buying on electronic media. • Pp:…has been replaced by the large amount of TV or radio programs which are expensively bought. • 近些年来，这种公众效应已被重金购买的大量媒体宣传所取代。

  26. William McKinley (1897-1901) • 25th President • Born in Niles, Ohio, in 1843, McKinley briefly attended Allegheny College, and was teaching in a country school when the Civil War broke out. • His second term, which had begun auspiciously, came to a tragic end in September 1901. He was standing in a receiving line at the Buffalo Pan-American Exposition when a deranged anarchist shot him twice. He died eight days later.

  27. Paras.2-11 • This part is the main body of the article, where the author engages in the argumentation for thesis. • --discussion of the impact of television on the election of American presidents. • Questions to be considered: • 1) What is the most influential medium in an election campaign and why? Does it work in all elections? • The most influential medium is television because it has influenced the outcomes of the presidential elections in 1960, 1976, and 1980, but television commercials seem to work best in close elections or when there are a large number of undecided voters. • 2) How does the author start his argumentation? • He starts his argumentation with quotations of a campaign strategist and political analyst, and list of outcomes of presidential elections. • 3) What is the function of the two questions in Paragraph 4? • This kind of questions is called rhetorical question. With the two questions, the author can arouse the reader's attention to the issue he is discussing. In addition, these two questions can explicitly disclose the topic of this paragraph, i. e. television helps the voters to judge the candidates from their public images.

  28. 4) Why does the author mention the four presidents in Paragraph 5? • Because he wants to prove that personal image on television is a decisive factor leading to success in presidential elections. The four presidents all realized the importance of media and made full use of media to show their positive sides and priorities over their rivals. • 5) Why does the author say "since the I960 presidential debates we have elected people, not platforms"? • Because before 1960, the voters were more concerned with the declared policy of a political party. Franklin Roosevelt won the election with the help of his policy on the Great Depression. In the elections since 1960, the personal images of candidates have become more and more important in affecting the voters, especially in close elections or in those where there is a large undecided votes. • 6) What is the difference between print information and television information?

  29. Print information and television information have different foci. While the former emphasizes the content of economic and political issues, the latter focuses on the public image of the candidates. • 7) What is the main idea of Paragraph 8? • In this paragraph, the author tries to illustrate the effectiveness of TV promotion in presidential elections with the example of Ronald Reagan, who won the 1980 election by putting on smart TV image. • 8) What is the author's opinion on the power of television? • The author argues that TV provides viewers with vital information on the presidential election. The audiovisual record of the candidate helps the voters to decide who is their right choice.

  30. Language work (2) • 1. empirical: adj. derived from experiment and observation rather than theory • Inquiry into the nature of things based on logical reasoning rather than empirical methods. • 自然科学基于逻辑推理而不是凭经验得来的方法来探究事物的本质 • Employment of empirical methods, as in science • 2. medium –media • 3.clinch: settle conclusively

  31. Franklin D. Roosevelt 1933-1945 Thirty-Second President Assuming the Presidency at the depth of the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt helped the American people regain faith in themselves. He brought hope as he promised prompt, vigorous action, and asserted in his Inaugural Address, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

  32. Harry S TrumanThirty-Third President1945-1953 Dwight D. EisenhowerThirty-Fourth President1953-1961 John KennedyThirty-Fifth President1961-1963 Lyndon B. JohnsonThirty-Sixth President1963-1969 Richard M. Nixon Thirty-Seventh President1969-1974

  33. J.F.Kennedy (1961-1963) 35TH President of the US

  34. And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.-----Kennedy

  35. Born: May 29, 1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts Died: November 22, 1963. Killed by an assassin's bullet in Dallas, Texas Kennedy was the youngest man elected President; he was the youngest to die. John Kennedy was the first American president born in the 20th century and his entire political career had taken place in the context of the Cold War and the nuclear arms race with the Soviet Union. His inaugural address stressed the contest between the free world and the communist world and he pledged that the American people would "pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty."

  36. The car turned off Main Street at Dealey Plaza around 12:30 p.m. As it was passing the Texas School Book Depository, gunfire suddenly reverberated in the plaza. Bullets struck the President’s neck and head and he slumped over toward Mrs. Kennedy. The Governor was also hit in the chest.

  37. Richard Nixon

  38. Reconciliation was the first goal set by President Richard M. Nixon. The Nation was painfully divided, with turbulence in the cities and war overseas. During his Presidency, Nixon succeeded in ending American fighting in Viet Nam and improving relations with the U.S.S.R. and China. But the Watergate scandal brought fresh divisions to the country and ultimately led to his resignation. His election in 1968 had climaxed a career unusual on two counts: his early success and his comeback after being defeated for President in 1960 and for Governor of California in 1962. Born in California in 1913, Nixon had a brilliant record at Whittier College and Duke University Law School before beginning the practice of law. In 1940, he married Patricia Ryan; they had two daughters, Patricia (Tricia) and Julie. During World War II, Nixon served as a Navy lieutenant commander in the Pacific. Some of his most acclaimed achievements came in his quest for world stability. During visits in 1972 to Beijing and Moscow, he reduced tensions with China and the U.S.S.R. His summit meetings with Russian leader Leonid I. Brezhnev produced a treaty to limit strategic nuclear weapons. In January 1973, he announced an accord with North Viet Nam to end American involvement in Indochina. In 1974, his Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, negotiated disengagement agreements between Israel and its opponents, Egypt and Syria. In his 1972 bid for office, Nixon defeated Democratic candidate George McGovern by one of the widest margins on record.

  39. Within a few months, his administration was embattled over the so-called "Watergate" scandal, stemming from a break-in at the offices of the Democratic National Committee during the 1972 campaign. The break-in was traced to officials of the Committee to Re-elect the President. A number of administration officials resigned; some were later convicted of offenses connected with efforts to cover up the affair. Nixon denied any personal involvement, but the courts forced him to yield tape recordings which indicated that he had, in fact, tried to divert the investigation. As a result of unrelated scandals in Maryland, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew resigned in 1973. Nixon nominated, and Congress approved, House Minority Leader Gerald R. Ford as Vice President. Faced with what seemed almost certain impeachment, Nixon announced on August 8, 1974, that he would resign the next day to begin "that process of healing which is so desperately needed in America." In his last years, Nixon gained praise as an elder statesman. By the time of his death on April 22, 1994, he had written numerous books on his experiences in public life and on foreign policy.

  40. Gerald R. FordThirty-Eighth President1974-1977 President Ford won the Republican nomination for the Presidency in 1976, but lost the election to his Democratic opponent, former Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia. On Inauguration Day, President Carter began his speech: "For myself and for our Nation, I want to thank my predecessor for all he has done to heal our land." A grateful people concurred. When Gerald R. Ford took the oath of office on August 9, 1974, he declared, "I assume the Presidency under extraordinary circumstances.... This is an hour of history that troubles our minds and hurts our hearts."

  41. Jimmy CarterThirty-Ninth President1977-1981 Jimmy Carter aspired to make Government "competent and compassionate," responsive to the American people and their expectations. His achievements were notable, but in an era of rising energy costs, mounting inflation, and continuing tensions, it was impossible for his administration to meet these high expectations. Carter announced his candidacy for President in December 1974 and began a two-year campaign that gradually gained momentum. At the Democratic Convention, he was nominated on the first ballot. He chose Senator Walter F. Mondale of Minnesota as his running mate. Carter campaigned hard against President Gerald R. Ford, debating with him three times. Carter won by 297 electoral votes to 241 for Ford.

  42. Ronald ReaganFortieth President1981-1989 From his first marriage to actress Jane Wyman, he had two children, Maureen and Michael. Maureen passed away in 2001. In 1952 he married Nancy Davis, who was also an actress, and they had two children, Patricia Ann and Ronald Prescott. Born: February 6, 1911, in Tampico, Illinois Died: June 5, 2004 in Bel-Air, California

  43. As president of the Screen Actors Guild, Reagan became embroiled in disputes over the issue of Communism in the film industry; his political views shifted from liberal to conservative. He toured the country as a television host, becoming a spokesman for conservatism. In 1966 he was elected Governor of California by a margin of a million votes; he was re-elected in 1970. Ronald Reagan won the Republican Presidential nomination in 1980 and chose as his running mate former Texas Congressman and United Nations Ambassador George Bush. Voters troubled by inflation and by the year-long confinement of Americans in Iran swept the Republican ticket into office. Reagan won 489 electoral votes to 49 for President Jimmy Carter. On January 20, 1981, Reagan took office. Only 69 days later he was shot by a would-be assassin, but quickly recovered and returned to duty. His grace and wit during the dangerous incident caused his popularity to soar. Dealing skillfully with Congress, Reagan obtained legislation to stimulate economic growth, curb inflation, increase employment, and strengthen national defense. He embarked upon a course of cutting taxes and Government expenditures, refusing to deviate from it when the strengthening of defense forces led to a large deficit. A renewal of national self-confidence by 1984 helped Reagan and Bush win a second term with an unprecedented number of electoral votes. Their victory turned away Democratic challengers Walter F. Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro.

  44. George H. W. Bush Forty-First President1989-1993 In 1980 Bush campaigned for the Republican nomination for President. He lost, but was chosen as a running mate by Ronald Reagan. As Vice President, Bush had responsibility in several domestic areas, including Federal deregulation and anti-drug programs, and visited scores of foreign countries. In 1988 Bush won the Republican nomination for President and, with Senator Dan Quayle of Indiana as his running mate, he defeated Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis in the general election. George Bush brought to the White House a dedication to traditional American values and a determination to direct them toward making the United States "a kinder and gentler nation." In his Inaugural Address he pledged in "a moment rich with promise" to use American strength as "a force for good."

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