Election Central 2008: A Guide for Students and Teachers

Official Campaign Websites

Democratic Candidates
For President

Hillary Clinton
Barack Obama
John Edwards
Bill Richardson
Joe Biden
Chris Dodd
Mike Gravel
Dennis Kucinich

Republican Candidates
For President

Rudy Giuliani
Sam Brownback
(Out of the race)
Mike Huckabee
Duncan Hunter
John McCain
Mitt Romney
Tommy Thompson
(Out of the race)
Ron Paul
Tom Tancredo
Fred Thompson
(Requires account)

Independent/
Unaffiliated
Candidates

Christopher Walken
Stephen
Colbert
(No appropriate website has yet to emerge)

Election Discussion or Essay Questions

1. The US election season is almost two years long. Is this a positive or negative aspect of American democracy?

The benefits of having a long, drawn out election season are endless. Citizens have time to improve upon their opinions of the candidates. Candidates themselves need the time to prepare speeches, campaigns, and their own political views. We could always have elections that last one month and be over with it, but then our government wouldn't have a swift, orderly change. Although shorter election seasons mean less tax money, how good of a president could we expect? Our country needs to keep its standards at a high minimum in order to ensure stability within our government.

A two year long election season allows everyone time to prepare. Statistically, people make more mistakes when they are hurried. We can't have mistakes when we are deciding the future direction of our country. Two years allows time for long tedious processes to finish, without causing needless and simple mistakes.

Nathan N.

The US election season being two years long is a positive aspect of American democracy. Two years is the perfect amount of time for voters to decided who they want to vote for. It also allows candidates enough time to get there message out to the people. This also helps both candidates and voters so that candidates can go all around the US and not just select cities and voters because more people will have the chance to see the candidates and there opinions. Since more voters get to here the candidates opinions they can vote more accurately to what they think the country needs.\

~Jeremy D.

The US election season is almost two years long. Is this a positive or negative aspect of American democracy?

I feel that this is a positive aspect of American Democracy. To only give a short amount of time, say two months, is not enough time for citizens to know and understand each candidate. I know for me personally, I couldn't even start to know enough about each candidate and their individual views on each issue facing the United States today in only two months. Some may say that it is negative only because it drags out for so long, but I feel that the longer you have to get to know the candidates, the more you can base your vote on being educated, rather than picking that person because you like their tie. Democracy as a whole, shouldn't be rushed. You would want the American people to know who they are electing as their next President, am i wrong? So i feel that the length of the election season is a good amount. It allows the American people to have time to get to know each candidate, and it doesn't drag on for four years.

Stephanie O.

Though the election season lasts almost two years, it is a positive aspect of the election season. Society has the ability, over the course of two years, to shape their opinion about the presidential candidates and what they stand for. The endless commercials played continuously for the two years are fairly beneficial for the voters because they address the issues the candidates are concerned about and willing to take care of if elected president. Thus, the two year election season is important for the American society.

Lani H.

This is a negative aspect of the American democracy. A lot of the election season is composed of waiting. Americans can begin to oppose certain decisions if they are forced to wait too long, as childish as that may seem. If we were able to speed things up then more things could be accomplished more efficiently. Also, sometimes Americans do not feel that their vote counts. If the system moved faster then people would be able to act and then see the results of their action.

Lindsay T.

In my opinion I would find this fact to be more in favor of a benefit than a inconvenience. This is due to my belief that the two years given to the people offers a more accurate understanding of who the candidate is, what there standing for, and some possible flaws in an opinionative stance that are inspired through many rallies, and political gatherings caucuses etc.

Many who have in the past voted for president Bush now have the mind setting that they will never vote for a candidate that favors similar beliefs, attitudes, and ambitions of how they will run this country, yet it would be a smack in the face if the election season was to be in some way altered to decrease the length of the season- for many then could not say that they truly know their potential leaders.

I would like to bring in a key point to my comment which is in fact none other then the Iowa Caucuses. The event recently has shown the habits, attitudes, elaborated ideals of politics, and most of all an understanding of where the candidates personal feelings and beliefs are leading them and how much they effect their judgment when in the spot light of the people. This caucus to me gives an understanding of how each individual can and will perform while under the title of president, which earns its title as necessary.

Erin B.

It is an extremely positive aspect of American democracy. It gives everyone a very long time to read about the candidates, gather information, and form a valuable opinion on who they are going to vote for. Likewise it gives the people running a very long time to show the American public what they are all about. The more the American people are informed, the better they can make a decision on who to vote for. It is always better to have more information, then less, no exceptions. If someone gives you a day to make decision, or ten days, what would you like? Sure you could form an opinion in a day, but if nothing is going to happen in the next nine days anyways, so might as well make that opinion stronger or change it.

There is no positive to have a shorter election season, the longer it is the better. There is no positive that can come from shortening it, because it would just shorten the time people had to make an informed decision. If candidates were only given, say a month, to campaign, there would be no way they could inform the public of all their opinions on all the important issues. With this longer time, they can tackle more the issues, which gives the public a more informed opinion. Even if it was four years, right after the election a new campaigning season started. What is the downside to this? I don’t see it.

The election season being two years long has both positive and negative aspects to it. In a positive light, two years is definitely long enough to get to know a candidate well. These two years give the voters plenty of time to really get a better feel for the different candidates and where they stand on certain issues. This time is certainly useful for possible voters who do not only vote for certain political parties all of the time (the type of people who want to see a good president running our country, not just some liberal or conservative running it).

On the other hand, two years of campaigning takes a lot of money that most Americans do not have. This negative aspect certainly makes it so the best candidates out there will not even have a chance at running. The guy down the street could be the best president the world has ever seen, but working 50 hour work weeks as a forklift operator does not allow enough time or enough money for any sort of presidential run.

Ultimately, the two years is positive because by the time election day comes around, voters will really have great background information on all of the candidates which will allow them to make the best possible decision in their minds.

Email your answers. They will be posted pending editorial review. Only well-stated, appropriate responses will be considered.

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