Welcome to Adobe GoLive 5

Political parties hold their national conventions every four years. Delegates from every State are called together to do three things. They adopt the party platform, the statement of the party's basic beliefs and ideas. They pick the party's candidates for President and Vice President. They unite the party behind these candidates for the campaign.

National conventions usually run four days. Each party's convention schedule looks about the same:

1-The Opening Session-The delegates elect the convention's temporary officers and its committees. The highlight is the keynote address. This speech gets people excited about the convention and the coming campaign.

2-The Middle Sessions-The main business is committee reports. An organization committee nominates permanent convention officers. A credentials committee decides any disputes about wether certain delegates may vote at the convention. A platform committee writes the platform that guides the campaign.

3-The Final Session-On the final day is the major event of the convention. This is when the delegates pick the party's candidates for President and Vice President Before the vote is taken, the party leaders make speeches about the candidates. Then the secretary calls each State, and the State delegation tells how it votes. Usually a candidate wins after only one ballot. The delegates approve the nominee's choice for Vice President. Then the nominee gives an acceptance speech. This closes the convention.

If the current President wants another term, the choice is easy. Few challangers can gain more power than the President with his control of the party. When the President chooses not to run, many pwersons compete in the primaries. By the convention, only two or three candidates are left.

Nominees from both parties during the 1900's have had common traits. More than half were governors. Most came from large States. TV has changed this trend in recent years.

In neither party has a woman or minority come close to winning the president nomination. In 1984, however, the Democratic party did choose a woman as its vice presidential candidate.

The Path to the White House

President Highest previous

public office

John F. Kennedy U.S. Senator

Lyndon B. Johnson Vice President

Richard Nixon Vice President

Gerald Ford Vice President

Jimmy Carter Governor(Georgia)

Ronald Regan Governor(California)

George Bush Vice President

Bill Clinton Governor(Arkansas)