Presidential elections in the US

THEME N°1 – US elections and politics :

PLAN :

1. Presidential elections

1. About the process of presidential elections
2. Some data
3. The outcome

1. Focus on political strategies : Biden/ Harris // Trump

1. Analysis Trump/ Kamala Harris debate.
2. The battle ground states.
3. Story-telling – how to win an election.

1. What is at stake with polarization.

1. Political stands on either side.
2. The threat on democracy.

VOCABULAIRE

1. Presidential Elections :

1. About the process of presidential elections :

• The nomination of the partie’s candidate. “primaries and caucuses”
• The nomination of each party’s candidate “the national convention”
• The general election

• The popular vote : each citizen vote for one of the candidate ; “winner take-all system”
• The electoral college : 438 electors who vote for the candidate designated by the population.

Ex : Georgia => … for Trump / … for Harris

        = > Trump is designated as the winner of the whole country < “takes” all its electors.

        = > The, the … electors of Georgia should vote for Trump, because he is the one who won the country.

ATT (to see more → “the US Presidential election – Process_KH – C. Carbuccia – Lycée Dumont D’Urville)

ATT ATT ATT : What is weird about this system :

• ATT : This process of election is based on the Constitution of 1781 ; because the founding fathers feared tyranny and mobocracy.

• ATT : This system sometime is considered unequal for some state has almost no power over the outcome (3 electors in Wysconsin // 55 in California). Feeling of uselessness/ pointlessness in going voting

• Each state organize its own elections ; the rules can vary from one state to another. (it last quite a long time)

• To vote, electors have to stamp their ballot (poinçonner) = sometimes unclear results, in between 2 candidates.

• A high rate of abstention : could sometimes queue for hours = discouraging.  

= > The winner take-all system is implemented in 48 states (50 states on the whole) ; not in Nevada neither in Nebraska.

= > 270 electors are needed to win.

= > Only 0.008% of the population might determine the election, see more :

https://youtu.be/IscC7bedAmM?si=66bxeoM5q62BhEK0

1. Some dates :

• June 27th : Debate between Trump and Biden. Biden appeared quite old, a doddering man, babbling, sometimes losing his mind. 

• July 21st : Joe Biden announced that he was dropping out of the race / stepping down as the democratic candidate.

• Kamala Harris, as Joe Biden’s vice-president, was designated the new candidate for the race.
• It triggered a wave of optimism around Kamala Harris, many donors contributed in financing her campaign.

• July 27th : assassination attempt on Trump. (a bull in his ear)

• In the course of November : the final results of the elections : Trump won.
• 10th of January 2025 : Trump takes its full functions in the White House. His term really begins this day.

1. The outcome :

= > Trump won 321 electors.

• Won all the battle ground states. (Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Pensylvania, North Carolina and Georgia.)
• Almost the whole sunbelt.
• Middle

= > Kamala Harris won 226 electors.

• Western Coast (California, Oregon, wayoming)
• Top Eastern coast.

ATT : Some expected more tied results – here, Trump’s victory was completely smashing with no possible contestation.

To see more :

https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2024/us/results

1. Focus on political strategy : Biden/ K. Harris v.s Trump.

Trump strategy :

= > Lacivita and Wiles were in charge of his campaign.

• Based on Biden’s weakness and old age, unfit for power // Trump’s strength, fit for power - > a male alpha.
• “A lovable but letargic uncle who needed to go to bed” he said about Biden in an interview;

Biden strategy :

• Presented Trump as a “crook, a liar, a scoundrel”
• The candidate on whom everyone trust because of his old age, inspires confidence, trust.

Kamala Harris Strategy :

• Reverse Trump’s argumentations :
• He now is the older one while she embodies youth and vitality energy etc.

1. Key moments of the debate (Kamala Harris // Trump) – their rhetoric.

To see more :

https://youtu.be/e8_dSXMzF1c?si=__PoBzkYUZMe_fT0 (2’59)

https://youtu.be/MUYepJ5fNp8?si=wLMUgRZwrExPcaDY (1’40)

1. Which country should they try to hold to win the election ?

HARRIS : Needed to carry Michigan, Wisconsin, Pensylvania.

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