The Presidential Election
"I'll Be the President"
In this song, we explore how presidents of the United States are elected to office. To be eligible to run for the highest office in the land, a candidate must be American-born and at least 35 years old. Candidates must then win a primary election within their party in order to become the party's nominee. They then chose a running mate, their vice presidental candidate. The two party nominees have several public debates as the election approaches. They fundraise and campaign intensely to try to win over "swing states," or states which could go to either party. The candidate who gets the most electoral votes becomes the next president of the United States. If there is no majority, the House of Representatives decides.
Yeah, yo, when you cast that next ballot you should vote for me,
'Cause I’mma be the next president.
I’ll be the president, boss of bosses,
In the White House, Oval Office.
F-L-Y in Air Force One,
Gonna be the president, but first I gotta run.
If you want to run for the presidency,
You’re gonna need a lot of cheese and you’re gonna need to be
35 years old, American-born.
How do I know? The Constitution says so.
Talk it over with your fam, make your decision,
Then make the announcement if you have the ambition.
Hook up with a party, they’ll help you fundraise,
They’re like a team, and that can go a long way.
And your party is a quick way to know where you stand,
You could be a Democrat or a Republican.
To get your party’s approval, you will
Have to win a primary election, man that’s brutal.
Each state votes at different times,
So you’ll be kissing babies at the local fish fry.
You’ll be traveling from state to state,
Doing TV spots and having debates.
One by one, knocking your opponents out the race,
Digging up dirt to expose their past mistakes.
Primaries go from January to June,
And if you get the most votes, then pretty soon
Your party will call you the nominee,
Now it’s time for to pick your VP.
The wannabe Vice President, your running mate,
Somebody with appeal, pick the right candidate.
I’ll be the president, boss of bosses,
In the White House, Oval Office.
F-L-Y in Air Force One,
Gonna be the president, but first I gotta run.
So you’ve been nominated at the convention,
Now we head into the general election.
It’s the fall and there are more debates,
Do you know your foreign policy? Get it straight.
Pick issues you can treadmill, I mean run on,
Start you’re rallies bumping a song.
Make sure you’ve got flags — people love flags,
And make sure your pockets stay fat.
Ask supporters for cash to run the ads,
Be a gladiator, stay on the attack.
You’re gonna pay attention everyday,
To the swing states that could swing either way.
First Tuesday in November, election day,
Everybody casts their votes, OK.
But it’s not a popular vote, I acknowledge,
It’s a weird thing: the Electoral College.
States gets a number of electoral votes,
That equals their members of Congress, woah.
So some votes carry more weight,
For that reason, some wish it would go away.
Anyway, that night, we gaze at screens,
Trying to figure out what the numbers mean.
Get the most electoral votes,
And you’ll be the next President who’ll be bringing us hope.
The loser will have to concede,
But if there’s no majority, let’s see.
It’ll be decided by the House of Reps,
That hasn’t happened in a while, yeah, I bet.
You won, but you’re not the president yet,
You need to wait until January 20th.
You’ll be sworn in, and then you just may
Be the next president of the USA.
I’ll be the president, boss of bosses,
In the White House, Oval Office.
F-L-Y in Air Force One,
Gonna be the president, but first I gotta run.
The Constitution requires that the President be at least 35 years old, born in the United States, and a permanent resident of the United States for at least the past fourteen years. The Twelfth Amendment extends these requirements to the Vice President. The youngest elected president so far was John F. Kennedy, at 43.
President John F. Kennedy
The Constitution requires that the President be at least 35 years old, born in the United States, and a permanent resident of the United States for at least the past fourteen years. The Twelfth Amendment extends these requirements to the Vice President. The youngest elected president so far was John F. Kennedy, at 43.
The two major political parties in the United States are the Democrats and Republicans. There are always other candidates from smaller parties, but none have ever won the election. In the 2012 election, current President Barack Obama ran again as the Democratic candidate. He was challenged by Republican candidate Mitt Romney. The Libertarian and Green parties also had their candidates on the ballot in enough states to, in theory, win the vote. Learn more about political parties in this video.
President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney
The two major political parties in the United States are the Democrats and Republicans. There are always other candidates from smaller parties, but none have ever won the election. In the 2012 election, current President Barack Obama ran again as the Democratic candidate. He was challenged by Republican candidate Mitt Romney. The Libertarian and Green parties also had their candidates on the ballot in enough states to, in theory, win the vote. Learn more about political parties in this video.
Primary elections are the way that each party picks which candidate it will put on the ballot in the general election. It used to be that these decisions were made by party bosses smoking cigars in back rooms, but recently parties have tried to make their nomination process more democratic. So now they let the people vote.
Democrat William M. Tweed, a.k.a. "Boss" Tweed,
played a major role in 19th century New York politics.
Primary elections are the way that each party picks which candidate it will put on the ballot in the general election. It used to be that these decisions were made by party bosses smoking cigars in back rooms, but recently parties have tried to make their nomination process more democratic. So now they let the people vote.
In order to garner votes in the primary elections, candidates campaign to set themselves apart from the other candidates in their parties. They also debate against other candidates in the party, showcasing the differences in their opinions and approaches to current political and hot-topic issues. Because the primaries and caucuses are staggered and do not fall on one single day for all states, candidates focus on different states throughout their campaigns.
Politicians at the Democratic debate
In order to garner votes in the primary elections, candidates campaign to set themselves apart from the other candidates in their parties. They also debate against other candidates in the party, showcasing the differences in their opinions and approaches to current political and hot-topic issues. Because the primaries and caucuses are staggered and do not fall on one single day for all states, candidates focus on different states throughout their campaigns.
Primary elections narrow down the candidates to one per party. This is done so that in the general election in the fall, voters are choosing between candidates that have the support of their parties. In 2012, because President Barack Obama ran for reelection, there wasn’t a fight for the Democratic nomination. There were many candidates for the Republican nomination, including Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich. Mitt Romney ultimately won the nomination.
Every politician wants to seem nice to babies.
Primary elections narrow down the candidates to one per party. This is done so that in the general election in the fall, voters are choosing between candidates that have the support of their parties. In 2012, because President Barack Obama ran for reelection, there wasn’t a fight for the Democratic nomination. There were many candidates for the Republican nomination, including Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich. Mitt Romney ultimately won the nomination.
Originally, the candidate with the highest number of votes in the general election became President and the one with the second-highest number became Vice President. This system was designed before political parties came into existence and did not foresee the reality of a President and Vice President from different parties, who would rarely be able to agree on issues. This happened in the 1796 election. Federalist John Adams became President with Democratic-Republican Thomas Jefferson as his Vice President. In 1804, the Twelfth Amendment changed it so that the President and Vice President would be chosen on separate ballots. Presidents and Vice Presidents now run for election together, as running mates.
President Obama and Vice President Biden chillin' in the limo
Originally, the candidate with the highest number of votes in the general election became President and the one with the second-highest number became Vice President. This system was designed before political parties came into existence and did not foresee the reality of a President and Vice President from different parties, who would rarely be able to agree on issues. This happened in the 1796 election. Federalist John Adams became President with Democratic-Republican Thomas Jefferson as his Vice President. In 1804, the Twelfth Amendment changed it so that the President and Vice President would be chosen on separate ballots. Presidents and Vice Presidents now run for election together, as running mates.
Leading up to the general election in November, there are debates throughout October. Typically there are a few between the presidential candidates and one between the vice presidential candidates. The candidates are given the opportunity to present their positions on different policies, in some cases attacking one another verbally. Recent debates have featured questions from YouTube and Twitter.
The Nixon-Kennedy debate was the first televised debate.
Leading up to the general election in November, there are debates throughout October. Typically there are a few between the presidential candidates and one between the vice presidential candidates. The candidates are given the opportunity to present their positions on different policies, in some cases attacking one another verbally. Recent debates have featured questions from YouTube and Twitter.
Campaigning is expensive, and candidates are constantly trying to raise more money. They need it to pay for advertisements, campaign materials and travel, as well as to pay the people working on the campaign. Fundraising is therefore very important, and can be hugely instrumental in a candidate’s success. In 2008, Obama raised and spent $740 million. In 2012, he spent approximately $400 million.
Campaigning is expensive, and candidates are constantly trying to raise more money. They need it to pay for advertisements, campaign materials and travel, as well as to pay the people working on the campaign. Fundraising is therefore very important, and can be hugely instrumental in a candidate’s success. In 2008, Obama raised and spent $740 million. In 2012, he spent approximately $400 million.
Many states have a history of voting for one party or another. For example, California tends to vote Democrat, while Texas tends to vote Republican. When campaigning, candidates tend not to focus on these states. They don’t need to invest time and money into states that they already know will vote for them, and it’s also a waste to campaign heavily in a state where they don’t have much of a chance. Instead, campaigns target swing states, or states that might vote either way. Missouri, Ohio, Indiana, and Florida are a few of the swing states in the last several elections.
Swing states can be unpredictable during elections.
Many states have a history of voting for one party or another. For example, California tends to vote Democrat, while Texas tends to vote Republican. When campaigning, candidates tend not to focus on these states. They don’t need to invest time and money into states that they already know will vote for them, and it’s also a waste to campaign heavily in a state where they don’t have much of a chance. Instead, campaigns target swing states, or states that might vote either way. Missouri, Ohio, Indiana, and Florida are a few of the swing states in the last several elections.
Candidates would campaign in all 50 states if it were a popular vote. But it isn't. The United States actually uses a different method called the Electoral College. Votes are divided up by state. If you win the most votes from states, you can win the election, even if you don't win the most votes. Sounds wild? In the 2000 election, George W. Bush won the presidency despite Al Gore winning the popular vote. This was the first instance of the winning candidate losing the popular vote since the 1800s, and only the fourth instance ever.
Al Gore won the popular vote, but not the presidency.
Candidates would campaign in all 50 states if it were a popular vote. But it isn't. The United States actually uses a different method called the Electoral College. Votes are divided up by state. If you win the most votes from states, you can win the election, even if you don't win the most votes. Sounds wild? In the 2000 election, George W. Bush won the presidency despite Al Gore winning the popular vote. This was the first instance of the winning candidate losing the popular vote since the 1800s, and only the fourth instance ever.
Rather than by popular vote, the presidential election is decided by the Electoral College. The Electoral College is comprised of 538 electors, who cast their votes based on the outcome of the popular vote in their state. This is a controversial method, as it allows the least populous states to have a disproportionately large say in the election. It also makes it possible for the winner of the popular vote to lose the election, as Al Gore did in 2000. Proponents of the Electoral College argue that it makes things more fair by keeping smaller states and rural areas from being ignored. Detractors point out that the results of the electoral vote and the popular vote sometimes don’t match up and criticize the focus on electoral votes in the campaigning process. Candidates try to appeal to swing states to win their electoral votes instead of working on winning a majority of votes in the nation in general.
The 2012 election results and the number of electoral votes per state
Rather than by popular vote, the presidential election is decided by the Electoral College. The Electoral College is comprised of 538 electors, who cast their votes based on the outcome of the popular vote in their state. This is a controversial method, as it allows the least populous states to have a disproportionately large say in the election. It also makes it possible for the winner of the popular vote to lose the election, as Al Gore did in 2000. Proponents of the Electoral College argue that it makes things more fair by keeping smaller states and rural areas from being ignored. Detractors point out that the results of the electoral vote and the popular vote sometimes don’t match up and criticize the focus on electoral votes in the campaigning process. Candidates try to appeal to swing states to win their electoral votes instead of working on winning a majority of votes in the nation in general.
In accordance with the Twelfth Amendment, the House of Representatives votes for President if the electoral vote does not produce a majority. This has only happened twice, in 1801 and 1825. If the House is deadlocked, the vice president acts as president until they can reach a decision.
John Quincy Adams won in 1825 when the House of Representatives picked him over Andrew Jackson.
In accordance with the Twelfth Amendment, the House of Representatives votes for President if the electoral vote does not produce a majority. This has only happened twice, in 1801 and 1825. If the House is deadlocked, the vice president acts as president until they can reach a decision.
Until formally inaugurated on January 20, the winning candidate is not yet president. He is instead the president-elect, and the president who will step down is referred to as a "lame duck." On Inauguration Day, the president-elect and vice-president-elect are sworn in, taking the oath of office. This is text in the constitution that is administered by the chief justice of the Supreme Court. The president then gives his inaugural address.
President Bill Clinton taking the oath of office
Until formally inaugurated on January 20, the winning candidate is not yet president. He is instead the president-elect, and the president who will step down is referred to as a "lame duck." On Inauguration Day, the president-elect and vice-president-elect are sworn in, taking the oath of office. This is text in the constitution that is administered by the chief justice of the Supreme Court. The president then gives his inaugural address.
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