July 24, 2000 - Publications Unit - The University of Western Australia

10 UWA newsInstitute of Advanced StudiesUgly ingredients increating a President“If you can come through this horrible processalive, you are probably in fairly good shape totake on the office of President . . .”n ugly horrendous process in‘A an almost manic, inhumancampaign.’The words of visiting Americanpolitical scientist Alan J. Ward, describingnot civil war or ethnic cleansing,but the US Presidential election.Professor of Government at theCollege of William and Mary in Virginia,and Visiting Professor of AmericanStudies at Flinders University, ProfessorWard says he is glad to be out ofAmerica (at Flinders) during theelection campaign.He relayed his special interest inhow and why Americans electPresidents as they do and whether theprocess, in the end, puts the best manin the White House, at a recent lectureat UWA.He said the long and expensivecampaigns were not what the foundingfathers intended.“They didn’t like popular passionsand the position of President was notdesigned to be a popularly electedoffice,” Professor Ward said.But money — hundreds of millionsof US dollars — has changed all that.“Entrepreneurial campaigns haveopened up the race for the Presidencyto anybody. There are 11 people standingfor President this year and nine ofthem believe they have a chance ofwinning.“Jimmy Carter proved in 1976 thatjust about anybody could win!”Professor Alan J. Ward speaking at theDolphin Theatre.Professor Ward explained thesystem of primary campaigns in eachstate which chooses the eventualcontenders. The winner of eachprimary takes all the votes from thatarea to the national vote.Over the past 20 years, only 50 percent of registered voters have actuallyvoted in a Presidential election.Professor Ward says it is impossible totell what proportion of eligible votersthat represents.“So it is possible to eventuallybecome President with something like30 per cent of the eligible votes, asRonald Reagan did, or even the high20s, like Bill Clinton.”He said political parties in the USwere weak, compared to the system inAustralia and, during the Presidentialelection, become little more than fundraisingauxiliaries.The 50 states all have separatepowers and the President doesn’tdepend on the support of Congress, asthe Australian Prime Minister needsthe support of the House ofRepresentatives, to survive.“Every candidate faces the task ofrunning a primary in at least 40states, each of them with differentrules and regulations. The congestionand complexity makes campaigningalmost manic, inhuman,”Professor Ward said.The campaigns are dominated byTV and the much-cited Fifth Amendmentto the Constitution (which upholdsfreedom of speech) will not allowlimits on spending.Some Presidential hopefuls can raise$5 million and find it’s not enough anddrop out of the race. Up until Marchthis year, candidates had already spent$280 million — and that’s declaredexpenditure only — with severalmonths still to go.As for whether the process puts thebest man in the White House: “If youcan come through this horrible processalive, you are probably in fairly goodshape to take on the office ofPresident,” Professor Ward said.And his predictions for the currentcampaign?“It’s really too close to call at thisstage. But I feel Gore may win becauseGeorge Bush is reasonably shallow and Ithink this will show through in a closeelection. My feeling is that Al Gore isbetter informed and will outperformBush in the debates.”THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • JULY 24 2000