EXERCISE for November 9

We are going to apply Wayne’s ideas to the 2012 Republican nomination race.

Your candidate is:

Mitt Romney http://mittromney.com/

Herman Cain http://www.hermancain.com/h

Rick Perry http://www.rickperry.org/

Ron Paul http://www.ronpaul2012.com/

2012 polls can be found at this site, which we will display on the big screen in class (it’s from RealClearPolitics.com)

A. Are you the front-runner? If so, consider the front-runner nomination strategies in Wayne chapter 5 (146-61) as you do the rest of the exercise. If not, consider the non-front-runner nomination strategies as you do the rest of the exercise.

B. Wayne chapter 5 lists several “Basic Strategic Guidelines” (pp. 134-46). Review 8 all of them, determine what your candidate might do to fulfill the guidelines (or deviate from them, if this seems to make the most sense), AND decide which of the 8 guidelines is most important for your candidate to do well, and why.

C. Considering the brilliant strategy you have developed for your candidate, step back and analyze – what is the likelihood your candidate will actually win the Republican nomination? Be brutally honest.

D. The class will decide as a whole who the Republican nominee will be. From there, let’s consider Wayne chapter 6 – what kind of damage will have to be repaired, what ‘healing’ might the GOP need, what is the best way to reposition and reprioritize in order to take on President Obama? Be specific in discussing what the nominee should do from the end of the competitive primary phase up until the convention in late August.

E. Considering the nominee we have chosen together for the Republican Party, speculate on the characteristics and/or names of good vice presidential picks.