Swot Analysis Of Bellwether Primaries

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Following the Democratic Party’s McGovern-Fraser Report and the Federal Campaign Act of 1971, recent elections cycles have stabilized into a four stage rhythm: the exhibition season, the bellwether primaries, the battleground primaries, and the bridge primaries (Adkins and Dowdle 2005). The exhibition season begins with summertime campaign announcements and ends before the Iowa Caucus. The bellwether primaries includes four delegate selection in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada. A geographical voter cross-section give each candidate an opportunity to earn delegate before committing to the expensive and mostly definitive battleground primary stage. The battleground primaries “represent the most delegate-rich portion of the process …show more content…

Based off of Kasich’s previously mentioned accomplishments as congressman and governor, his strengths as a candidate rests with his appeal to moderate and “old-school” Republicans. Strengths that will make him appealing to voters across the thirteen states which go to the polls on March 1, 2016 (Levinson 2016). Thus, Kasich’s delegate strategy has been to survive the bellwether primaries and wait until the battleground primaries where he has an advantage over his one-dimensional opponents and will be able to accumulate considerable amounts of delegates nationwide. Although this is a sound strategy that enables Kasich a mathematical chance to win the nomination, he has been in the background the entire race unable to emerge from the shadows cast by the frontrunners. As the frontrunners talk over each other and make snide comments during debates and rallies, Kasich is able to stay out of the political fray and rise above the perceived childish bickering (Grunwald 2016). Disgusted GOP voters may turn away from the derisive Trump and the unflattering Cruz and Rubio to the civil and dependable Kasich during the battleground primaries which plays right into the Kasich delegate strategy. However, Kasich should have done more to keep his name in the media cycle so voters do not forget about him when they go to the polls in