sign in sign up
<<
Home , Alan Keyes

C M Y K

C12 DAILY 01-02-08 MD RE C12 CMYK

C12 Wednesday, January 2, 2008 R

WEATHER TODAY: Partly sunny, windy. High 36. Low 18. Are you wondering why President Bush TOMORROW: Mostly isn’t running? By law, sunny. High 31. Low 21. he can’t seek a third ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXA THOMAS, 11, term in office. KENSINGTON

ELECTION YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? 2008 The Race Is On WE HAVE ANSWERS Why do people use the color red for Republicans and blue for Democrats? his week Americans begin voting on who will be the next president of the United That started in States. You would think that wouldn’t take long, but it does — almost a year. And it 2000 with the T Michael D. Shear explains the process. colored maps the all starts tomorrow in Iowa. Political reporter TV networks used to show which party was winning. States that voted TheThe CCandidatesandidates for the Republican were colored red; The first thing voters will do is pick the the Republicans are the major teams and they are in the running to be their team’s captain. those that voted for nominees of the political parties. Think of each need a captain, or presidential nominee. The Republicans also have eight. Here are the the Democrat were them like sports teams. The Democrats and The Democrats currently have eight people who presidential candidates of the two major parties: blue. DEMOCRATS REPUBLICANS

Joseph R. Biden Jr. Hillary Rodham Clinton Christopher J. Dodd Rudolph W. Giuliani Duncan Hunter U.S. senator U.S. senator U.S. senator Former U.S. senator Former mayor Former governor U.S. House member Former diplomat Delaware Connecticut North Carolina Arkansas

Why do Democrats have a donkey for a mascot, and Republicans have an elephant? It hasn’t always been that way. Some Democrats used to use a Dennis J. Kucinich John McCain Fred D. Thompson rooster; others Former U.S. senator U.S. House member U.S. senator Governor U.S. senator U.S. House member Former governor Former senator Alaska Ohio New Mexico Arizona Massachusetts Tennessee made the Statue of Liberty their NOTE: Several other people are running for president as independents or so-called third-party candidates. symbol. The donkey dates back to Andrew Jackson, whose opponents in the election of 1828 called HowHow Are the Nominees Chosen? him a “jackass.” SevSeverale states hold contests such as team, while the Republican who wins parties, on the November , but Cartoonists picked tthehe oneon in Iowa tomorrow. the most will lead the other team. the Republican and Democratic parties up on the image, It’s a little like a Pokémon battle: The They will face off in a national are so big that the winner — our next and by 1880 the donkey was the DemoDemocratc who does the best between election in November. There could president — is likely to be the captain of party’s mascot. nnowow aandn June will captain that party’s be other names, from minor political one of these two teams. Republicans once had an eagle as JANUARYJANUARY 2008 a mascot. Again, Tomorrowomorrow First— First caucus caucus (Iowa) (Iowa) CAUCUSES AND PRIMARIES cartoonists came 1 There are two types of state contests — primaries and caucuses — up with a symbol, the elephant. An Tuesday — First primary (New Hampshire) in which voters pick captains for their party’s team. The first caucus this year is Iowa’s; the first primary is Tuesday in New Hampshire. 1874 cartoon FEBRUARY by Thomas Nast HOW A CAUCUS WORKS HOW A PRIMARY WORKS cemented that Feb. 5 — Super Tuesday (more than 20 primaries and caucuses) image for the party. Any registered voter can take In a primary, people don’t Feb. 12 — Primaries in , and the District part in a caucus. Meetings are gather in one place at the same Why are Republicans held locally, maybe in a school time. Instead, they go to an called the GOP? MARCH gym, a church basement or assigned voting place at some In 1875 there was even someone’s family room. point in the day. Schools and a reference to Democrats and Republicans fire stations often are used as Republicans as a voting places. They open early “gallant old party.” meet separately. Since the 1880s, At these meetings, people and stay open into the evening. however, the initials APRIL talk — and sometimes Inside the voting places, have stood for argue — about their favorite sometimes called polls, are “grand old party.” candidates. When they’re done several private spaces. These talking, they split up. Each contain voting machines — What’s the difference candidate’s supporters go to some are computers — where between Republicans MAY a different part of the room, each voter touches a screen, and Democrats? and a headcount is taken. presses a button or makes a That’s a big The candidate with the most check mark for the candidate question. They he or she wants. agree on some Touch screens are used in many voting places. supporters wins that voting things, but disagree place. After the polls close, the a lot. One of their At the end of the night, votes are added up and a JUNE biggest differences hundreds of voting places from winner is declared. now is over More than 40 states will hold June 3 — Final primary (South Dakota) all over the state are counted. the war in . The candidate who has won primaries this year. Maryland, Most Republican the most voting places wins Virginia and the District have politicians, the state. theirs on Feb. 12. including President JULY More than a dozen states will Bush, say we are hold caucuses this year. winning and want to keep fighting. Most Democrats disagree and want to begin to bring AUGUST home U.S. troops. MINN. Kids supporting Democratic and Republican candidates in 2004. Aug. 25 — Democratic convention opens (Denver, )

SEPTEMBER D.C. COLORADO Sept. 1 — Republican convention opens (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota) BY BILL O’LEARY — THE WASHINGTON POST THE PO TICAL CONVENTIONS Why does it matter OCTOBER 2 who is president? This all of The president is thheh sta ests aree over, the leader of the eaachacch politoliticalal party will hold a country, just like coonventionvention to officiallyally cchoose your principal its presidential nominee.nee. A is in charge of NOVEMBER nominee for vice presidentdeden also your school. The will be picked, giving the party its president decides Nov. 4 — Election Day “ticket.” what the country’s ThT e Democrats will meet in priorities are and Denver, Colorado, in August. The puts policies and DECEMBER programs in place Republicans will gather a week to achieve those later in Minneapolis-St. Paul, goals. Not all power The new president Minnesota. is centered in the At that point, both major White House, teams will have their captains. In however. The JANUARY 2009 November we’ll know which one president must gets to live in the White House for obey laws passed the next four years. by Congress and the rulings of the

Jan. 20, 2009 — Inauguration Day (new president sworn in) INAUGURATION PHOTO BY ROBERT DEUTSCH — USA TODAY; 2004 ELECTION Supreme Court.

PHOTOS BY JEFF J. MITCHELL AND KEVIN LAMARQUE — REUTERS

C M Y K C12