Here is a remonder with a new twist of my FREE Iowa Presidential Caucuses Online Course or MOOC.
http://www.inside.iastate.edu/article/2015/07/09/moc
Presidential caucus is topic of ISU's first MOOC
By Erin Rosacker
July 09, 2015
As the field of presidential candidates grows, so does interest in Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucus selection process. Beginning this fall, University Professor Steffen Schmidt is offering four free massive open online course (MOOC) sessions to help explain the presidential caucus process to a global audience.
"A MOOC is free and allows people to participate at their convenience," Schmidt said. "The discussion forums provide great interactivity and the diversity of participants will make for excellent discussion."
The same course content will be offered in four different sessions, which begin Sept. 1, Oct. 13, Nov. 17 and Jan. 5. The course will focus on:
History of caucuses
Digging into caucuses
Role of media and technology
Future of caucuses
Schmidt said more than 600 participants already have enrolled in the MOOC sessions, ranging from high school students to political junkies and media personalities.
"ISU faculty and staff participation will be especially valuable because they often have participated in local political events," Schmidt said. "They are Iowa residents and personally invested in the Iowa caucuses. They are a very powerful force in spreading the word about the MOOC to students and others who might be interested in this course."
Course enrollment is open. The final session runs Jan. 5 to Feb. 2. Participants do not receive college credit. The course includes videos, readings, practice quizzes and interactive discussion forums. The course material will be accessible after the sessions are over, excluding the discussion forums.
"The time commitment is entirely up to the individual," Schmidt said. "Some will want to watch every interview, read every article and post every day to the discussion. Others may just want to graze the material they're interested in or skip material they're already familiar with."
Showing posts with label Iowa caucuses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iowa caucuses. Show all posts
Thursday, July 09, 2015
Friday, February 20, 2015
The Iowa Straw Poll Rocks!
Iowa Caucuses and Straw Poll as relevant as ever
by Steffen Schmidt
CityView, Des Moines, 2/18/2015
Every four years, the contrarians come out of the woodwork trashing the Iowa Presidential Caucuses and the Ames Straw Poll.
Retired Drake journalism school professor Herb Strentz had his opportunity at this Whack-a-Mole in Cityview. In “Adieu to the relevance” of the caucuses and poll, he avers that Congressman Steve King’s Freedom Summit is proof of the irrelevance of Iowa. He quotes the left-wing wag Scott Galindez, featured in Anarchist publications such as The Rag Blog, who wrote that Iowans are “God-fearing, pig-castrating, gun toting whackos.”
First of all, Professor Strentz may have missed the fact that there is no such a thing as “Iowans.” There are Independent-No-Party voters, there are lots of Democrats (Iowa is probably still purple), there are seriously lefty Bernie Sanders Democrats, there are Libertarian-Rand Paul Republican Iowans, and there are even lots of moderate Republicans or Mitt Romney would not have tied for first place in the last Iowa caucuses. Iowa is much more diverse than the fool out of town critics can ever imagine.
By the way, in Iowa we have members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and, for all I know, other diverse branches of the Lutheran faith. Now that’s diversity!
Second, the Iowa caucuses are a terrific testing ground for candidates. They can hone their skills, meet lots of self-confident people at cafés, community centers, the Iowa State Fair, and people’s homes, people who will straight out ask hard questions with no intermediaries. And poor candidates like Rick Santorum can beat a rich businessman like Mitt Romney by burning up shoe leather and going to 99 counties shaking hands and selling himself.
Third, Strentz misses the point completely that Iowa allows us and the massive media horde that come here to assess the character and communications style and skills of contenders. Anyone watching Steve King’s Summit from “gavel-to-gavel” could not help but see the differences between Gov. Scott Walker and Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina and Sara Palin.
Fourth, the Ames Straw Poll is a terrific, fun political festival. The media loves it. Those attending the event (including me) love it. The Iowa Republican Party loves it since it raises a ton of money. Ames and Story County love it because these fool politicians leave a big chunk of money with us. It’s called a Republican stimulus package for us.
Fifth, Joni Ernst WON the Senate race. No matter how much the left dislikes her, the Democrats blew that race and almost every other race in 2014. That’s how elections work, Professor. The majority works hard, turns out large numbers and wins elections. I recommend that the Democrats carefully study Joni’s campaign. They will learn how to win elections.
And, of course, the East Coast dandies who write about the Iowa caucuses have their own axe to grind, and their own “groupies” to satisfy.
I, for one, am a huge fan of the Iowa Caucuses and the Straw Poll. They create political excitement. They show what highly motivated voters are as opposed to the low information and low intensity voters who turn out for primaries.
Let the candidates roll in!
Join me this September for a fun, online, FREE class on the Iowa Caucuses (and Straw Poll)!
Reserve your place here:
https://www.iowacaucusesmooc.org/
Steffen Schmidt is originator and co-author of the largest selling American government college textbook and Professor of Political Science at Iowa State University. His Iowa Caucuses online course launches in September.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Schmidt on Scott Walker
Steffen Schmidt, a political science professor at Iowa State University and expert on the Iowa caucuses, said tying Wisconsin with the phrase "free and prosperous" could be an "amazing" campaign slogan for a national race.
Schmidt said Walker's emphasis on lean government, school reform and rejection of Common Core academic standards check some "must-do" boxes for any Republicans hoping to form a favorable impression with conservatives around the country."
"Schmidt agreed that Walker's salute to the military — proclaiming that "red, white and blue runs even deeper" than green and gold, the Packers' colors — and his condemnation of the terror attacks sounded presidential.
"He is well positioned now for Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina if he decides to fully throw his hat in the ring for 2016," Schmidt said.
"Gov. Walker is on my list of the five strongest contenders for 2016," said Steffen Schmidt, a longtime professor of political science at Iowa State University and expert on the Iowa caucuses."
The Iowa caucuses are tentatively scheduled for Feb. 1, 2016. More
than one year out, Schmidt predicts Walker will shine in the Hawkeye
State.
Walker has made a few visits to Iowa over the last several years, giving speeches at Republican fundraisers and other events. He lived in the northeastern part of the state for seven years as a child. And there's already an IowansForWalker.com website up and running.
"He should do well in the Iowa caucuses, coming in first, second or third, which is where candidates need to place to have a chance getting the nomination," Schmidt said.
(Picture from ScottWalker.com)
Schmidt said Walker's emphasis on lean government, school reform and rejection of Common Core academic standards check some "must-do" boxes for any Republicans hoping to form a favorable impression with conservatives around the country."
"Schmidt agreed that Walker's salute to the military — proclaiming that "red, white and blue runs even deeper" than green and gold, the Packers' colors — and his condemnation of the terror attacks sounded presidential.
"He is well positioned now for Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina if he decides to fully throw his hat in the ring for 2016," Schmidt said.
"Gov. Walker is on my list of the five strongest contenders for 2016," said Steffen Schmidt, a longtime professor of political science at Iowa State University and expert on the Iowa caucuses."
Walker has made a few visits to Iowa over the last several years, giving speeches at Republican fundraisers and other events. He lived in the northeastern part of the state for seven years as a child. And there's already an IowansForWalker.com website up and running.
"He should do well in the Iowa caucuses, coming in first, second or third, which is where candidates need to place to have a chance getting the nomination," Schmidt said.
(Picture from ScottWalker.com)
Saturday, February 07, 2015
Chris Christie's worst week as Presidential contender.
* In the News: Gov. Chris Christie's (R) trips on a plane owned by Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
Then there was a measles outbreak in the United States. Christie was in London, on a trade mission. He was asked about vaccinations.
Bloomberg View reported that "He said his four kids were vaccinated, but that "that parents need to have some measure of choice in things as well. So that’s the balance that the government has to decide." That laissez-faire approach plays well with the keep your hands off my guns, my textbooks and my kids constituency he may need for the Iowa caucuses, as well as some New Age liberals he'll never get, but not necessarily with the 99 percent of us who thought the disease had been eradicated in the U.S. Christie’s office was soon out with a correction, saying there was “no question kids should be vaccinated.”"
I asked some of my friends if Iowa Republicans really do not believe in mandated vaccination and discovered that most think that's just bull.
When reporters tried to ask Christie some more questions he snarked back at them "... what part of no questions don’t you understand?!”
The 2016 caucuses are already providing the ammunition for weeding out potential contenders.
More at: http://www.businessinsider.com/chris-christies-luxury-travel-and-private-flights-2015-2
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-02-06/christie-and-paul-come-down-with-measles
Thursday, February 05, 2015
Republican Presidential Wannabes MUST do well in Blue states
Reprinted from the Ames, Iowa Tribune
The Iowa caucuses on February 1 will launch one to three
Republican contenders into the limelight. Iowa is an interesting state because
in fact caucus voters I both parties can divide along several preferences.
Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum won the Republican caucuses in
2012 representing the faith based conservatives and the country club
establishment. Keep that in mind as you assess the 2016 contenders.
Let’s make it clear. Iowa is VERY important because it’s
first and has a great record of pointing to the potential nominee. BUT, how
does a candidate actually get nominated?
They normally need to collect delegates in many states
before reaching the magic number to get the nomination at the Democratic
National Convention. How does that work?
Numbers cruncher Nate Cohn has looked at where the delegates
are harvested and found that a Republican contender actually MUST do very well
in blue (Democrat) states. In his latest column he writes in the New York Times that
“The
blue-state Republicans make it far harder for a very conservative candidate to
win the party’s nomination than the party’s reputation suggests. They also give
a candidate who might seem somewhat out of touch with today’s Republican Party,
like Jeb Bush, a larger base of potential support than is commonly thought.”
His data is compelling and surprising.
“… blue-state Republicans still possess the
delegates, voters and resources to decide the nomination. In 2012, there were
more Romney voters in California than in Texas, and in Chicago’s Cook County
than in West Virginia. Mr. Romney won three times as many voters in
overwhelmingly Democratic New York City than in Republican-leaning Alaska.”
As we assess the huge field of presumed GOP candidates it is
important to consider these metrics. Perhaps the most surprising piece of
information coming from Cohn is the fact that “… 59
percent of Romney voters in the Republican primaries lived in the states
carried by President Obama.”
That
doesn’t necessarily mean that Iowa’s most conservative Republicans will fold
and go for a moderate again in 2016. Remember that the mantra of the GOP is that
the party lost two important elections by nominating John McCain and Mitt
Romney who were deemed to be too moderate. The strategy for the next
presidential contest seems to be to nominate a “true” conservative not a RINO,
a Republican in Name Only. Such a candidate it is assumed, would excite the
dormant “silent majority” of Americans who don’t bother to vote and who are
considered to be more conservative than what the Republicans as well as
Democrats have offered up for the White House. We saw that great enthusiasm for
conservatives and the disdain for moderates such as Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush at
Congressman King’s Freedom Forum in Des Moines.
However
the very bluest of blue states – think states like Vermont, California,
Massachusetts – actually account for 4 in 10 voters in Republican primaries. In
2008 and 2012 John McCain and Mitt Romney won every single blue-state primary
according to Nate Cohn. That is a substantial mountain to overcome by what I
call the “hard conservatives.”
In
2016 the Republican candidate who can earn the support of the hard-core
conservative caucus voters but also win the vote of blue-state Republicans will
win the nomination, and, many analyses suggest also has an excellent chance of
winning the general election.
Friday, January 30, 2015
Los Caucus Presidenciales en el estado de Iowa
Los Caucus Presidenciales (Asambles Partidistas) en el estado de Iowa
Profesor Steffen Schmidt
Universidad Estatal de Iowa
(Adaptado de varios artículos y “blogs.”)[i]
En 2015 empieza el largo proceso de las elecciones presidenciales en Estados Unidos. Los candidatos a la presidencia de ambos partidos declaran su intención de competir, comienzan a solicitar fondos para la costosísima contienda (se espera que el costo será de un billón de dólares), y contratan con administradores de campana para lanzar su esfuerzo.
Militantes del partido Republicano de Iowa escogen en la noche de los “caucus” en enero de 2016 quién es su candidato para enfrentarse al candidato del partido Demócrata en noviembre de 2016. A la misma vez los Demócratas en Iowa escogerán su candidato o candidata.
El sistema en Iowa es especial: no son unas elecciones tradicionales con colegios electorales (puestos de votación) abiertos todo el día. Son “caucus”. Los votantes se reunirán a las 7 de la tarde (noche) en 1.774 precintos electorales, escucharán un discurso de representantes de los candidatos y escribirán en un papel a quién escogen. El Partido cuenta los resultados y los publica.
En el Partido Republicano lo común es que el voto sea secreto. En el Partido Demócrata los votantes de los caucus se agrupan en esquinas del lugar donde se reúne cada “caucus” y los indecisos en el centro. Cada grupo intenta convencer a los indecisos unirse al grupo de su candidato.
Además, los grupos de “preferencia” para candidatos tienen que superar una cuota de personas en cada precinto (es decir cada “caucus”) calculada como un porcentaje de los participantes en ese recinto. Los grupos de no llegan a esa cifra se declaran “no viables” y las personas que apoyan a ese(a) candidato(a) tienen que unirse a un grupo viable o declararse indecisos.
Iowa escoge solo a 28 delegados de los 2.286 de todo el país que se reunirán en una convención nacional de cada partido en el verano para escoger a su candidato. El ganador debe reunir más de la mitad de los delegados, primaria tras primaria obtenidos después de un “maratón” político en todo el país.
La mayoría de primarias en Estados Unidos son elecciones tradicionales, pero hay alrededor de 15 estados que optan por los caucus. Cada estado decide a quién deja votar en sus primarias. En un gran numero de primarias podrán votar ciudadanos no identificados como republicanos o demócratas
Por qué Iowa es importante
En 2008 se reunieron en los caucus de Iowa 119 mil votantes. Es un porcentaje pequeño de los 3 millones de habitantes de Iowa, “.. la mayoría blancos y religiosos. Su influencia en la política americana es desmesurada por un motivo simple: son los primeros en votar,” escribe Jordi Pérez Colomé. Sin embargo el primer candidato Negro, Afro-Americano, y multirracial, Barak Obama, gano los caucus de Iowa lo que le impulso a ganar la mayoría de delegados demócratas y luego la presidencia.
Se especula si el proceso de escoger candidato empezaría en otro estado los resultados serian diferentes. Yo, como analista de las elecciones considero que no cambiaria los resultados de quien se presentara como candidato ni quien ganaría la mayoría de los delegados.
Además, Iowa ofrece a candidatos desconocidos la oportunidad de presentarse a los votantes del país. Por ejemplo “ … en 1976 los republicanos también adelantaron sus preliminares a enero. Ese fue el año en el que el anteriormente desconocido Jimmy Carter, saltó a primer lugar y luego ganó la presidencia. Y esa es una de las razones por las que los candidatos invierten mucho tiempo y recursos en Iowa.”[ii]
La ventaja de ser pocos interesados es que tienen la oportunidad de ver de cerca y preguntar a los candidatos en pequeñas reuniones. Hace meses que los políticos visitan distintos lugares de Iowa. También en Iowa son los primeros en ver los anuncios y líneas generales de cada campaña. En ese sentido Iowa es un laboratorio nacional.
Por qué Iowa es muy importante
Felipe Benítez en su excelente blog establece que “… la importancia de los caucus de Iowa radica más en términos de simbólicos que términos reales electorales.” “… en términos mediáticos y de percepciones, aquel aspirante que gana Iowa es considerado como el líder en la contienda, lo que hace que se sumen simpatizantes y se abran las chequeras de donantes, por el contrario una derrota o un mal desempeño en Iowa puede acabar con las aspiraciones presidenciales de un candidato. [iii]
Los caucus no son totalmente decisivos. En 2008 acertaron con Obama, pero escogieron a los republicanos Mike Huckabee y Mitt Romney en lugar de John McCain, que al final fue el nominado. Sin embargo cuatro año después Mitt Romney gano en Iowa y fue elegido como el candidato republicano subrayando la importancia de Iowa como “El barómetro político” de contiendas presidenciales.
Los caucus de Iowa pueden catapultar o hundir una campaña: es mucho, pero no es todo. Para los candidatos, es casi más importante cumplir o superar las expectativas de los sondeos que quedar primero. Pero la verdad es que en la historia política de los EEUU desde 1972 los caucus de Iowa han sido un proceso sorprendentemente confiable en predecir cuales tres candidatos a la presidencia ganaran el premio de ser elegidos en la convención de su partido. ningún candidato que haya quedado por debajo del tercer lugar ha conseguido la codiciada nominación.
Después de Iowa viene el estado de New Hampshire, un estado con elecciones tradicionales, más moderado y con más participación. Los resultados suelen variar. Por ejemplo en 2008 Barak Obama gano los caucus en Iowa pero Hillary Clinton la ex senadora de Nueva York y esposa del Presidente Bill Clinton gano en New Hampshire.
Entre estos dos estados el futuro de candidatos crece o termina porque el “momentum” o impulso de cada candidato se mide con los resultados de estos dos estados. Además la enorme cantidad de fondos que necesita un candidato a la presidencia disminuye con perdidas en Iowa y New Hampshire. Se dice que el pozo de dinero se seca!
[i] http://www.obamaworld.es/2012/01/03/las-primarias-empiezan-en-iowa-y-por-que-solo-importa-mitt-romney/
Partes de
este articulo son adaptado del “blog” de Jordi Pérez Colomé (Barcelona, 1976)
periodista. Ha escrito seis libros (ver abajo "Mis libros"). Es director
de El Ciervo. Ha ganado los premios José Manuel Porquet de periodismo digital 2012 y Letras Enredadas 2014 de iRedes. Este blog se
ocupa de Barack Obama, de Estados Unidos y de su influencia en el mundo.
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