Kerry May Defer Nomination
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James Joyner | Saturday, May 22, 2004 |
WaPo: Kerry Ponders Delay in Party Nod
Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.) may take the unprecedented step of delaying formal acceptance of his nomination as the Democratic candidate for president this summer in an effort to reduce President Bush’s financial advantage for the general election campaign, Kerry advisers said Friday.Campaign officials confirmed that they are actively considering an extraordinary plan, under which Kerry would not be formally nominated at the Democratic National Convention in late July and instead would be designated as the party’s nominee weeks later, around the time of the Republican convention at the end of August.
The plan, one of several ideas that campaign and party officials said are being discussed to level the financial playing field with the Republicans, is fraught with political complications — maintaining excitement at the convention and countering Republican criticism among them — and some legal questions. But it underscores again the extent to which fundraising and financial considerations are driving campaign strategy in this election cycle.
Aboard his campaign plane en route to a fundraiser in Connecticut on Friday evening, Kerry declined to comment. Asked whether he would accept the party’s nomination in July, he replied with a grin, “I will accept the nomination.”
A Federal Election Commission spokesman, Ian Stirton, would not say whether the strategy of delaying acceptance of a party nomination was acceptable under federal election law, adding that it would be “up to the commission” to decide.
The Democratic convention begins on July 26 in Boston, while the Republican convention opens Aug. 30 in New York. Under federal law, each major-party nominee will receive a check for $74.69 million from the U.S. Treasury to finance the general election campaign. Receipt of the money is triggered by formal acceptance of the nomination, and after that no money raised for the primaries can be used on behalf of each nominee’s general election campaign.
Because of the timing of the two conventions, Kerry would have to start spending his $75 million at the end of July, while Bush could wait five weeks to begin spending his. Between the two conventions, Kerry would be spending public money while Bush could continue to tap the record-breaking campaign treasury he has amassed this year.
I can see the ads now: “I rejected the nomination before I accepted it.”
The current spending rules are rather silly, frankly. This is especially true this season when the Democratic primaries were wrapped up so early and the Republican primaries were pro forma. Still, this is an odd move. The main rationale for moving the Republican convention to September, as I understand it, was to get the convention “bounce” later than usual. As low rated as conventions have become in recent years, I can’t imagine anyone would bother to watch if Kerry made it known he wouldn’t accept the nomination. Indeed, if that’s the case, the networks shouldn’t even bother to cover it.
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.
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Why they cover then conventions at all is my question. all it is, is a four day jack of for the parties and there is no real news being made unless someone one delivers a controversial speech.
Let the cable channels cover them. C-Span 5
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It certainly is helping his reputation for being decisive....
Daily Pundit is having a bumper sticker contest on this one:
Kerry: The Candidate of the Future - And Always Will Be
"John Kerry: I Just Can't Make Up My Mind"
Vote for John Kerry. Just not yet.
That Son of a Bitch Secret Service Agent Made Me Miss the Nomination
John Kerry: Disband in Boston
John Kerry 2004 -- Beating Around the Bush
Kerry: A nominee for another time.
Kerry: I just want to be sure
Nattering Nabobs of Nominating Nuance for Kerry!
"I actually declined the nomination before I accepted it"
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