The Democratic Party had been shaped by President Martin Van Buren but was transformed by events in the nation and by Andrew Jackson’s popularity with the voters. Whereas once congressional caucuses had played a key role in choosing the political candidate, the national convention had assumed that function, and not only national but also state politicians now played an important role in political campaigns.

Under Jackson, the Democratic Party had become, in a sense, a party that had achieved success because of the president’s willingness to divide Americans during the political campaign. Jackson drew a distinction between the wealthy and the poor, the laborers and the business owners, and even divided Southerners and Westerners from those in the East.

Jackson’s legacy was a challenging one for Van Buren who, though a seasoned politician, had none of Jackson’s political campaign charisma. Van Buren was further burdened by the legacy of Jackson’s economic policies. Only weeks after Van Buren took office, New York banks began to cut back on loans in an effort to bring a halt to widespread speculation.

Soon, banks across the country followed suit and a panic resulted in the worst depression the nation had known. Banks and businesses closed down, and unemployment rose to record levels. Van Buren insisted on following Jackson’s policies of accepting only hard currency (gold and silver) rather than paper money, refusing to charter a national bank, and taking few steps that could stem the crisis.

Of course, from a political campaigning point of view, this was likely not the most prudent move that he could have made. The Whig Party, which was a staunch band of opponents, seized on the opportunity that the financial crisis offered and quickly made made a campaign issue out of it.

As President James Madison’s second term in office came to an end, the Republican nominating political campaign nominating committee chose James Monroe as Madison’s successor. Daniel Tompkins, the former governor of New York, was chosen as his running mate for the campaign.

Some Republicans grumbled about a “Virginia dynasty”–like Madison and Jefferson, Monroe was a Virginia native–but the only serious challenger Monroe faced for Republican political campaign nomination was another Southerner, William Crawford, who had also been born in Virginia.

The Republicans had hit on a winning political campaign formula: a presidential candidate from Virginia whose running mate was a former governor of New York. Monroe easily won election over his Federalist challenger, Rufus King of New York, who made no effort to campaign and won only three states (Massachusetts, Connecticut and Delaware) to Monroe’s 16.

The ease with with Monroe had won the political campaign election and the general disarray of the Federalists seemed to suggest that America would evolve into a single-party nation–or perhaps a nation with no political parties at all. Andrew Jackson, serving as commander of the federal army in the South, suggested to Monroe that he bring an end to the party system by ignoring party affiliation when choosing his cabinet. Monroe was not yet willing to do so; however, he did choose John Quincy Adams, son of the last Federalist president to win a political campaign, to serve as his secretary of state.

Monroe began his presidency with a tour of the states; he was the first president to do so since George Washington. His tour prompted such a favorable response from the people, who relished the opportunity to see their president, that the early years of his presidency were soon described as the “Era of Good Feelings.” The country continued to expand to the south and west, and four new states–Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, and Mississippi–joined the Union.

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8.25.08 Sen. Ted Kennedy, recently undergoing surgery for a brain tumor, made a surprise speech to the Democratic Convention in Denver

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democratic convention?
now that the convention is over has this helped in your decision on who to vote for

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Paul Vant -
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In 1936, the Democratic Party again gathered in Baltimore for their presidential political campaign convention. Vice President Martin Van Buren, the man who had masterminded Andrew Jackson’s campaign, was the party’s choice for president. Richard Mentor Johnson of Kentucky was Jackson’s choice for vice president, and the party followed his wishes.

Van Buren was the son of a tavern keeper from the small village of Kinderhook, New York. He had become a leader in New York state politics in what was then the Republican Party, and although eventually ran a political campaign to be elected senator, he remained in close touch with his state organization. He understood the importance of an organized, disciplined state party, and he had helped develop this organization as the Democratic Party was formed.

Van Buren had put his full effort into the political campaign that elected Jackson, and Jackson returned the favor by campaigning for Van Buren. He was an experienced politician–far more experienced than Jackson had been–and he believed deeply in the Democratic Party. He felt that the Democratic Party’s principles, low taxes, no national debt, states’ rights, and strict interpretation of the Constitution, should be clearly expressed to voters.

His hope was that the party’s political campaign convention would focus on these ideas. Instead, the convention’s message to voters–the type of message that would eventually be known as the party’s platform–focused on party heroes like Jefferson, Madison, Monroe and Jackson. The actual nominee was mentioned only once.

Despite Jackson’s support for his campaign and the backing of the organized Democratic Party structure, Van Buren barely won the popular vote, earning 50.9 percent. He did, however, receive a majority of the electoral votes and assumed the presidency in 1837.
The first national political campaign conventions were held in December of 1831 for the National Republican party. Their nominee for the presidency was Henry Clay. Five months later, 334 Democrats met in Baltimore. They represented every state except Missouri, and their unanimous choice for the nomination was incumbent President Andrew Jackson, with Martin Van Buren as his running mate.

This political campaign convention was an important milestone for the Democratic Party. Procedures were set up for future conventions and future nominations, ensuring that this was not Jackson’s party, but a party that would endure beyond a single election or a single candidate. Majority rule dictated which candidate would be chosen. Two-thirds of the delegates needed to approve not only the presidential but also the vice-presidential nominee.

Jackson easily won the political campaign and the election, and the Democratic Party was established not as a branch of the Republican Party but as a political party in its own right. Thanks to Jackson,it was identified as the party of the common man; the wealthy and the elite were labeled its opponents. The Democratic Party still retains some of this image today.

Following the political campaign of 1832, Jackson challenged the national bank system, shifting federal money from the national bank to a series of state banks. The banking issue prompted a group of businessmen and opponents of Jackson’s to band together to oppose the man they labeled “King Andrew I.”

They called themselves “Whigs,” after the British political party formed to oppose the king of England in the 1700s. Soon, they would develop into a political force, particularly in New England.

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Pres. Bill Clinton Address at Democratic National Convention

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Democratic convention?
Since Sen. Clinton and Obama had equal oppertunities (none) to campaign in Flordia and both of their names were on the ballot, those delegates should be seated. Since Sen. Obama was not on the MI ballot, that primary should be redone and MI should be represented at the Democratic convention ? who argess

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“The presidential primary March 4th in Texas may decide which Democrat faces the likely Republican Party nominee, Senator John McCain of Arizona. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, the final two Democrats left, face off in a tough, high-profile showdown in the Lone Star State.

The Democratic candidates are almost in a dead heat in the state, according to a Houston Chronicle poll. Texas voters in the Democratic Party primary are diverse, with just more than half either Hispanic or African-American. The 228 delegates will be split according to vote totals in the 31 state senate districts, with precinct conventions and a state caucus deciding the rest. Also, voter participation in the 2004 and 2006 elections for each district decides how delegates each senate district receives. For example, a heavily Hispanic district in south Texas with low voter turnout in the last two statewide elections could receive 7 delegates, while a high-turnout district in Houston gets 10 delegates, according to Chronicle. This complicated system of choosing delegates has some Democrats unhappy and calling for a change.

The estimated cost to campaign in Texas’ diverse markets is an expensive million dollars a week, and Senator Obama has been raising that much per day, collecting $32 million in January, while Senator Clinton just loaned her campaign $5 million, and some of her senior aides are working without salaries this month. After raising $13.5 million in January, Clinton announced Feb. 7th that her campaign raised $7.5 million in just one week; Obama’s campaign then went out and raised that much in 36 hours. That’s why Mrs. Clinton wants to debate Senator Obama once a week on television, since such publicity is free. So far, Mr. Obama has agreed to only one debate, and that’s in Cleveland, Ohio, February 26th on NBC. There’s also talk about one Texas debate.

Former White House Senior Advisor Karl Rove proclaimed on Fox News Feb. 7th that the Democratic nominee will come out of the Texas Primary, and that may be the case.

If Senator Obama momentum continues and he wins the most of the contests Feb. 19th, as polling suggests, he will come into Texas ahead of Mrs. Clinton. Already in big trouble, if Hillary then loses Texas, she would come into the Democratic Convention an underdog, if not outright loser. If Obama loses in Texas, Hillary may still win the nomination. With Ohio also voting March 4th, Texas may decide which Democrat faces Mr. McCain November 4th.”

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Chelsea Clinton Speaking at the Texas Democratic Convention 2008.

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Eric Bramlett is the Broker and co-owner of One Source Realty in Austin Texas. Visit Eric’s Austin Texas Real Estate Guide, visit his Austin Texas Real Estate company’s website, & his Austin Condos Guide. He has seen considerable success in real estate, and looks forward to many more years in the business. Eric currently invests, renovates, and develops real estate in the Greater Austin Texas Market. He spends his time working with select clients, helps his new agents get started in their real estate careers, helps his experienced agents progress their careers to the next level, & when he has time…he takes his dogs to the lake.