Houston: Mayor and City Council Elections, Essay Example

The final campaign days were characterized by testy interactions between the candidates running for mayor in Houston city unlike last years presidential elections. From the article, Houston Politics (2008), it is clear that last year’s presidential elections in Houston had little if any ideological pitched battle. The Mayoral candidates had a hard-fought contest with lobbing attacks for months. Though the margins were not that close, Parker at 31%, Locke 26%, Brown 22%, Morale 20% and three minors at 1%. Morales refused to concede until all the returns came in, the only conservative in the race. He remained strong through out the campaign and ran virtually with no money, no endorsement compared with his opponent.

In both the Houston Mayor election and last years presidential elections the theory was solely about Obama. The article, Politics Today (2009), shows that with little efforts great numbers turned out for Obama. This was proved by Democrats win in places it was not necessarily expected to win. Such issues as keeping the voters from learning the truth about their spending on campaigns, their families and promises on economy change characterized the two elections. This year’s election for the mayor was one of the closest in the recent memory, just like last year’s presidential election. This was confirmed by Locke acknowledgement that he path was difficult but not impossible in the article, Politics Today, (2009).

Houston City Elections

Though Houston city elections are technically non-partisan, the campaign was under fire from both the Republican and the Democratic candidates, to an extent Mayor Bill White and Sheriff Tommy decided to pull off in the Mayoral election, according to the article, Houston Politics, (2008). Voters are people who make who process information in the light of their altitude and belief in order to reach a decision (Politics Today 2009). The information in a candidate’s campaign and what is reflect of them in the mass media through debates in primaries to the their speech forms a decision background for the voters. For this reason presidential election should be characterized by high information.

Surveys done by Politics Today (2009), shows that high proportions of candidates cannot recall names of candidates at the time of elections. Those who could recall candidate’s names possessed sufficient information about the candidate. Names on the ballot boxes triggered evaluation of candidates by voters. In most cases this was influenced by pre-existing impression. If the impression is based on meaningful information, which can either be of positive or negative connotation, the voters’ choice will be that of a well informed person (Politics Today 2009).

Providing the candidate’s party affiliation on the ballot has fundamental impacts on voters’ choice. Majority of voters have positive or negative altitude towards two major parties and most tend to identify with one or the other. Even in presidential election where voters have a good deal of information about the candidate, the voter’s altitude towards the party is powerful influence on their choice (Houston Chronicles 2009). Thus parties play a significant role of making the difference in the voters’ altitude towards the party in a non-partisan election. Their effect depends on the proportion of voters who are aware of at least one candidate’s affiliation, and in most non-partisan election the proportion is low (Houston Chronicles 2009).

Particularly presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain’s campaign had several strategies. Obama’s campaign was particularly through his speech in the article, Houston Politics (2008). Most people agree they had never known Obama until he gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention. He came out as an articulate, intelligent and personate person, something that almost everybody who voted for him admired. In his campaign, his vision for American was wholesomely welcomed by majority in Houston, something that greatly made him outdo his opponents (Houston Politics 2008). On the other hand McCain made mistakes that made people laugh at him instead of supporting him; this includes his appointing Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Candidate’s campaigns were through use of basic strategies. websites were used to show where candidates stood on issues, the recent financial crisis, Bush administration, a candidate’s reputation, tax policies, energy issues, approach on foreign policies and primaries debate were widely used  by candidates (Houston Chronicle 2009). Some of these strategies however were not successful in implementing some candidates. McCain believe for deregulation for example, cutting of tax on the wealthy was not welcome in the sight of the depressing economic crisis as well as his choice of Sarah as his running mate did sway many voters to his favor. Obama’s strategies such as honoring veterans, heath care and his speech on familial responsibilities gave him a great boost against his opponents.

The major issues separating the candidates were; the use of problem solver speech especially by Obama and parker. They stood out as negotiators and not bully something that most voters admired. Candidates, especially presidential candidates differed greatly on foreign ideas. McCain seems to know just what he is talking about when he talks about Iraq, for Obama he seems inexperienced (Houston Chronicles 2009). The issues separating were important in helping the voters make their decision. For the two presidential candidates, voters longed to hear them talk of specific concrete policies, how they would cut their dependency on foreign oil and how they are going to cut tax. Especially on Obama, voters expected him to talk on how and not what he would enact change.

Websites were set by candidates both at the national and local level. They used them to interact one on one with voters. Mayoral candidate such Gene Locke used his website to explain to the voters he would continue White’s commitments to Houston should he be elected mayor. He posted such features as the stadium issue, how he would fund TIRZ to assist infrastructure and landscaping, his support on red light cameras; he clarified his resignation at METRO and so many other features as he declares in his live chat in Houston Politics article (2009). Other candidates in Houston as well used websites to ensure their intentions reach the voters. Voters were able to get more information about the candidates and this greatly influenced their voting decision.

It is through the websites that candidates communicated who they were and their family as well as education background, their view on national development, their ultimate goal for Houston, workable changes, how they would cut spending for the people, public transport and infrastructure, youth programs, their commitment to small business owners, how they would manage crime and racism issue. However the message presented by candidates can take variety of forms. The most common form is standard campaign which appeals to voters with substantive content. Website may achieve high and positive impact depending on weather a candidate posted the most relevant issues of the time.

In both the mayoral and the presidential election, media coverage was minimal compared with other states (Houston Politics 2009). The reason being much coverage was focused on Washington D.C where a great fight over health care, climate and environmental policy, the role of federal government is unfolding. The national party battle did not transfer to Houston, because the only three candidates who raised any substantial campaign funds; Locke, parker and Brown were all democrats and differed very little on substantial party issue.

The major mayoral candidates; Parker, Brown, Locke and Morale were not well known to the voters over 60 days to elections and they had little funds to address the problem (Houston Politics 2009). Thus potential voter did not get relevant information hence the low mayoral election turnout. Only about 30% of eligible voters turned out to vote. Making it possible that majority of voters were not familiar with mayoral voting in the city, secondly the elimination round did not interest or engage the vast majority.

Voting in Houston was greatly influenced by the low turnout, voters were not familiar with mayoral candidates, money endorsement was by far too little, and their overall campaign was poorly done (Houston Politics 2009). First Brown vastly outspent Parker and Locke in the media and lost to both, interpersonal communication would have served him better. Secondly, the candidates resolutely refused to draw out clear differences on issues that mattered to the city voters, thirdly, Parker and Locke had no money problems and neither was Brown. Unlike the presidential election which voters were highly interested in the contest, there was free media coverage that allowed adequate information to the voters and it was a partisan election, none of these conditions were available in the mayoral election.

Conclusion

There would be no clear front runner if there was to be a mayoral run-off election in Huston (Houston Politics 2009). Parker needs to pick about 20% in addition to win a run-off, Locker require even more. Two other things make predictions for a run-off unreliable; turnout increment is uncertain and what campaigns can be most beneficial. Worse still there could be an intervention of a third party in the run-off. At this point it is uncertain weather campaigns between Parker and Locke will have personal attacks. If the turnout in the runoff increases then a tough competition between Parker and Locke should be expected. Survey advantage could as well influence voting.

References

Houston Chronicles (2009, November 16) Parker Locke in Runoff for Houston The Chronicles Review retrieved 13thsep, 2009 from  www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/politics/6702939.html

Houston Politics (2008, October 31) Peter Brown Finishes Third The Chronicles Review retrieved 10^th sep, 2009 from www.stateofthemedia.org/2009/sources.php

Houston Politics (2009, October 7) Live Chat with Mayoral Candidate Gene Locke The Chronicles Rev retrieved 13^th sep, 2009 from    www.ustream.tv/discovery/live/news-political-news?page=6

Politics Today (2009, November 4) Economic Issues Dorminate in Elections The Chronicles Review retrieved 13thsep, 2009 from  http://twittmaster.com/archives/10243