Informative Speech
“Knowledge is Power: Secondary Candidates in the 2008 Presidential Election”
I. Introduction
A. Attention-getter: I’d like to ask everyone who will be eighteen or older by November 2008 to raise your hand. Well, if you didn’t know already, this means you will be able to vote! How many of you are registered to vote? I'll have forms after class if you want to get started. As voters, we need to be informed about all the issues that are going to come into play when we tap on those touch-screens next year.
B. Thesis Statement: The nominations are beginning earlier than ever, and as Dr. Lindsey Lupo, assistant professor of political science here at Point Loma, said on October 8, 2007, the accelerated races put lesser-known candidates at a disadvantage, since they don’t have the money to compete with the famous faces: Hillary, Barack, Rudy. The smaller candidates don’t have as much time to get their campaigns rolling, so it’s harder for them to make themselves known.
C. Relate: This means it is more important than ever for voters like you and me to inform ourselves of the candidates and the issues that will come into play in the next few months.
D. Preview:
i. First, we’ll look at a Republican candidate whose 100-lb. weight loss often overshadows his political accomplishments.
ii. Then we’ll cross the political line to meet a Democrat who differs from the other candidates in more than just his Mexican heritage.
iii. Finally, we’ll look at an Internet-based bipartisan movement that believes Americans want a third choice.
Transition: So about that weight-loss success story - of course I have before-and-after pictures.
II. Body of the Speech
A. Mike Huckabee
i. After demolishing a chair in his office just by sitting in it, Huckabee decided to do something about his health, later writing a book about his journey: Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork: A 12-Step Program to End Bad Habits and Begin a Healthy Lifestyle.
ii. But besides being a disciplined, dedicated exerciser and healthy eater (Max, 2007), he is a former Baptist minister and governor of Arkansas with typical conservative positions: against gay marriage, abortion, and raising taxes; for the war in Iraq, Israel, and strong national security (Huckabee, 2007).
iii. But he considers himself a “paradoxical Republican.” He cares deeply about health care, music and art education, and the environment (Winslow, 2007). He is also passionate about immigration and lower-income citizens.
iv. Does he have a chance of winning? Former president Bill Clinton considers him the “dark horse” of the candidacy campaign. "He's the best speaker…he's extremely conservative, but he's not mad at anybody about it" (Pierce, 2007).
Transition: Perhaps we will see another governor from Arkansas in the White House, but this time a conservative one. Now on to the other end of the political spectrum, and the other end of the country, with the Democratic governor of New Mexico: Bill Richardson.
B. Bill Richardson
i. As a governor of a border state, he has a strong stance on border security but supports creating a system for immigrants to earn their citizenship (Richardson, 2007). As a Hispanic, he could gain many Latino votes. As a former energy secretary, he has the experience to deal with climate change. He supports the death penalty and the right to own guns (Economist, 2007).
ii. He claims he is the only Democratic candidate who will bring all the troops in Iraq home immediately, should he win (Richardson, 2007). He also wants to scrap No Child Left Behind and nationally raise teachers’ salaries (Richardson, 2007).
iii. Because there are so many prominent contenders in the Democratic race, his best chance is probably vice-president (Economist, 2007).
Transition: We’ve seen a Republican and a Democrat. But there is a grassroots movement working to combine the two.
C. Unity 08
i. Unity 08 is a group of politicians and activists who believe Americans are frustrated with the two-party system (unity08.com, 2007). They consider the American people moderate, and believe that by allowing voters to get involved they can elect candidates who truly reflect Americans’ views and positions (Simon, 2007). According to their website on October 13, they had 113, 077 total members.
ii. They are conducting surveys over the Internet to determine what Americans are concerned with: Iraq and the fight against terrorism, education, health care, climate change, energy independence, immigration and corruption in Washington top the lists (Broder, 2007). Unity 08 will conduct a party convention over the Internet in June 2008, once the other parties’ candidates have been determined (Miller, 2007).
iii. If Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York, decides to run as Unity08’s candidate, he could win. He has enough economic resources and political clout (Kraushaar, 2007). But he has not announced his candidacy, and Unity08 has not generated enough interest yet to be considered an actual threat to the two-party system, according to Vaughan Ververs, a political columnist, in an October 2, 2007 post on cbsnews.com.
Transition: But things change, and they change quickly in politics. So no one can be written off yet, especially this early in the race.
III. Conclusion
A. Review:
i. First, we saw how Mike Huckabee’s conservative values but progressive views in health care, arts and education, and immigration could propel him to the front of the Republican race.
ii. Then, we looked at how Bill Richardson’s Hispanic heritage and strong stance on troop withdrawal could give him an edge in the Democratic primary.
iii. Last, we explored how Unity08’s appeal to moderate voters could create a viable third party in the upcoming election.
B. Restatement of Thesis: Voters need to know that there are many viable candidates in the 2008 race, not just the ones who make cable news headlines every night.
C. Tie-back to Introduction: So raise your hand again if you’ll be eighteen by next November. Now you have a little more information to make an informed decision next year.
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