#campaign fun

[nspolitics-blog]

We actually found these GOP-themed treats inside our space in Chicago, which seemed slightly out of place. Turns out our friends from TV Asahi in Japan did a story on Election Day treats around the city and had this box of treats from Sprinkles cupcakes left over. The consensus seems to be that both parties make for equally delicious cupcakes.

[nspolitics-blog]

If back-and-forth of the final battleground blitz of the 2012 presidential campaign amounted to too much negativity, how does a third party candidate running on a platform of “friendship, fun and happiness,” sound?

Yes, it’s true. Sanrio’s beloved Hello Kitty character has thrown an adorable plush hat into the ring at the last minute.

According to campaign manager Dave Marchi, the Hello Kitty campaign is something fun for those have become a little weary of partisan politics, or who are simply too young to cast a ballot themselves.

Visitors to Hello Kitty’s campaign headquarters in Washington’s Chinatown can get a free make-over after browsing a gallery of artwork documenting the Hello Kitty campaign odyssey. A photo booth allows visitors to snap photos with the candidate and upload them to social media. Voters can also play the “fun claw” machine and browse the memorabilia in the gift shop, which sells limited edition bows, t-shirts and bags.

It’s a unique branding strategy, and the team worked for six months to build the campaign. They wanted to introduce the third-party candidate concept right when the election was at its peak.

Aside from all of the cute, happy fun, there’s a serious side too. A partnership with Washington’s Georgetown Cupcake will support the non-profit 826DC, which encourages creative writing among young students. 

The campaign is welcoming supporters to their headquarters through Election Day.

[nspolitics-blog]

While the debate at Lynn University focused on who will be the President of the United States for the next four years, a display in the campus library took a look back. Wayyyyy back. Think buttons from George Washington’s inaugural. Ribbons from Abraham Lincoln’s era. Fans encouraging Americans to “Keep Cool-idge.” Reagan bedroom slippers.

John Clark’s love of political memorabilia dates back to Kennedy and Nixon campaign buttons purchased at a fair in 1960. Since then, he’s amassed a collection that, he notes, spans from George W. to George W. – as in George Washington to George W. Bush.

“I love it because I love history, and I love political history and I love to preserve it,” he told us. “Most of the best collections are in the hands of private collectors because they’re so obsessive and paranoid about getting items and preserving items and keeping them. That’s what I love to do, and I love to put on displays so people can see how campaigns were run in the past 200 years.”

This is Florida, and the Sunshine State was center stage for one of the most historic elections in recent memory: The 2000 campaign that ended in a Florida recount and a Supreme Court decision. Clark says he has one of the voting machines from Palm Beach County that year, and a few of those famous hanging chads.

Photos and text by Karin Caifa (@karincaifaCNN)

[nspolitics-blog]

Here in Washington, taking a photo with President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama is easier than you might think. 

Actually, you can take a photo with any president you want: Obama, Lincoln, Truman, William Howard Taft. It's because Madame Tussauds DC is the home to all 43 men who have served as U.S. presidents (One of our 44 presidents served two non-consecutive terms. Do you know who?) Or, more accurately, their wax figures.

The attraction famous for its eerily-lifelike wax figures has a Washington presidential gallery from President Obama all the way back to George Washington. One that's subject to change every four years.

So what happens to the gallery on November 7th? Will it be updated immediately to reflect the 2012 winner?

Madame Tussauds says each wax figure typically takes 3-6 months to make. And according to the general manager here in Washington, Dan Rogoski, there are two options ready to be implemented.

If President Obama is re-elected, his wax figure will be updated to age and it will be dressed in a new outfit. If Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney wins the election, his wax figure will be placed in the replicated Oval Office room, across from where the President currently stands.

Because of the time it takes to create a new "president" the Romney figure is already in production. As of right now, his head is complete. If he wins the election, the rest of his body will be finished and put on display during the week of his Inauguration in January.

Rogoski says that during the 2008 presidential elections, they released President Obama’s wax figure before he was even elected. "It was a very big risk that we took," Rogoski said. "But the risk worked out for us."

As the sitting commander-in-chief, President Obama is one of the most popular attractions at the museum, says Rogoski. He's also one of the three presidents featured with his wife. (The other two First Couples featured are the Kennedys and the Clintons.) Visitors can get a snapshot with Barack and Michelle Obama, while a "Secret Service agent," looks on, of course.

As the candidates count down to Election Day and the competition heats up, the museum unveiled clay sculptures of the two candidates facing off. The museum also announced an Election Day event just for Kids on November 3rd.

- Photos & text by Samra Khawaja

[nspolitics-blog]

Debate Trivia!

  (Photo: Samra Khawaja/CNN Newsource)

Wednesday is the first presidential debate! Just like the candidates, you can prepare for debate night with our Friday trivia quiz. Questions: 1.) When was the first presidential debate held, and who participated? 2.) It's a common question presidential candidates now pose to voters: "Are you better off than you were four years ago?" Who famously asked that question in a debate's closing remarks, and when? 3.) When was the first three-way presidential general election debate held, and who participated? 4.) Who was the first sitting president to debate a challenger? 5.) In 2008, Republican Sen. John McCain threw the first debate with then-Sen. Barack Obama into question when he said just days before the event that he might skip it. What was his reason? 6.) Upon taking the stage for the 2008 vice presidential debate in St. Louis, McCain's running mate Sarah Palin was heard over an open mic asking then-Sen. Joe Biden a question. What did she ask? 7.) Where can I get the latest info and behind-the-scenes tidbits on what CNN Newsource is covering on Debate Night??? Answers: 1.) The first presidential debate took place on September 26, 1960 between Richard Nixon (R) and John F. Kennedy (D) 2.) Ronald Reagan asked that question in his second debate with incumbent Jimmy Carter in 1980. 3.) The first three-way presidential general election debate took place on October 11, 1992, between Republican incumbent George H.W. Bush, Democrat Bill Clinton and independent Ross Perot. 4.) Then-president Gerald Ford was the first sitting president to agree to debate a challenger, Democrat Jimmy Carter. 5.) Two days before the debate, Sen. McCain announced that he was temporarily suspending his campaign while Congress worked on a plan to ameliorate the economic crisis. On the day of the debate, McCain decided enough progress had been made toward a bailout plan and ultimately attended the debate. 6.) Palin asked Biden, "Can I call you 'Joe'?" 7.) Follow us on Twitter at @CNNNSElections between now and Election Day for the latest from the debates and the trail! Source: CNN