History of ‘Super Tuesday’

Abstract or Introduction

This term paper is about the famous ’Super Tuesday’ in America. First I am going to explain why this topic is interesting for me and then I’ll take a look at the history and what relevance ‘Super Tuesday’ has for the primaries and the candidates. I am going to leave out to explain what primaries and caucasuses are because it would go beyond the scope of this term paper.

I took on this topic because in 2000/2001 I spent one year at an American high school in Wisconsin and lived with a host family. That was the first time I took notice of this day and the primaries in particular. Ever since that, it fascinated me and now I have a chance to find out more about this topic. I arrived in Stevens Point, Wisconsin in August so I did not exactly experience ‘Super Tuesday’, but it was talked about an awful lot in school in my American History class. I was also dragged to a speech of Al Gore in Madison. It was absolutely fascinating but I must admit, I thought the people around me were totally nuts. All this screaming and yelling at this gathering and putting stickers on the car so everybody could see whom they supported. I think Germans cannot understand this hype since we do not get to choose the party’s candidate for an election and I think it is crazy that the primaries take place almost a year ahead of the election in November. Sometimes I do not understand how Americans cannot get sick of this long lasting political back and forth but it was an experience I will cherish forever. And after reading a comment by state Rep. Robert F. Hagan of Youngstown, D-60th, about the primaries and caucuses, who said that “if the Nov. 4 presidential election is the political equivalent of the Super Bowl, then Thursday's Iowa caucuses and the Jan. 8 New Hampshire primary are the opening games. [...]