Definition of the Political Term Dark Horse Candidate

A dark horse candidate was a term coined in the 19th century to refer to a candidate nominated after multiple ballots at a political partys nominating convention. The term has survived beyond its early origins and is still sometimes used in the modern era. The first dark horse candidate in American politics was James K. Polk, who became the nominee of the Democratic Partys convention in 1844 after delegates voted numerous times and the anticipated favorites, including former president Martin Van Buren, could not prevail. The Origin of the Term Dark Horse The phrase dark horse actually derives from horse racing. The most reliable explanation of the term is that trainers and jockeys would sometimes endeavor to keep a very fast horse from public view. By training the horse in the dark they could enter it in a race and place bets at very favorable odds. If the horse won, the betting payoff would thus be maximized. The British novelist Benjamin Disraeli, who would eventually turn to politics and become prime minister, used the term in its original horse-racing usage in the novel The Young Duke: The first favorite was never heard of, the second favorite was never seen after the distance post, all the ten-to-oners were in the race, and a dark horse which had never been thought of rushed past the grandstand in sweeping triumph. James K. Polk, The First Dark Horse Candidate The first dark horse candidate to receive a party nomination was James K. Polk, who emerged from relative obscurity to become the nominee of the Democratic Party at its convention in 1844. Polk, who had served 14 years as a congressman from Tennessee, including a two-year term as speaker of the house, was not even supposed to be nominated at the convention held in Baltimore in late May 1844. The Democrats were expected to nominate Martin Van Buren, who had served one term as president in the late 1830s before losing the 1840 election to the Whig candidate, William Henry Harrison. During the first few ballots at the 1844 convention a stalemate developed between Van Buren and Lewis Cass, an experienced politician from Michigan. Neither man could get the required two-thirds majority necessary to win the nomination. On the eighth ballot taken at the convention, on May 28, 1844, Polk was suggested as a compromise candidate. Polk received 44 votes, Van Buren 104, and Cass 114. Finally, on the ninth ballot there was a stampede for Polk when the New York delegation abandoned hopes for another term for Van Buren, a New Yorker, and voted for Polk. Other state delegations followed, and Polk won the nomination. Polk, who was home in Tennessee, would not know for certain that he had been nominated until a week later. The Dark Horse Polk Caused Outrage The day after Polk was nominated, the convention nominated Silas Wright, a senator from New York, as the vice presidential candidate. In a test of a new invention, the telegraph, Samuel F.B. Morse, had strung wire from the convention hall in Baltimore to the Capitol in Washington, 40 miles away. When Silas Wright was nominated, the news was flashed to the Capitol. Wright, upon hearing it, was outraged. A close ally of Van Buren, he considered the nomination of Polk to be a grave insult and betrayal, and he instructed the telegraph operator in the Capitol to send back a message refusing the nomination. The convention received Wrights message and did not believe it. After a request for confirmation was sent, Wright and the convention passed four messages back and forth. Wright finally sent two congressmen in a wagon to Baltimore to tell the convention emphatically that he would not accept the nomination as vice president. Polks running mate wound up being George M. Dallas of Pennsylvania. The Dark Horse Candidate Was Mocked, But Won the Election Reaction to Polks nomination tended to be surprise. Henry Clay, who had already been nominated as the candidate of the Whig Party, asked, Are our Democratic friends serious in the nominations they have made at Baltimore? Whig Party newspapers mocked Polk, printing headlines asking who he was. But despite the mockery, Polk won the election of 1844. The dark horse had triumphed. While Polk holds the distinction of being the first dark horse candidate for the presidency, other political figures have been called a dark horse as they seemed to emerge from obscurity. Even Abraham Lincoln, who had left politics entirely after serving a term in Congress in the late 1840s, but would win the presidency in 1860, has sometimes been called a dark horse candidate. In the modern era, candidates such as Jimmy Carter and Donald Trump could be considered dark horses simply because they were not taken seriously when they entered the race.

The Incarceration Of The United States - 980 Words

Have you ever questioned about the justice in the United States? Stevenson states that, â€Å"Today we have the highest rate of incarceration in the world. The prison population has increased from 300,000 people in the early 1970s to 2.3 million people today† (15). United States is a modern country that doesn’t serve justice to her citizen? 2.3 million prisoners are just embarrassing the whole country. You might want to know how bad the justice system is and how the heck cause 2.3 million prisoners to be in prison. Our system is defined by an error; which serve justice to the rich and injustice to the poor. It’s common to know that poor and color people are more likely to be convicted if they commit a small crime. We created a system like â€Å"Three strikes and you’re out† to show how strong we can be, and as the result of that, we have created the mass incarceration that no other countries can’t do. We are no better than a beast. We condemn ed the poor because we know they are helpless and we condemned the color people because of racial bias. What does justice really stand for? The justice should be changed in order to prevent mass incarceration in the future and focus on a fairness when it comes to trial. The justice system should be changed before we convict another innocent person. In the Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, written by Bryan, Stevenson points out that the United States is a country that serves an injustice to its people. Just Mercy is a nonfiction bookShow MoreRelatedThe Incarceration Of The United States1519 Words   |  7 Pagesin recent decades, violent crimes in the United States of America have been on a steady decline, however, the number of people in the United States under some form of correctional control is reaching towering heights and reaching record proportions. In the last thirty years, the incarceration rates in the United States has skyrocketed; the numbers roughly quadru pled from around five hundred thousand to more than 2 million people. (NAACP)In a speech on criminal justice at Columbia University, HillaryRead MoreIncarceration Of The United States Essay2335 Words   |  10 PagesEven though the United States makes up just 5% of the world’s population, it houses 25% of the world’s prison population† (Walmsley, 2009). The United States prides itself in being a worldwide leader in just about every category; however, being the world leader in incarceration rights might not be something the United States would be proud about. Incarceration rates in the United States have grown at alarming rates in the past forty years specifically and it has resulted in major overcrowding issuesRead MoreThe Incarceration Of The United States979 Words   |  4 PagesHave you ever question about the justice in the United States? Stevenson states that, â€Å"Today we have the highest rate of incarceration in the world. The prison population has i ncreased from 300,000 people in the early 1970s to 2.3 million people today† (15). Is United States is a modern country that doesn’t serve justice to her citizen? 2.3 million of prisoners are just embarrassing the whole country. You might want to know how bad the justice system is and how the heck cause 2.3 million prisonersRead MoreIncarceration Of The United States1113 Words   |  5 Pages The United States of America has more people incarcerated than any other country on earth, a whopping 2,220,300 adults are currently locked behind bars. We have 500,000 more citizens locked up than China, a country 5 times our population run by an authoritarian government. From 1990 - 2000 the prison population increased by 1,000,000. The main reason for incarceration as a punishment in this country is rehabilitation, or so we have been told. In recent years an industry has developed that revolvesRead MoreThe Incarceration Of The United States1044 Words   |  5 PagesOverview The United States has the highest prison population in the world, with over two million incarcerated (World Prison Brief, 2016), of whom many are juveniles. It is well documented that youths who enter this system are more likely to suffer a host of negative health and lifestyle outcomes, such as alcohol/drug abuse, high school dropout, and mental health problems. Such phenomena occur in stark contrast with the aims of the US juvenile justice system, which supposedly intends to help offendingRead MoreIncarceration Of The United States1957 Words   |  8 Pages Incarceration has been a pending issue amongst western civilization’s history for some time and today continues to raise a wide range of important questions. Incarceration of individuals have become a tremendous tax payer concern along with the incarceration of the drug war, convictions of street gangs, and the rest of the individuals who have broken the law and harmed other innocent individuals. However, the question is always a concern of men incarceration and hardly addressed of women beingRead MoreIncarceration Of The United States3014 Words   |  13 PagesThe United States of America is phrased by many, as being â€Å"the land of the free.† Yet, the Unites States currently has the highest per capita prison population than any other country. The United States makes up only 5% of the world’s population and of that 5%, 25% of our overall nation’s population is currently incarcerated. A few factors that attribute to our high rates of incarceration incl ude, sentencing laws: such as mandatory- minimum sentencing, lack of initial deterrence from crime, the warRead MoreThe Incarceration Of The United States2529 Words   |  11 PagesSince 2002, The United States has had the highest incarceration rate in the world, and many of those imprisoned within the U.S. will be released and rearrested within three years (Langan Levin, 2002). Unfortunately, research has been mixed shown that the time spent in prison does not successfully rehabilitate most inmates, and the majority of criminals return to a life of crime almost immediately. Most experts believe that many prisoners will learn more and better ways to commit crimes while theyRead MoreIncarceration Of The United States1745 Words   |  7 PagesThere are over two million people in the United States behind bars. Incarceration in the US is one of the main forms of punishment that leads nothing after for people when getting out. Every state, city, country, all have laws we citizens obey and go by to do best for our country, but what happens someone violates the law? According to Google’s definition of a felony, it says that felony means, â€Å"a crime, typically one involving violence, regarded as more serious than a misdemeanor, and usually punishableRead MoreIncarceration Of The United States1774 Words   |  8 PagesCurrently the United States holds the leading position for having the largest prison population in the world. Considering this, the cost of re-incarcerating offenders after their release remains notably high to U.S Americans and our society. Recidivism is known as the reimprisonment of an individual that is released from prison but then later returns for being convicted of a new crime. However, there is essential data that proves the drastic reduction in recidivism through academic and vocational

Immunization Programs In New Zealand Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Immunization Programs In New Zealand. Answer: Background The target suggested is the increase in immunizations for communities in New Zealand. The immunization programs are mainly facilitated by the locally approved vaccinators. According to Ministry of Health, (2017) the main vaccinators that are supported for this target include any local programs specifically recommended by a medical health officer of the area or the National Immunization Schedule and nationally endorsed and funded vaccinations for particular groups. The National Immunization Schedule is usually aimed at providing vaccinations against diseases for children aged six weeks to 12 years (Udy, 2008). The rationale for increased immunizations is to ensure the best possible health protection for children and to reduce the prevalence of lethal disease among the younger population. Very young children are usually at most risk of developing diseases since their body immune systems are not exposed to dangerous infectious conditions. If there might emerge infectious and lethal dise ases that are likely to affect other groups, the program has allowed funded vaccinations for particular groups. The coverage of immunization programs for the National Immunization Schedule has seen significant success. For instance, in 2017, their immunization of eligible candidates was well above 80% for most immunization services (Ministry of Health, 2017). The implication is that there are minimal changes that should be made to create an improvement in the immunization prospects. Some of the current HPV related health initiatives in Bay of Plenty area include the Pasifika HPV promotion that focuses on Pacific Islander females using incentives to encourage HPV immunizations. For this target, we focus on a health initiative that is inclusive of children vaccinated under the National Immunization Schedule and older populations. The HPV immunization is government funded and is provided for children at the age of 8 years to 26-year-old young adults. The HPV Immunization Program was initiated as early as 2008. The HPV began as an initiative to help prevent cancer causing HPV infections. The effort started through evaluation of similar strategies that were already commenced overseas. The currently available HPV vaccination is approved by Medsafe to be safe for use on humans. Also up to 125 other countries are using the same immunization and have established that the prevention is long lasting. According to New Zealand Herald, (2011), there are still up to 150 cases of cervical cancer among older women in the entire nation every year. The perception is that the prevalence of disease-causing infections is always relatively high and requires the attention of governmental programs. The main idea behind the HPV virus is to introduce to the body, a non-infectious version of the HPV virus to trigger preventive antibodies that can keep the patient immune from infection. Proposal details The relevance for an increased investment into the implementation of vaccination programs for HPV is that there is a need for most families to understand the reality of cervical cancer and other conditions that the young adult may risk in the event of HPV infection. According to Cancer Society, (2017) HPV is behind 70% of cervical cancer cases and is therefore essential for girls. In fact, the program in 2008 offered free vaccination for girls. However, there is still a high risk of developing other cancers among women and men who contract the virus. This explains the place of controversies against the vaccination with a focus on medications such as Gardasil. New Zealand Herald, (2017) reports that in 2016, the government invested an extra $124 million in HPV vaccinations to increase access to further medication. Even with the progress that the government has made in availing the injection for HPV, there is a need for public education which forms part of the program to implement HPV vaccination correctly. Some of the primary concerns are the public perception of the immunization to be promoting promiscuity and the scepticism that is associated with the cervical smear (Dursun et al., 2009). The approval age for the HPV vaccination requires girls to acquire the immunization as early as possible when their immune systems are stronger than when they get older. However, there are more disparaging statistics that point towards the need to implement vaccination that may work towards improving future healthfully. The Bay of Plenty faces the highest numbers of cancer cases and therefore requires all mechanisms to be undertaken to ensure that the possibility of developing cancer through contracted HPV are reduced. Some of the main issues surrounding the perception include a report that Bay of Plenty shows cancer cases significantly higher than the national mean. The cancer mortality rate is at 140 per 100,000 making it the seventh highest in the nation (New Zealand Herald, 2011). It is thus an imperative to look at the population outlook of cancer cases. According to New Zealand Herald, (2011) the Maori population who are the most deprived report more cases. The implication is that there is a higher correlation between low income and the possibility of developing cancer. Government-funded initiatives to counter cancer and cancer-causing diseases such as HPV, therefore, do not cease in their importance. Next Steps At the bay of plenty, some of the leading programs should be aimed at improving awareness concerning HPV immunization and its importance. Some of the factors to address are the perceptions concerning sexual behaviour about HPV immunization (Dursun et al., 2009). This may involve encouraging safe sexual conduct alongside the promotion of healthy options such as the immunization. Other strategies may involve focusing on the most deprived populations in the Bay of Plenty. For instance, Ministry of Health, (2017) suggests a move to lobby for the DHB to include cancer component in the whanau long-term contracts. Such policy implementations should work towards ensuring that the government is accountable for reducing the cancer prospects at the Bay of Plenty. An important strategy is to fund and implement a provision of HPV immunization freely for both the males and females alongside the promotion of nurse knowledge framework to assist with the efficient implementation of the project (Parkin Bray, 2006). The Bay of Plenty may work towards encouraging funds for initiatives to work on nursing hospices and practitioner training to improve the patient experiences at healthcare centres. Further, there should be an improvement of palliative care and innovation of various prevention plans to deal with HPV and HPV related conditions (Kang et al., 2015). There should be implemented more effective tumour review technology that may help in treating cancers in time. References Ministry of Health. (2017) HPV Vaccine Retrieved from https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/preventative-health-wellness/immunisation/hpv-immunisation-programme/hpv-vaccine Ministry of Health. (2017). National and DHB Immunization data. Retrieved from https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/preventative-health-wellness/immunisation/immunisation-coverage/national-and-dhb-immunisation-data Udy, Carly. (2008 May 2nd). TOP STORY: Cancer Vaccine for Bay Children. New Zealand Herald. Retrieved from https://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503343objectid=10969360 New Zealand Herald. (2017 Jan 31st). Awareness Campaign launched as HPV immunization is extended to year 8 boys. New Zealand Herald. Retrieved from https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1objectid=11792001 New Zealand Herald. (2011, Sep 10th). Bay has the highest cancer rate in NZ. New Zealand Herald. Retrieved from https://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503343objectid=11040619 Waikato DHB. (2017). Regional Services Plan 2016/19 Retrieved from https://waikatodhb-ebooks.co.nz/midlandregional/MidlandDHBsRegionalServicesPlan/files/basic-html/page31.html Toi Te Ora. (2017, April 3rd). Young people urged to get free HPV immunization. Scoop. Retrieved from https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1704/S00009/young-people-urged-to-get-free-hpv-immunisation.htm Cancer Society. (2017). Cervical Cancer. Retrieved from https://cancernz.org.nz/cancer-information/cancer-types/cervical-cancer/ Kang, Y. J., Lewis, H., Smith, M. A., Simonella, L., Neal, H., Bromhead, C., Canfell, K. (2015). Pre-vaccination type-specific HPV prevalence in confirmed cervical high grade lesions in the M?ori and non-M?ori populations in New Zealand. BMC infectious diseases, 15(1), 365. Carter, J. R., Ding, Z., Rose, B. R. (2011). HPV infection and cervical disease: a review. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 51(2), 103-108. Parkin, D. M., Bray, F. (2006). The burden of HPV-related cancers. Vaccine, 24, S11-S25. Dursun, P., Altuntas, B., Kuscu, E., Ayhan, A. (2009). Women's knowledge about human papillomavirus and their acceptance of HPV vaccine. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 49(2), 202-206.