1. JOSEPH P. KLOCK, JR., expert attorney and shareholder with the nationalfirm EPSTEIN BECKER & GREEN in Miami, represented former Florida Secretary ofState Katherine Harris during the 2000 challenge to the Florida Supreme Courtinvolving the Bush campaign seeking manual recounts (Bush v. Gore). Klock wasa key attorney involved in the historic election, in which he successfullyargued two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, where Secretary Harrisultimately prevailed. He is happy to provide commentary on the 2008 elections,what to expect if voting issues trigger a replay of the disputed 2000 electionand related election topics. News Contact: Suzanne Schmidt,[email protected] Phone: +1-305-663-3543 (11/4/08)
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2. DEWAYNE LUCAS, associate professor of political science at HOBART ANDWILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES, is an expert on subjects surrounding the "other"election going on Nov. 4: congressional politics. A keen observer of partisantrends in the House of Representatives, Lucas is acutely aware of the impactof contemporary issues, rules and elections on the actions of America'slegislative chambers. He has observed that while partisanship in the House hasincreased and the two political parties have become more ideological incharacter, they still face challenges in addressing and representing importantaspects of American political culture. In his dissertation, "PartisanPolarization in the House of Representatives: Changes in Issues, Voters orRepresentatives?" Lucas examined three possible explanations for the increasedpartisanship: 1) issues that divide the parties have become more apparent andhave lead to changes in congressional agendas (political agendas); 2) districtideology has become more significant in the selection of representatives(candidate selection); or 3) representatives have become more responsive totheir party's ideology than to their constituency (representative behavior).Lucas continues to be interested in and knowledgeable about the role ofcontemporary political parties in the American legislative process. Hiscurrent research focuses on the ability of moderate ideological factions toshape the actions of the Democratic and Republican parties in the House ofRepresentatives. News Contact: Mary LeClair, [email protected] Phone: +1-315-781-3697 Web site:http://web.hws.edu/news/experts/displayexpert.asp?expertid=26 (10/29/08)
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3. CRAIG A. RIMMERMAN, professor of public policy studies at HOBART ANDWILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES, is an expert in the areas of gay rights, youthactivism and voting habits, and the presidency. As such, he teaches, writesand interviews on some of the nation's hottest issues. Recently quoted in anAP article about Proposition 8 in California, he is the author of severalbooks on gay rights. Rimmerman has detailed his findings on the opinions oftoday's youth in one of his latest books, "The New Citizenship: UnconventionalPolitics, Activism and Service" (third edition, Westview Press, 2005). Hisresearch gives evidence that today's youth have found another path to activismother than through the voting booth, and covers topics such as the Internet asan element of the new citizenship; President Bush's national serviceproposals; and the impact of Sept. 11, 2001, on American civic life. Duringthe Reagan-Bush era, Rimmerman documented how U.S. presidential power hasdangerously expanded through skillful use of the media and appeals tocitizens' hopes beyond the intentions of the constitutional framers. Sincepenning his book, "Presidency by Plebiscite: The Reagan-Bush Era inInstitutional Perspective in 1993," Rimmerman has been a sought-aftercommentator on presidential issues and insightful reflections. Rimmerman holdsPh.D. and master's degrees in political science from the Ohio StateUniversity, and a bachelor's degree in political science and English fromMiami University. News Contact: Mary LeClair, [email protected] Phone: +1-315-781-3697 Web site:http://web.hws.edu/news/experts/displayexpert.asp?expertid=31 (10/29/08)
4. KEVIN EIKENBERRY, best-selling author and leadership expert, can discussthe leadership skills of each major party nominee: "While the ability to leadisn't the only measure of a remarkable president, it's certainly a factor toconsider when making the decision between candidates." Eikenberry can alsospeak to the leadership strengths of former presidents and the leadershiplessons business leaders can learn from presidential politics. He recentlyreleased a special report, "Remarkable Leadership and American Presidents,"which can be accessed at the link listed below. News Contact: Jenny Pratt,[email protected] Phone: +1-317-387-1424, ext. 2 Web site:http://www.remarkablepresidents.com (10/22/08)
5. IVA DEUTCHMAN, Ph.D., professor of political science at HOBART AND WILLIAMSMITH COLLEGES, is an expert on the voting trends and impact of groups, suchas conservative Christians and women, and is watching this historical electionunfold with great interest -- and input. Following the first two debates,Deutchman said: "I thought Obama did very well. I wasn't surprised, but I amsure others were, by how smart he was on foreign policy (his superiority onthe economic issues was a given). Were I McCain, I would be a most unhappyfellow right now. I'm surprised public opinion veered so decisively towardBiden. It's not that he didn't do the better job; he did. But publicexpectations before the debate of Palin were so low that I honestly thoughtshe'd be declared the victor if she showed up and didn't fall flat on herface. Obviously, the public is smarter than I've given them credit for being:they have both declared Biden the winner and said Palin did better thanexpected. Both are clearly true. This represents a sophisticated publicanalysis. Good for us." Deutchman, a professor of 20-plus years, has written along list of publications in major journals, the latest of which are"Fundamentalist Christians, Raunch Culture and Post-Industrial Capitalism"(Journal of Religion and Popular Culture, 2008), and "Five Factions, TwoParties: Caucus Membership in the House of Representatives, 1994-2002"(Congress and the Presidency, Spring 2009) with associate professor DeWayneLucas. She has been cited in The New York Times, Christian Science Monitor,Washington Post, Time magazine, USA Today and the Philadelphia Inquirer. Shehas appeared live on National Public Radio programs, as well as dozens ofothers local radio shows throughout the U.S. and Australia. News Contacts:Mary LeClair, [email protected] Phone: +1-315-781-3697, and Cindy McVey,[email protected] Web site:http://web.hws.edu/news/experts/displayexpert.asp?expertid=19 (10/15/08)
6. JEAN HARRIS, Ph.D., chair of the department of political science andassociate professor of political science at the UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON, candiscuss the history and evolving roles of first ladies and vice presidents:"Do first ladies matter? Absolutely, the marital relationship provides someinsight into a candidate's decision-making process, personality and genderrole ideology, which also sends us signs of potential policy positions. CindyMcCain, who claims she won't be involved in decisions, surely would beinvolved because, at other times, she is the only person McCain can reallytrust. Michelle Obama will be similarly involved in decisions. The vicepresident is much more than a heartbeat away from the presidency. The vicepresident's job as an integral part of the administration begins the day ofthe inauguration. Since Jimmy Carter's presidency, the norm has been forpresidential candidates to select running mates they believe are competent tobe president, but, more importantly, with whom they can work well and delegateresponsibilities." Harris can also address: 1. The media's treatment of womencandidates, elected officials and first ladies; 2. Lack of women candidates,especially on the national level; 3. The vice presidential selection process.News Contacts: Stan Zygmunt, [email protected] Phone: +1-570-941-7662,and Bill Johnson, [email protected] Phone: +1-212-734-2190 (10/15/08)
7. LEONARD CHAMPNEY, Ph.D., professor of political science at the UNIVERSITYOF SCRANTON, has extensive experience in survey research and has taughtquantitative methods, American politics and public policy. He can discuss whyPennsylvania remains a battleground state: "The Republican candidate has notcarried Pennsylvania since 1988, when Bush edged Dukakis by two points. Sen.Obama needs to reinforce his lead in the state by using Pennsylvania Sen. BobCasey, who is widely known and respected and who, with Biden, can keepdrilling home the idea that Obama is one of us." Champney can discuss: 1. Theimpact of Gov. Sarah Palin on Pennsylvania voters; 2. The history ofPennsylvania as a battleground state, and demographics of the state in the2008 election; 3. What the polls are revealing during this election season,especially in Pennsylvania; 4. The issue of race in the 2008 election. NewsContacts: Stan Zygmunt, [email protected] Phone: +1-570-941-7662, andBill Johnson, [email protected] Phone: +1-212-734-2190 (10/15/08)
8. DR. DAVID GRUDER, seasoned psychologist, speaker, trainer, author andnonpartisan integrity analyst, can discuss the role of government in thiscritical election: "In advocating for smaller government, many conservativesrepeatedly refer to the following phrase in the preamble of the United StatesConstitution: 'provide for the common defense.' They repeat this phrase aspart of trying to make a case that the main role of government is defense andthat government expenses should primarily be limited to this function. This isa great example of spin. This form of spin involves stating the truth out ofcontext in order to manipulate someone into a desired position because statingthe whole truth would fail to do this nearly as effectively." Gruder is authorof the double-award-winning book, "The New IQ: How Integrity IntelligenceServes You, Your Relationships, and Our World" (Elite Books/EPP, January2008). Editor's Note: Gruder has a profile listed in the ProfNet ExpertsDatabase. To view the profile, log on at http://www.profnet.com. News Contact:Ms. "Sam" Jernigan, [email protected] Phone: +1-530-362-1339 (PDT) Website: http://www.TheNewIQ.com/blog (10/1/08)
9. TED MORGAN, professor of political science at LEHIGH UNIVERSITY, is anexpert in political sociology, democratic theory, and propaganda and masscommunications. He has spoken extensively with media on topics including themodern civil rights movement and the impact of racism and sexism on thepresidential election. News Contact: Tricia Long, [email protected] Phone: +1-610-758-4644 (10/1/08)
10. ZIAD MUNSON, assistant professor of sociology at LEHIGH UNIVERSITY andexpert in the mobilization of social movements, can discuss politicalsociology and how movements impact political elections. Munson's expertise isin conservative movements and movements in the Middle East. He can also speakextensively on the pro-life movement, political violence and terrorism, andAmerican civic engagement. News Contact: Tricia Long, [email protected] Phone:+1-610-758-4644 (10/1/08)
11. LAURA OLSON, professor of political science at LEHIGH UNIVERSITY, canspeak about presidential wives and the politics of their time. She can discussthe historic role of the first lady and how that role is playing out in the2008 presidential election. News Contact: Tricia Long, [email protected]: +1-610-758-4644 (10/1/08)
12. JESS BARRON, "Barroness" of Internet Politics, is a news and pop culturejunkie, spending her days immersed in headlines for the Internet's number onenews site, YAHOO! NEWS. She is also the resident online political expert atYahoo! News and she's available to offer her up-to-the-minute insights on theever-changing political landscape online. Barron is constantly keeping tabs onthe online political arena, from the candidates' Web tactics to the latestways everyday people are embracing the Internet to address their own politicalagendas. She currently works with the Yahoo! Elections team and has her fingeron the pulse of this exciting campaign and the candidates. Barron is based inLos Angeles. News Contact: Nerissa R. Silao, [email protected] Phone: +1-310-874-9230 (9/25/08)
13. JOSEPH M. KNIPPENBERG, professor of politics at OGLETHORPE UNIVERSITY inAtlanta, is an adjunct fellow of the Ashbrook Center for Public Affairs atAshland University in Ashland, Ohio, where he contributes to the No Left Turnsblog. He is also a contributing editor to The City: A Journal of ChristianThought, published by Houston Baptist University. His articles and essays haveappeared in The Weekly Standard, The City, Claremont Review of Books, AtlantaJournal-Constitution, Marietta Daily Journal, and on the Web sites of FirstThings and The American Spectator. Knippenberg is also the author of numerousscholarly articles and reviews. His areas of specialization include politicalphilosophy, and religion and politics. News Contact: Denise L. Peroune,[email protected] Phone: +1-404-364-8329 Web site:http://noleftturns.ashbrook.org (9/25/08)
14. DR. J. WESLEY LECKRONE, assistant professor of government and politics atWIDENER UNIVERSITY in Chester, Pa., teaches courses on legislative and publicpolicy, in addition to interest group politics. He has written widely onlobbying and its effect on American politics. News Contact: Allyson Roberts,[email protected] Phone: +1-610-499-4244 (9/25/08)
15. DR. JIM VIKE, associate dean of social science at WIDENER UNIVERSITY inChester, Pa., teaches courses on the American presidency and Americanpolitical parties related to elections. He is a strong advocate for engagingAmerica's youth in politics, and has written about and discussed in the mediathe youth vote. He heads up a political engagement committee at Widener, whichhas spearheaded group watch events for the upcoming debates. They are expectedto draw a large portion of the student body and faculty members to help engagethe university community in the issues at the heart of the election. NewsContact: Allyson Roberts, [email protected] Phone: +1-610-499-4244(9/25/08)
16. WILBUR C. RICH, William R. Kenan Jr., Professor of Political Science inthe Department of Political Science, WELLESLEY COLLEGE: "Although we have afew days left, the race is getting tighter. If one of the candidates reaches49 percent to something less than 45 percent for the other, there could bepanic in the campaign. In that case, the debates will be critical. Candidatescan lose it in a debate. A mistake in the debate can be fatal (e.g., GeraldFord in 1976). Being articulate and able to make paragraphs in debates may bereassuring to the media, but the American people do not elect presidents basedon the quality of their rhetoric (e.g., John Kerry vs. George W. Bush in2004). They want to connect with the candidates. Finally, the economy willcontinue to be a critical issue. This should be an advantage to the Democrats.However, the Republicans fuzzle up this issue and win." (9/17/08)
17. Following are experts from the UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON who can comment onwhat Obama and McCain should know about Ohio:
-- FORMER OHIO GOV. BOB TAFT, distinguished education research associate, isan expert on education issues, politics and Ohio: "Ohio has lost a lot ofjobs, but many employers are struggling to find workers to fill skilled jobs.Both candidates should be more specific about how they will retrain workersfor today's jobs and upgrade the skills of the current workforce. This is asafety net issue for Ohio workers and a competitiveness issue for Ohio in theglobal economy."
-- CHRISTOPHER DUNCAN, professor and chair of the Department of PoliticalScience, is an expert on American political culture and Christianity andAmerican politics: "Barack Obama struck the right note in the primaries byfocusing on the manufacturing jobs leaving Ohio, but, at some point, he'sgoing to have to offer a solution. He needs to be specific about where newjobs will be coming from. McCain has to focus on sincerity and real plaintalk. He is not going to be able to make a case that he represents a radicaldeparture from the policies of President Bush, but he can represent adeparture from the tone."
-- NANCY MARTORANO, associate political science professor, is an expert onurban and southern politics, political parties and interest groups: "The keyto an Obama or McCain win in November will be the ability of each campaign torecreate on the ground in Ohio what Gov. Ted Strickland and Sen. Sherrod Browndid in the 2006 election cycle. They crisscrossed the state 'getting to know'voters and, more importantly, allowing voters to 'get to know' them. Whichevercandidate does this best will win the votes of Ohio voters."
-- RICHARD STOCK, director of UD's Business Research Group, is an expert onthe economy: "While recent job loss comes on the heels of three years of jobgrowth for the rest of the country, Ohio never recovered the jobs lost in the2000 to 2003 period. The recent downturn for the economy as a whole feels likegetting hit with a two-by-four for a fighter still on their knees from thelast punch."
-- JIM DURHAM, law professor, is an expert on the mortgage and foreclosurecrisis: "Ohio was one of eight states with foreclosure start rates higher thanthe national average this quarter, and it's higher than last year. There isstill a downward trend in house sale prices, but that activity is decent,which is a good sign that people are in the market. The foreclosure crisis mayget worse, however, as there still are a huge number of adjustable-ratemortgages that are going to reset in 2009 and 2010. Ohioans want to hear thecandidates' answers on how they will deal with the overall mortgage marketsand foreclosures, something neither of them is talking much about."
-- RICHARD SAPHIRE, constitutional law professor, is an expert on votingrights and resulting lawsuits: "Since the 2004 election, Ohio has transitionedaway from punch-card machines to electronic equipment. If the recent past isany guide, in Ohio and elsewhere, we should still be on the lookout forproblems and breakdowns in the equipment. Given the expected large turnout inNovember, there is also the question of whether especially urban precinctshave provided sufficient equipment and training to handle perhaps larger-than-expected turnouts at the polls. To some extent, these issues may beameliorated by the expected large number of absentee voters." Saphire candiscuss other issues that warrant attention: 1. The operation of Ohio's voterID requirement and how well the use of provisional balloting works for thosewhose IDs or qualifications are challenged at the polls. 2. Ohio is in theprocess of determining how registration rolls will be "cleared" of peoplewhose registration is questioned. 3. There still is a possibility that OhioRepublicans may mount a legal challenge to Ohio Secretary of State JenniferBrunner's directives that allow some people to register and vote on the sameday.
-- REV. JOHN PUTKA, S.M., political science lecturer, is an expert on Americanpolitical systems, legislative politics, and church and state issues: "Ohio isa bellwether state, and no Republican has ever won an election without winningOhio. Pay special attention to Dayton, as Montgomery County has an uncannyability to vote the way the entire state votes in presidential elections, andby the same percentage."
-- GRANT NEELEY, associate political science professor, is an expert on votingbehavior, public opinion, and political behavior: "Values voters received alot of attention in 2004 for putting Ohio in Bush's column, but we're in adifferent economic time. If you're a strong partisan, you know who you'regoing to vote for. The challenge for the candidates is to reach those peoplewho are still making a decision and I think, for most of them, it's going tobe questions of the economy, especially in Ohio."
-- ALEX ORLOWSKI, co-author of the nationally published "Millennials TalkPolitics" study and senior sociology/political science student, is an experton youth in politics: "Today's youth are tired of the stereotypical Washingtonback-door dealings and party politics and are calling for change in D.C.'Change' is the one word that Sens. Obama and McCain keep repeating throughoutthis election. It seems the candidates are realizing the power of the youthvote and listening to the reports that say we may constitute up to 25 percentof the electorate this November."
News Contact: Cameron Fullam, [email protected] Phone: +1-937-229-3256 (9/17/08)
18. BRIAN T. PALLASCH is the president of the American League of Lobbyists,whose 900 members include representatives from corporations, labor unions,interest groups and trade associations. He can discuss a wide range ofelection-related topics, including campaign finance, the role of PACs and howlobbyists are being made scapegoats by both major presidential candidates:"While professional lobbyists may be a convenient election-year punching bagfor the presidential campaigns, the role they play in representingconstituencies in shaping legislation and educating elected officials to thepros and cons of a bill improves our government process. While most averageAmericans may not realize it, they have lobbyists representing their variedinterests, from AAA's advocacy for highway safety to AARP, whose lobbyistsadvocate for our aging population." News Contact: Tom Butler,[email protected] Phone: +1-212-685-4600, and Stu Miller,[email protected] (9/17/08)
19. SEAN D. FOREMAN, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science in theDepartment of History and Political Science at BARRY UNIVERSITY in Miami: "Iview politics and this presidential election from the center of the politicalspectrum. There are no free passes for candidates and their supporters on theleft or on the right of the political divide." Foreman can clarify and expandon political occurrences in a way that both casual observers and hardcorepolitical junkies can appreciate and understand. (9/17/08)
20. JEFFREY BERRY, professor of political science at TUFTS UNIVERSITY,specializes in American politics and political behavior. He is one of thenation's top experts on interest groups, citizen participation and policymaking. He is exceptionally knowledgeable on presidential history and canprovide a thorough assessment on media coverage of the Bush administration.Berry teaches on the presidency, the United States Congress, urban politicsand elections. News Contact: Alexander Reid, [email protected] Phone:+1-617-627-4173 (9/17/08)
21. JAMES M. GLASER, professor at TUFTS UNIVERSITY, specializes in electoralpolitics, public opinion and the politics of race and ethnicity. He candiscuss the presidential campaign in general and can also offer a particularperspective on election politics as the candidates' focus turns towardssouthern states. His most recent book, "The Hand of the Past in ContemporarySouthern Politics" (Yale University Press, 2005), received the SouthernPolitical Science Association's V.O. Key Prize awarded to the best book insouthern politics. News Contact: Alexander Reid, [email protected]: +1-617-627-4173 (9/17/08)
22. WARREN GOLDSTEIN, chair of the History Department in the UNIVERSITY OFHARTFORD's College of Arts and Sciences, can talk about the historicalsignificance of this election. He is a frequent contributor to the HuffingtonPost and other media outlets. News Contact: Meagan Fazio, [email protected]: +1-860-768-4330 Web site: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/warren-goldstein (9/17/08)
23. DR. REBECCA DEEN, associate professor and chair of the Department ofPolitical Science at the UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON: "Sen. McCain wastrying to accomplish many goals with the pick of Gov. Palin: to reach out tohis conservative base and working-class independent voters, some of whom votedfor Sen. Clinton, and to re-establish his maverick brand, taking back the'change' message from the Obama/Biden ticket. This was going to be difficultfor McCain, as many of these goals are contradictory -- social conservativeissues of abortion and gay marriage are not necessarily the priorities of theindependent and moderate voter. The choice of Palin was certainly successfulat erasing the so-called enthusiasm gap; many social conservatives are verypleased by the pick. It wasn't without risk, however, as some socialconservatives question her family choices and as independent voters learn moreabout her issue positions. One question will be whether the Obama/Biden ticketcan craft a strategy to raise these doubts while avoiding the sexism chargethe Republicans are already leveling against the governor's critics. Anotherwill be how Palin fares on the debate and unscripted news conference stages."Deen can address the role of sex and race/ethnicity, the candidates' positionson the major issues, vice-presidential candidates, and the role of faith. NewsContact: Sue Stevens, [email protected] Phone: +1-817-272-3317 (9/11/08)
24. ALLAN SAXE, associate professor of political science at the UNIVERSITY OFTEXAS AT ARLINGTON: "The campaign issues this election season are ofimportance, but more so the personalities. So many persons are emotionallycommitted to Sen. Obama that it may not make a big difference what hisposition on many issues is all about. The Republicans have energized theircampaign for the presidency amazingly, with Sen. McCain being able to distancehimself from President Bush and also the choice of a woman for his vice-presidential post. The election may hinge on some big external events not yetforeseen. But, likely, the Democrats will benefit from the unpopularity of theBush administration, big efforts at Democratic Party registration, mobilizingcollege campuses while keeping identity voters intact." News Contact: SueStevens, [email protected] Phone: +1-817-272-3317 (9/11/08)
25. Following are experts from EMORY UNIVERSITY:
-- ALAN I. ABRAMOWITZ is the Alben W. Barkley Professor of Political Sciencewhose "time for change" forecasting model predicts that Democratic nomineeSen. Barack Obama will win the majority of the national major party popularvote by 54.3 percent vs. 45.7 percent for Sen. John McCain. His forecast hascorrectly predicted the popular vote winner within two percentage points orless in every presidential election since 1988: "While factors outside of themodel, such as rising partisan polarization and resistance to an African-American candidate by some white voters, may result in a somewhat smallerpopular vote margin for the Democratic nominee, the combination of anunpopular Republican incumbent in the White House, a weak economy, and asecond-term election make a Democratic victory in November all but certain."Web site: http://www.emory.edu/home/news/releases/2008/09/election-forecast-predicts-bama.html
-- MERLE BLACK, Ph.D., the Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Politics andGovernment, is a renowned expert on national politics and the foremostauthority on politics in the South. One the nation's most incisivecommentators, Black is co-author of "Divided America: The Ferocious PowerStruggle in American Politics": "The Republicans are in better shape now thanthey were before the convention. It has now become a competitive race. TheDemocrats are clearly the favorites, but I would not be surprised if theRepublicans win. There is a chance for an upset. The campaigns in the next twomonths will tell the story, and it will be very important how the candidatesdo in the debates."
-- ANDRA GILLESPIE is an assistant professor of political science whoseresearch looks at political mobilization and race, as well as competitionbetween minority groups and post Civil Rights-era black leadership: "The race,while always competitive, is definitely on now and closer than it should be,given the rough economy, the war and widespread disapproval of the currentadministration. The election may come down to who has the best ground game inthe battleground states."
-- DREW WESTEN, psychology professor, is author of "The Political Brain: TheRole of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation." Since its publication,Westen has attracted widespread attention from the public, media and politicalparty leadership, and has served as a consultant and advisor to numerouscampaigns: "The only way the Democrats could lose the election is if theyallow it to become a referendum on Barack Obama, instead of the Republicanlegacy of the last eight years and McCain and Palin's determination tocontinue it. Don't, however, underestimate the Democrats' ability to seizedefeat from the jaws of victory."
News Contact: Beverly Clark, [email protected] Phone: +1-404-275-4771Web site: http://www.emory.edu/home/news/releases/politics.html (9/11/08)
26. DR. RICHARD BRAKE, director of University Stewardship at theINTERCOLLEGIATE STUDIES INSTITUTE (ISI), is an expert on the youth vote.According to a recent American civic literacy study from ISI, the nation'scollege students are lacking in knowledge about America's history andinstitutions and are subsequently ill-prepared for the upcoming election: "Itis quite disheartening to learn that America's colleges are failing to advancestudents' knowledge of American civics and, consequently, not preparing theseyoung voters to be engaged citizens. These students are then expected to go tothe polls on Election Day to make informed decisions about the futureleadership of this country. How can they exercise judgment and wisdom withoutbasic knowledge of American history, government, economics and foreignpolicy?" News Contact: Melissa Torra, [email protected] Phone: +1-212-725-4500, ext. 319 (9/11/08)
27. ALBERT CLAYTON GAULDEN is an author, transpersonal psychologist anddirector of the SEDONA INTENSIVE, an internationally renowned personaltransformation program. Gaulden did election predictions on "ABC World News"prior to the last election. Simon & Schuster is releasing his third book onDec. 2.: "The candidate who stays proactive with a solid plan for change willwin the election. We have turned a corner with resistance to a black man or awoman of any color as president. The viability of an African-Americanpresident, as well as the possibility of a middle-class soccer mom becomingvice president, is as real as rain. Not least of which is the issue of faith -- no matter who or how each of us worships, this is a nation of faithfollowers -- the election will be decided by men, women and young voters offaith, so help me, God." News Contact: Jeanna Zelin, [email protected]: +1-480-298-0928 (9/11/08)
28. KATE KELLY, historian and author of "Election Day: An American Holiday,An American History": "Election Day has always been a key date and moment inAmerican history. This year -- with the economy and fighting in Iraq andAfghanistan all huge issues -- America's vote on Nov. 4 is sure to behistoric. The 2008 presidential election between Barack Obama and John McCainwill be historic, as the first black presidential candidate runs against atrue American hero. However, each Election Day has its place in Americanhistory and each has its own interesting stories. From the very firstpresidential election, the first use of voting machines, blacks and womengaining the right to vote, the Kennedy-Nixon TV debate, Vietnam, the Bush-Goreelection decided by the Supreme Court in 2000, and now Iraq/Afghanistan andour current economy, the events leading to Election Day and the results ofelections have had a huge influence on American history." News Contact: JohnGoodman, [email protected] Phone: +1-914-793-1277 (9/11/08)
29. DON MARUSKA, author of "How Great Decisions Get Made": "Are you smarterthan a politician? Our broken political system may be good theater, but it'smaking us dumb." Maruska can discuss how pundits and partisans feed thegladiator dynamics, which draw upon our primitive "fight or flight" brain andshut down our creative and collaborative capabilities. News Contact: MichelleTennant, [email protected] Phone: +1-828-749-3200 (9/11/08)
30. DAVID NORCROSS, partner at BLANK ROME LLP, chairman of the RepublicanNational Convention's Committee on Arrangements for the 2004 RepublicanConvention in NYC, and current chairman of the Republican National Committee'sStanding Committee on Rules, is available to comment on primaries(scheduling), political conventions (what goes right, what goes wrong), andgenerally on the 2008 presidential election. Norcross led efforts concerning,and can also discuss, the "Ohio Plan" -- to address the scheduling ofpresidential primaries and caucuses (taken up by the Standing Committee onRules, full Republican National Committee, and Convention Rules Committee inthe days leading up to this year's convention). News Contact: Tania Zamorsky,[email protected], Phone: +1-212-725-4500, ext. 310 (9/11/08)
31. DAVID PIETRUSZA, an expert on the history and background of U.S.elections, is author of "1920: The Year of the Six Presidents" and the just-published "1960: LBJ vs. JFK vs. Nixon: The Epic Campaign That Forged ThreePresidencies." He can discuss the official history of these and otherelections, the stories from the underbelly of these events, and similaritiesbetween earlier 20th century U.S. elections and what is going on now in 2008.His body of historical work has garnered media attention from such outlets asthe New York Times, Newsweek, NPR, C-SPAN, US News & World Report and theWashington Post. Pietrusza, a veteran of national radio, is available forinterviews and presentations. News Contact: Patricia McLaughlin,[email protected] Phone: +1-212-832-8183 (9/11/08)
32. Following are experts from WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY in Middletown, Conn.:
-- ELVIN LIM, assistant professor of government, is author of the recentlypublished book, "The Anti-Intellectual Presidency: The Decline of PresidentialRhetoric from George Washington to George W. Bush." He can discusspresidential speeches, oratory, political communication, the presidency, themedia and political campaigns. Web site: http://blog.oup.com/2008/09/palin
-- DOUGLAS FOYLE, associate professor of government, is author of "Countingthe Public in: Presidents, Public Opinion, and Foreign Policy." He can discusspublic opinion, polling, elections and foreign policy.
-- MELANYE PRICE, assistant professor of government, can discuss race, gender,media and the presidential campaign.
News Contact: Corrina Kerr, [email protected] Phone: +1-860-685-3813(9/11/08)
33. STUART CRANDELL, Ph.D., is the senior vice president and global practiceleader of Leadership Assessment Services at PERSONNEL DECISIONS INTERNATIONAL(PDI), a global leadership consulting firm in Minneapolis. He is thespokesperson for NextNationalCEO.com, a Web site designed by PDI that allowsvisitors to rate the leadership characteristics of the VP and presidentialcandidates. Crandell can address how people are rating the candidates and howleadership characteristics are used to rate candidates (in this election andin business). He can discuss why rating leadership qualities (in addition totheir party platforms or views on issues) is an important part of a fullassessment of a person or candidate. News Contact: Jen Jorgensen,[email protected] Phone: +1-404-266-7538 (9/11/08)
34. Following are election experts from the UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN:
-- ERIC MCDANIEL is an assistant professor in the Department of Governmentwhose research areas include religion and politics, African-American politicsand organizational behavior. His work targets how and why African-Americanreligious institutions choose to become involved in political matters. Inaddition, his work targets the role of religious institutions in shapingAfrican-American political behavior.
-- TASHA PHILPOT, assistant professor in the Department of Government,specializes in African-American politics, public opinion and politicalbehavior, political communication and political parties. Her research examinesthe consequences of using racial images in political communication. She is theauthor of "Inclusion or Illusion? The Politics and Process of Party ImageChange."
-- DARON SHAW, associate professor in the Department of Government, serves onthe editorial board for American Politics Research and on the nationaldecision team for Fox News. He was a strategist during the 2000 and 2004presidential election campaigns.
-- PAUL STEKLER is professor of radio, TV and film in the Center for Politicsand Governance, LBJ School of Public Affairs. Stekler has created severalpolitical documentaries, including "Last Man Standing," "George Wallace:Settin' the Woods on Fire" and "Vote for Me: Politics in America," aboutgrassroots electoral politics. He is an expert in Southern politics, politicalcampaigns, political advertising, and how polls affect campaigns and campaignmessaging.
-- MARK McKINNON, adjunct professor of public affairs, is a former senioradvisor to President Bush and is currently the vice chairman of PublicStrategies, Inc. He has advised more than 100 corporate and politicalcampaigns in the United States, Latin America and Africa. He specializes ncampaigns and elections, the presidency and American political parties.
-- DANIEL S. HAMERMESH, centennial professor of economics, studies howattractiveness plays a part in winning an election and the effect of beauty onsalary. He also researches a wide range of economic issues, including thenational and Texas economy, time management and changing work habits based ongeography and hours worked (e.g., night shift vs. day shift).
-- REBECCA BIGLER, professor in the Department of Psychology and director ofthe Gender and Racial Attitudes Lab, researches gender and racial attitudesand the formation of stereotypes. She has examined children's views of theU.S. presidency related to race, gender and ethnicity. She can discuss thepotential for Barack Obama to break the pattern of white males serving in thepresidency.
-- RODERICK P. HART, professor of communication studies and director of theAnnette Strauss Institute for Civic Participation, studies politics and themass media. He is the author of 12 books, the most recent of which is"Political Keywords: Using Language That Uses Us." He also is the director ofthe Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Participation, which conducts researchinto how civic participation and community understanding are undermined orsustained, and develops programs to increase democratic understanding amongcitizens.
-- SEAN THERIAULT, assistant professor in the Department of Government,researches party polarization in the U.S. Congress and the differences betweenelected officials' goals, ideas, and attitudes and those of theirconstituencies. He examines the ethical considerations presented when theviewpoints of constituents and their representatives don't connect. He is theauthor of "The Power of the People: Congressional Competition, PublicAttention, and Voter Retribution."
-- JAMES K. GALBRAITH, Lloyd M. Bentsen Jr. Chair in Government/BusinessRelations and professor of government, is a former executive director of theJoint Economic Committee in the US Congress (1981-82) and has held manysimilar advising positions throughout his career. Galbraith is qualified tospeak on macroeconomic policy, monetary policy, economic development policyand economic inequality.
-- KENNETH S. FLAMM, Dean Rusk Chair in International Affairs, is currently asenior research fellow at The University of Texas at Austin's IC2 Instituteand holds several positions at the National Research Council and the NationalAcademy of Sciences. An economist by training, Flamm specializes in the post-Cold War defense industry, international trade and technology policy.
-- ROBERT H. WILSON, associate dean for Academic Affairs and Research and MikeHogg Professor in Urban Policy, received his Ph.D. in urban and regionalplanning from the University of Pennsylvania and has conducted extensiveresearch on regional development policies in both Brazil and the UnitedStates. He specializes in urban and regional policy, public policy in Brazil,local governance in developing countries and community development.
-- JULIAN VASQUEZ HEILIG, assistant professor in the Department of EducationalAdministration, completed a study this month that indicates the No Child LeftBehind legislation actually has increased high-school dropout rates. Hisresearch focuses on the effects of high-stakes testing on minorities in urbanschools, the achievement gap between students of color and white students, andequity in higher education. He is a founding member of the Texas Center forEducation Policy.
-- JENNIFER JELLISON HOLMES, assistant professor in the Department ofEducational Administration, has done research that shows NCLB and schoolvouchers have exacerbated the problem of poverty concentration in urban schooldistricts and perpetuated inferior education opportunities for low-incomefamilies and students of color.
-- ANGELA VALENZUELA is an associate professor in the Department of Curriculumand Instruction, Center for Mexican American Studies, and an associate vicepresident of the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement. She hasstudied the effects of No Child Left Behind on Latino students' academicachievement and researched urban school reform, how ethnicity shapes ideas ofeducation and education policy. She is in Mexico now researching ways toimprove educational outcomes for Latino immigrant students who come to theU.S., and is the author of "Subtractive Schooling: U.S. Mexican Youth and thePolitics of Caring" and editor of "Leaving Children Behind: How Texas-StyleAccountability Fails Latino Youth."
-- CHARLES GROAT, professor in the Department of Geological Sciences anddirector of the Center for International Energy & Environmental Policy, is theformer director of the U.S. Geological Survey under Presidents Clinton andBush. He focuses on forging balanced energy and environmental policy, nuclearenergy policy and nuclear waste, development of domestic energy reserves, andmanagement of coastal ecosystems and wetlands, with particular emphasis onpost-Katrina Louisiana. Groat formerly directed the Louisiana Geologic Survey.
-- MICHAEL WEBBER is an assistant professor in the Department of MechanicalEngineering and associate director of the Center for International Energy &Environmental Policy. Webber, who has been tracking the energy andenvironmental stances of presidential contenders, focuses on all aspects ofenergy policy. He has written op-eds for major newspapers on a range of energytopics, including U.S.-China energy relations, the future of clean coal, mythsabout green energy, energy security, energy efficiency and the potential forTexas to lead the U.S. in green energy.
-- SCOTT TINKER, director of the Bureau of Economic Geology, state geologistof Texas and president-elect of the Association of American PetroleumGeologists, leads an organization managing a wide range of projects in energyand the environment, from carbon sequestration to water sustainability and oiland gas exploration. A regular op-ed contributor on energy topics, he is anexpert on global energy reserves, the bridge to future energy sources, cleancoal, carbon capture and storage, energy policy and economic models for carbontrading.
-- ERIC BARRON, dean of the Jackson School of Geosciences and an expert onclimate modeling, has advised two presidents on climate change and headedseveral national commissions on climate, climate modeling and earthobservation. He is chairman of the Consortium on Ocean Leadership, thecountry's coordinating organization for joint oceanographic research. He canspeak on all aspects of climate change and modeling. Barron is familiar withcurrent research on sea-level rise, polar ice conditions and energy policy,among many earth science topics.
-- SUSAN RIEFF, director of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, is theformer policy director for land stewardship at the National WildlifeFederation and has more than 20 years of experience crafting nationalenvironmental policy and implementing environmental legislation, most recentlyat NWF.
-- GRETCHEN RITTER, professor in the Department of Government and director ofthe Center for Women's and Gender Studies, studies the role of gender inAmerican politics, constitutional development and the impact of work-familyissues on gender equity. She is the author of "The Constitution as SocialDesign: Gender and Civic Membership in the American Constitutional Order."
-- JOSH BUSBY, assistant professor of public affairs, is an expert in globalpolicy and has a forthcoming book, entitled "States of Grace: Moral Movementsand Foreign Policy." He specializes in climate change and energy policy,HIV/AIDS, international development, international organizations and globalpublic health.
-- ALAN J. KUPERMAN, assistant professor of public affairs, has been anadvisor to many American political leaders, including Sen. Chuck Schumer andformer House Speaker Thomas Foley. He specializes in global policy,specifically ethnic conflict, military intervention, nuclear proliferation,humanitarian intervention and foreign policy.
-- CAMILLE PARMESAN is an associate professor of the Section of IntegrativeBiology. Her research focuses on impacts of climate change in the 20th centuryon wildlife, particularly on butterfly range shifts. She was involved inmultiple aspects of the United Nations' Third Assessment Report of theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and served as a reviewer forthe fourth IPCC report.
-- MARV SHEPHERD, professor at the College of Pharmacy, studies economics andpharmacy issues, including pharmaceutical marketing and pricing policies andprescription drugs from Mexico and Canada. He has testified several timesbefore the U.S. Congress on the importation of drugs.
-- KING DAVIS, professor at the School of Social Work, specializes in mentalhealth policies and services, particularly for people of color and the historyof public mental health care for people of color. He was appointed in 2007 toa three-year term on the Center for Mental Health Services National AdvisoryCouncil. The council makes recommendations to the U.S. Secretary of theDepartment of Health and Human Services in the areas of substance abuse andmental health care services with the ultimate goal of transforming mentalhealth care in the United States.
-- DIANE TYLER is an associate professor at the School of Nursing. Herteaching and research projects involve health promotion and disease preventionand weight and health of children and their families. Helping overweightchildren obtain healthier lifestyles is the focus of her current NationalInstitutes of Health-funded study. Minority children, she says, are atgreatest risk for being overweight.
-- LAURA LEIN is a professor at the School of Social Work whose researchfocuses on families in poverty and the institutions that serve them. In a newbook, "Life After Welfare: Reform and the Persistence of Poverty," she foundthat most Texas families who leave welfare remain in or near poverty and manyare likely to return to the welfare rolls in the future. She also is workingon a National Science Foundation grant studying Hurricane Katrina evacuees andhow the actions of governmental and non-governmental agencies andorganizations affected their ability to recover.
-- HOWARD T. PRINCE II, is a clinical professor, Loyd Hackler Endowed Chair inEthical Leadership and director of the Center for Ethical Leadership. Princeis a clinical psychologist and graduate of West Point. He specializes inethics and leadership and is qualified to speak on applied ethics, militaryaffairs and psychology.
-- JACQUELINE L. ANGEL, professor of public affairs and sociology, iscurrently the chair of the National Institute on Aging Behavior and SocialScience of Aging Review Committee and a fellow at The Gerontological Societyof America. She specializes in gender and health, aging, disability and long-term care.
-- JEANNE M. LAMBREW, associate professor of public affairs, is a formersenior health policy analyst at National Economic Council during the Clintonadministration (1997-2000) and a former associate director for Health,Personnel and Veterans at the Office of Management and Budget during the Bushadministration (2000-2001). She specializes in health care policy, Medicaid,Medicare and long-term care.
-- WILLIAM SPELMAN, professor of public affairs, was a member of the PoliceExecutive Research Forum and a former member of the Austin City Council (1997-2000). He has written extensively on community policing and criminal policy,and specializes in local government administration and finance, neighborhoodcrime and disorder problems, urban policy, crime prevention, recidivism andAustin politics.
-- JASON CASELLAS, assistant professor in the Department of Government,examines Latino politics, including representation in Congress, andlegislative, state and local politics.
-- DAVID LEAL, associate professor in the Department of Government,specializes in Latino politics, particularly public opinion and politicalbehavior, state and local politics, and the U.S. Congress. He is the co-editorof "Latino Politics: Identity, Mobilization and Representation" and the authorof "Electing America's Governors: The Politics of Executive Elections."
-- BARBARA HINES, clinical professor in the School of Law and director of theImmigration Clinic, has litigated many issues relating to the constitutionaland statutory rights of immigrants in federal and immigration courts. Shefrequently lectures and writes on topics in the area of immigration law.
-- VERONICA VARGAS STIDVENT, director of the Center for Politics andGovernance, is a former special assistant for policy to President Bush (2003-04) and a former assistant secretary for policy at the U.S. Department ofLabor (2004-06). She is qualified to speak on the presidency, immigrationreform, worker health and safety, job training and federal regulatory policy.
-- BRUCE BUCHANAN, professor in the Department of Government, specializes inpresidential and American politics, American institutions, public policy andpolitical behavior. His books include "The Presidential Experience," "TheCitizen's Presidency," "Electing a President" and "Presidential CampaignQuality."
-- FRANCIS J. GAVIN, Tom Slick Professor of International Affairs, is thefounding director of studies at the Robert S. Strauss Center for InternationalSecurity and Law. He is qualified to comment on national security, nuclearstrategy and arms control and presidential policymaking.
-- JAMES B. STEINBERG, dean of the LBJ School of Public Affairs and J.J."Jake" Pickle Regents Chair in Public Affairs, is a former deputy nationalsecurity advisor during the Clinton Administration (1996-2000) and former vicepresident and director of Foreign Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution(2001-05). He is qualified to speak on national security, foreign policy, thepresidency and technology policy.
-- JAMES M. LINDSAY, Tom Slick Chair for International Affairs and director ofthe Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law, is the formerdirector for Global Issues and Multilateral Affairs at the National SecurityCouncil (1996-1997) and was the vice president, director of studies, andMaurice R. Greenberg Chair at the Council on Foreign Relations (2003-2006).Lindsay specializes in foreign policy, national security policy, Congress, thepresidency and globalization.
-- EDWIN DORN, professor of public affairs at the LBJ School, is a formerundersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and a former assistantsecretary of Defense during the Clinton administration. He is a Yale-educatedpolitical scientist who specializes in defense policy, civil rights, diversitypolicy, federal education policy and human resources management.
-- ADMIRAL BOBBY R. INMAN is the Lyndon B. Johnson Centennial Chair inNational Policy, former director of the National Security Agency and formerchairman of the Federal Reserve Bank in Dallas. Inman served in the UnitedStates Navy (1951-82), during which time he served as the director of theNational Security Agency (1976-81) and after which he served as the deputydirector of Central Intelligence (1981-82). He is qualified to speak on thepresidency, national security, foreign policy, international trade and venturecapital.
-- JAMES PENNEBAKER, chair of the Department of Psychology, has analyzedlanguage in political speech to evaluate a candidate's psychological state.The researchers found the words used in interviews provide insight into how acandidate thinks and relates to people. They have examined the language andpersonalities of George Bush, John Kerry, Dick Cheney and John Edwards.
-- SAM GOSLING, associate professor in the Department of Psychology, studieshow people create environments that provide insights into their personalitiesand how they would like to be perceived. Gosling and his colleagues at NewYork University and Harvard University have found differences between howliberals and conservatives decorate their offices or bedrooms.
-- CHRISTOPHER ELLISON, professor in the Department of Sociology, directs theCenter for the Scientific Study of Religion. He studies how religion andreligious institutions affect political behavior. He is the author of theforthcoming study, "God's Party? Religion, Race/Ethnicity and PartisanshipOver Time."
-- H.W. BRANDS, Dickson, Allen and Anderson Centennial Professor in theDepartment of History and author of the forthcoming book, "The Triumph ofFDR," is available to speak about social programs, including Social Security,and Eleanor Roosevelt's role in shaping national policies. The presidentialhistorian also is the author of "The Money Men: Capitalism, Democracy, and theHundred Years' War Over the American Dollar," "Lone Star Nation: The EpicStory of the Battle for Texas Independence," "The Strange Death of AmericanLiberalism," "The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin" and"Masters of Enterprise: Giants of American Business from John Jacob Astor andJ.P. Morgan to Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey."
-- MICHAEL BRANDL, economist professor in the McCombs School of Business, isan expert on the Texas economy and the economic issues surrounding theimmigration debate. He has studied the economic proposals of the majorcandidates running for the presidency.
-- JIM HENSON, director of the Texas Politics project, researches Texas andU.S. politics, and the political impact of the Internet.
-- SHERRI GREENBERG, lecturer, fellow and Max Sherman Chair in Local and StateGovernment, is a former Texas State Representative (1991-2001) and manager ofcapital finance for the City of Austin (1985-89). She holds her M.S. in PublicAdministration from the London School of Economics and has written extensivelyon e-government practices. Greenberg is qualified to speak on Texasgovernment, Texas campaigns and elections, public finance and e-government.
-- TERRELL BLODGETT, Mike Hogg Professor Emeritus in Urban Management (non-teaching), is an expert in municipal government operations, having served asthe city manager in Garland (1963-64) and Waco, Texas (1960-63), and as theassistant city manager in Austin, Texas (1955-60). He specializes in local andstate government management, operations, political structures, electionmethods of governing bodies in local government, and Texas politics.
-- MARY DIXSON, associate director of the Annette Strauss Institute for CivicParticipation, studies political communication and civic education from aqualitative perspective. Her expertise is in the area of civic and politicalparticipation among young people, civic education, and community and campusinvolvement.
News Contact: Christian Clarke Casarez, [email protected] Phone: +1-512-471-4945 (9/11/08)
35. DR. PETER SCHRAMM, executive director of the John M. Ashbrook Center forPublic Affairs and a political science professor at ASHLAND UNIVERSITY inAshland, Ohio: "Senator McCain's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as hisrunning mate is a bold choice, one that will both help the ticket get elected-- for she will appeal to three important segments of the electorate (HillaryClinton supporters, independents and conservatives) -- and once elected, shewill help him govern well, for she is known to be very intelligent, a skilledadministrator and committed to ethics reform. She is also known for beingtough; her nickname on the high school basketball team was 'barracuda' (shewas a point guard)." Schramm is an expert on presidential politics andpolitical science. He will be available to comment on the Republican NationalConvention, the Electoral College, the upcoming presidential election andAmerican politics in general. News Contact: Ben Kunkel, [email protected]: +1-419-289-5431 or +1-419-651-0265 (9/3/08)
36. JOSEPH BOYETT, author of "Won't Get Fooled Again: A Voter's Guide toSeeing Through the Lies, Getting Past the Propaganda, and Choosing the BestLeaders": "John Edwards' admission to an affair, which he blamed in part onnarcissism, reminds us that all candidates for office, particularly thepresidency, are susceptible to developing a grandiose sense of self that canlead to ethical misbehavior and serious errors in judgment. That's why everycandidate needs to surround himself with people who can remind him or her ofthe transient nature of power and keep him grounded in reality. The bestleaders are those who are comfortable hearing bad news and create a climate inwhich people feel free to give them honest advice and tell them things aboutthemselves that they sometimes don't want to hear." News Contact: KamaTimbrell, [email protected] Phone: +1-212-903-8315 (8/13/08)
37. SARAH MARIA DREISBACH, body image expert and founder of BREAK FREEBEAUTY, a company dedicated to self-love: "Is America's president-elect beingchosen because he looks good or because of the answers he poses to thecountry's toughest questions? When it comes to body image, people want to feelinspired, but they don't want to feel like someone is above them. This isespecially true for a presidential candidate. The reason people loved seeingBill Clinton jogging and then eating at McDonald's is that it puts him rightin line with many Americans. It reveals that he tries to be healthy, like many(which can be inspiring), but then he is human too and has weaknesses likeeveryone else." News Contact: Jennifer Thomas, [email protected]: +1-239-573-0088 Web site: http://www.breakfreebeauty.com (8/13/08)
38. Following are UNIVERSITY OF DENVER experts:
-- SUSAN STERETT, political science professor, is an expert in Americanpolitical development, intersections of law and politics, and citizenship. Sheearned a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, and has beenteaching at the University of Denver since 1993.
-- TOM KNECHT, political science assistant professor, is an expert on theAmerican presidency, political participation and representation. Knecht earnedhis Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara. His dissertationaddressed the role of public opinion in American foreign policy.
-- PETER GROFF, Colorado Senate president and director of the Center forAfrican-American Policy, was on the 2008 DNC National Platform Committee.Groff can speak on issues important to African-Americans in the presidentialcampaign, and can comment on the candidacy of Barack Obama and what it meansfor African-Americans. He is also the founder and co-editor ofBlackPolicy.org, a comprehensive Web site dedicated to African-American policyand politics.
-- SETH MASKET, political science assistant professor, is an expert onAmerican political system, specifically political parties and state and localpolitics. Masket can talk about life as a DNC delegate. He holds a Ph.D. inpolitical science from the University of California, Los Angeles.
-- SUSAN SCHULTEN, associate professor of history, is well versed in politicalhistory. Schulten teaches a wide variety of courses in U.S. history, and iscurrently researching the relationship between historical knowledge andAmerican nationalism. She earned her Ph.D. in history from the University ofPennsylvania.
-- DEB ORTEGA, associate professor at the Graduate School of Social Work,directs the Latino Center at the Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW). She'sputting together a white paper this summer on issues facing Latino voters.
-- BUIE SEAWELL, chair of the Business Ethics and Legal Studies department,Daniels College of Business, is a former chairman of the Colorado DemocraticParty. Seawell is available to provide commentary on the intersection ofethics, politics and business. He was the director of the Colorado Office ofEnergy Conservation within the Lamm administration. Additionally, Seawell haswritten, produced, and directed over 50 PBS-TV regional television programs onthe environment, politics and public policy. Contact: Julie Lucas,[email protected] Phone: +1-303-871-3379
-- MAC CLOUSE, professor of finance and director of the Reiman School ofFinance, Daniels College of Business, holds a Ph.D. in finance with emphasison economics and quantitative research methods. Clouse is able to speak on theeconomic issues that will impact the presidential election. Contact: JulieLucas, [email protected] Phone: +1-303-871-3379
-- RON RIZZUTO is a professor of finance at the Reiman School of Finance,Daniels College of Business. His specialty areas are capital expenditureanalysis, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate financial planning. Rizuttois able to speak on the business and economic issues that will impact thepresidential election. Contact: Julie Lucas, [email protected] Phone: +1-303-871-3379
-- ROBERT HARDAWAY, professor at the Sturm College of Law, is an expert inlegal issues involving politics, specifically Electoral College issues. He isthe author of 14 published books on law and public policy, and 29 law reviewarticles, reviews and articles in professional journals. They include: "Shouldthe Electoral College Be Abolished?" "Crisis at the Polls: An Electoral ReformHandbook" and the book, "The Electoral College and the Constitution: The Casefor Preserving Federalism."
News Contact: Kristal Griffith, [email protected] Phone: +1-303-871-4117 (8/6/08)
39. NATALY KELLY, cultural communication strategist and senior analyst atCOMMON SENSE ADVISORY, a research and consulting firm committed to improvingthe quality of international business, is author of "Telephone Interpreting: AComprehensive Guide to the Profession": "Why will Obama and McCain care aboutthe multilingual demographic? Fourteen million potential votes, that's why.Any successful political campaign strategy in the United States has to accountfor the multilingual demographic -- this is a country where 20 percent of thepopulation speaks a language other than English at home. All well-known brands-- from Google to McDonald's -- go to great lengths to target multilingualconsumers. If they want success, the Obama and McCain brands have to do thesame. It's a basic communication principle. If you want a person's vote, youhad better tell them why you deserve it -- in a language they can understand."News Contact: Melissa C. Gillespie, [email protected] Phone: +1-760-643-9140 Web site: http://www.commonsenseadvisory.com (7/9/08)
40. MARTIN JOHNSON, Ph.D., associate professor of political science at theUNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE, is available to discuss local, state andnational elections, as well as public opinion, polling and survey research,and the news media's role in politics: "The fact that Vice President DickCheney isn't running means there isn't an heir apparent, which means the wholerace is a lot more wide open than we have seen in more than 30 years.Californians are going to see TV commercials and read profiles on thecandidates, but no hand-shaking with candidates. That's what happens in Iowa."Johnson's research has investigated the role of public opinion in the policyprocess, as well as how people learn about policy issues and what motivatespeople to vote. His research has been recognized by the National OpinionResearch Center. He teaches courses on American political behavior, publicopinion and research methods. News Contact: Todd Ransom, [email protected]: +1-951-827-1287 Web site: http://www.mediasources.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/display.cgi?id=207 (5/28/08)
41. GARY L. MALECHA, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Political Science andassociate professor at the UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND, is an expert on Americanpolitics (U.S. presidency, Congress). Malecha can discuss both Democratic andRepublican strategies for the rest of the primary season, as well as thegeneral election. He recently provided the following analysis with respect tothe Democratic primary: "Although an Obama-Clinton ticket looks, at thispoint, to be a way of healing any rifts that have appeared in this bruisingcampaign, it probably won't happen. While Clinton has demonstrated solidsupport within the party, she is a polarizing figure who could hurt Obama'seffort to grow his coalition in the general election. The selection ofClinton, an establishment figure with ties to the partisan bickering of thepast, would also seriously undermine Obama's effort to portray himself as anew kind of politician who is trying to rise above the 'old politics' thathave created gridlock in Washington." News Contact: Joe Lang, [email protected]: +1-503-943-8547 (5/28/08)
42. VORRIS NUNLEY, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of English at theUNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE. Among Nunley's research interests is thestudy of rhetoric. He is available to discuss how the content and style ofcandidates' speeches may change to appeal to different constituencies, how acandidate such as Rudy Giuliani may take celebrity status and convert it tosocial capital, and why Barack Obama has charisma and Hillary Clinton doesnot: "Charisma is so important in who can and can't be president. Ifcharisma's not working, you don't even get a hearing. One reason you don'thave women running for president is because charisma is masculinized." Nunleyalso can speak about the tradition of African-American hush harbors, spheressuch as beauty shops, barbershops and women's clubs where congregants couldspeak freely and obtain knowledge useful in everyday life. Hush harbors mayoccur within different groups and cultures, from NASCAR and churches to thewomen's suffrage and civil rights movements: "They produce knowledge in waysthat don't occur publicly. To overlook hush harbors is to overlook asubstantial part of democracy." News Contact: Todd Ransom, [email protected]: +1-951-827-1287 Web site: http://www.mediasources.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/display.cgi?id=208 (5/28/08)
43. SHAUN BOWLER, Ph.D., professor of political science at the UNIVERSITY OFCALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE: "There's obviously lots of energy on the Democraticside, and the result of the recent Iowa caucuses did underscore the problemsfacing the GOP this cycle. The GOP vote will recover a bit by Election Day, ofcourse, as the faithful rally, but the general message is people want a change-- and the GOP candidates just have a hard time selling that. McCain was awinner. He should be pleased by the result coming out of Iowa (becauseHuckabee and Romney are going to fight with each other over the same slice ofthe vote, and McCain can stand back and watch them beat each other up). Butthat just seems to be common to lots of GOP candidates this year -- let's waitfor the others to mess up. Ron Paul was a big winner, too. He did almost aswell as McCain. Paul, for example, seems to have been squeezed out of beingcovered by Republican media outlets like Fox and, despite that, did almost aswell as McCain -- who is the 'inside guy' for the GOP and Fox. But that's astory that is getting lost in the coverage." Bowler is author of "DemandingChoices: Opinion Voting and Direct Democracy" (University of Michigan Press,1998), with Todd Donovan. He has also published in the American PoliticalScience Review, American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics,and American Politics Quarterly. News Contact: Todd Ransom,[email protected] Phone: +1-951-827-1287 Web site:http://www.mediasources.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/display.cgi?id=201 (5/28/08)
44. PROLOY "PAUL" BHATTA, owner of USAELECTIONPOLLS.COM, has been trackingthe presidential election polls since the 2006 mid-term elections and canspeak on the polls: "Measuring public opinion is a scientific estimation ofwhat the public thinks. It is through that estimation that comes a lot ofconfusion. If a subsample is a perfect demographic profile of actual voters,then the poll will be very accurate. But human beings are more complex thanjust age/race/gender, so it is through that means of measurement that a lot ofguesswork takes place -- who to sample, when to sample, how likely a specificdemographic is to vote are all key questions pollsters have to ask. Smalltweaks can cause changes that may not even be tied to real events occurring inthe political world. The media often attributes these changes to being theresult of a political gaffe and that, in turn, does affirmatively impactpublic opinion, making the polls themselves the cause of a shift in publicopinion. Never has it been more evident than the Reverend Wright issue thesepast two months or John McCain and his apparent sinking campaign back inmiddle 2007." Bhatta has an M.S. in electrical engineering with aconcentration in digital communications (more specifically, estimationtheory), and is able to look at these numbers and see if external politicalevents are affecting the polling numbers or not, whereas many media sourceslike to create such a connection almost 100 percent of the time. For example,he was able to predict Mike Huckabee's rise to fame in Iowa 100 days beforethe Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses when all the polls had him at 3 percent and everybodyassumed Romney would win, by focusing on a smaller dataset (see the linklisted below). News Contact: Robin Parkinson, [email protected] Phone:+1-310-476-0877 Web site: http://www.election2008polls.com/articles/mike-huckabee-surging-in-iowa.html (5/28/08)
45. MAX NEIMAN, Ph.D., is a professor of political science and director ofthe Center for Social and Behavioral Science Research at the UNIVERSITY OFCALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE. Neiman's 2000 book, "Defending Government: Why BigGovernment Works," documents the public's declining confidence in the system,and lays out the dangers of too much cynicism in the political process: "Thedisdain about government is based on misconceptions about its role in ademocratic society. Only an active and informed public can keep it frombecoming an oppressive, unresponsive bureaucracy." News Contact: BettyeMiller, [email protected] Phone: +1-951-827-7847 Web site:http://www.mediasources.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/display.cgi?id=73 (5/28/08)
46. CHARLES W. DUNN is dean of REGENT UNIVERSITY's School of Government.Dunn's former political posts include serving as a special assistant to theminority whip of the United States House of Representatives, deputy directorof the Republican Conference in the House, and chief of staff to a UnitedStates senator from New York. As a seasoned political analyst and a politicalhistorian, Dunn can speak on a wide range of political topics, including, butnot limited, to the role of faith, the impact of women and minorities, theaccuracy of electronic voting systems, campaign finance and the role of PACs,and negative campaigning. News Contact: Peggy Torney, [email protected] Phone:+1-212-584-4279 (5/28/08)
47. ADAM BONIN, election law attorney with COZEN O'CONNOR, has advised localand federal candidates/political committees on campaign finance/election lawissues and won a major victory before the FEC on behalf of leading politicalbloggers. He previously served as a senior advisor for a U.S. Senate campaign:"This election will test how much voters really care about campaign financereform as an issue. John McCain calls himself a 'reformer,' but what does thatmean in practice? The post-Watergate campaign finance legal structure is beingpushed to its breaking point by the large sums of money and the breadth oforganizations involved in the political process, and 2008 will show whetherthis system can keep stretching, or whether it's time to start from scratchagain." News Contact: Alexandra Kane-Weiss, [email protected] Phone:+1-215-793-4666 Web site:http://www.cozen.com/attorney_detail.asp?d=1&atid=794 (5/28/08)
48. ADAM J. SEGAL, director of the Hispanic Voter Project at JOHNS HOPKINSUNIVERSITY and a multicultural public relations consultant, finds that theDemocratic presidential candidates spent more money -- at least $4 million --on Spanish-language television advertising this cycle, outpacing totalspending in 2000 and total primary spending in 2004. In other words, thecandidates know Hispanic voters can tip the balance this year: "Between thissummer and the November general election, Hispanic voters will again findthemselves at the center of a swirl of communications activities from thepresidential candidates, their parties and leading political interest groups.Both eventual nominees will need to introduce themselves and their visions tomost Latino voters." (5/28/08)
49. ERICA EDWARDS, assistant professor of English at the UNIVERSITY OFCALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE: "Charisma as a form of authority has become anorganizing myth of black social organizations, which raises some keyquestions. For example: Is charismatic authority an acceptable means for black6leadership? Charisma is important because it determines who gets to speak andwho is visible." Among Edwards' research interests are black political cultureand the role of charisma and masculinity in the construction of blackpolitical leaders. Edwards is working on a book project, "Contesting Charisma:Fictions of Political Leadership in Contemporary African American Culture."News Contact: Todd Ransom, [email protected] Phone: +1-951-827-1287 Website: http://www.mediasources.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/display.cgi?id=206 (5/28/08)
50. BRUCE NEWMAN, professor of marketing at DePAUL UNIVERSITY, is an experton presidential candidate image-making and advertising, voter behavior and therole of emotions in voter choices, marketing of presidential candidates, theuse of the Internet in presidential marketing, volunteer and grass-roots votersolicitations, and campaign finance reform. Newman was a communication adviserto the senior staff of the Clinton White House in 1995 and 1996, is author ofseveral books on the subject, including "The Marketing of the President," andis editor of the Journal of Political Marketing. News Contact: Deborah SnowHumiston, [email protected] Phone: +1-312-362-8508 (5/28/08)
51. JANIE LEATHERMAN, Ph.D., director of international studies and professorof politics at FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY, can discuss issues related to gender andminorities in the presidential campaign; new directions in U.S. foreignpolicy, including multilateralism, Iraq policy, environmentalism, UnitedNations, and U.S. image internationally. News Contact: Nancy Habetz,[email protected] Phone: +1-203-254-4000, ext. 2647 (5/28/08)
52. CYNTHIA MILLER, an Austin-based Democratic political strategist andmanaging partner with RINDY MILLER MEDIA, has orchestrated a number ofsuccessful congressional and statewide campaigns across the nation, and canprovide analysis for a range of issues related to the 2008 election. Miller'san especially strong resource on political advertising strategies, voterattitudes and psychologies, and campaign messaging and rhetoric. She hasrecently been relied upon by a number of national and major-market mediaoutlets for her engaging analysis on the Democratic primaries. News Contact:Phil West, [email protected] Phone: +1-512-945-7493 (5/28/08)
53. DR. CRAIG A. SMITH, professor of communication at NORTH CAROLINA STATEUNIVERSITY, is an expert in political campaign communication and the author of"Political Communication" (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1990) and the upcomingbook "Presidential Campaign Communication." News Contact: W. Matthew Shipman,[email protected] Phone: +1-919-515-6386 (5/28/08)
54. CHRIS BORICK is associate professor of political science and director ofthe Institute for Political Opinion at MUHLENBERG COLLEGE in Allentown, Pa.Borick has been interviewed for the "CBS Evening News," the "Early Show," ABC,NBC, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and is regularly quoted inthe Philadelphia Inquirer, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the PittsburghTribune-Review. Borick does polls on local, state and national elections. NewsContact: Mike Bruckner, [email protected] Phone: +1-484-664-3230(5/28/08)
55. DONALD BRAND, associate professor of political science at the COLLEGE OFTHE HOLY CROSS, specializes in the study of the presidency and Americanpolitics. He has provided expert commentary to the media on a number ofpolitically controversial issues, including the war in Iraq, and civilliberties and the Patriot Act. Brand is author of "Corporatism and the Rule ofLaw: A Study of the National Recovery Administration" (Cornell UniversityPress, 1988) and numerous articles in journals such as Political ScienceQuarterly and Political Science Reviewer. He serves as the faculty advisor tothe Holy Cross College Republicans. Contact: Kristine Maloney,[email protected] Phone: +1-508-793-2419 (5/28/08)
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