November 2008 was a special month for us Americans – after nearly two years of non-stop campaigns, we were finally able to bring an end to our hopeful waiting and celebrate the election of Barack Obama as our 44th president. For our next Salon, we have a special event organized with students of McDaniel College here in Budapest, to give everyone the opportunity to engage in discussion on several topics related to the US election. This special Salon also has a special format – instead of one single discussion, our guests will have the choice of 4 different discussion groups addressing 4 different topics. Come join us, grab a glass of wine and a plate of snacks, and head for a group – stay in one place for an in-depth discussion of one topic, or move between different groups to get a little bit of everything.
For a full explanation of the topics we will be discussing, please see the students' own introduction below.
The 2008 American Presidential Election: Getting Over It
Are you suffering from post-election withdrawal? Come join Michael, Linda and students from McDaniel College Budapest by giving into your weaknesses, doing what's natural and falling entirely off the wagon. We won't try to reform or to resist: we will consider every facet of the campaign, analyzing the success of the victors and carrying out post-mortems on the losers, dissecting the American voter and American society, and even contemplating whether Barack Obama's victory will change the world. We do not know small doses: there will be four different discussion groups, all going at the same time, each inviting the Ráday Salon's participants, shy or outspoken, to join together and voice their own opinions on the topics below.
How did Obama win? How did McCain lose?
At first glance, it appears that Obama won the 2008 presidential election because he had a better campaign than McCain, but there is more to it than meets the eye. This group will focus on this by discussing campaign finance and campaign staff.
Did Obama have an advantage in terms of campaign finances? He may have raised more money than McCain, but did he lose credibility by asking for donations during a time of economic crisis? Was campaign finance an issue during the campaign, and if not, should it have been? Does this set a negative precedent for future campaigns?
When we look at the way the McCain and Obama campaigns were staffed, run, and structured, there are a number of elements which seem to have had an impact on the election outcome. Examples of this include organizational approaches and internal dynamics. How did this play out for each candidate, including Hillary Clinton? What did it do for Obama? Did it do anything for McCain?
We will also consider the racial component as it played out in the Obama and McCain campaign strategiesSubliminal Messaging: The Role of Race
Our group explores the role of race in the recent U.S. Presidential Election. Did race play a role in the election? We'll be discussing which candidate attempted to use race to their advantage more often and more effectively. We will try to define the actual meaning of the "race card" for others to clear up any of the fog of confusion. Besides Obama being an African American, what others of his characteristics may have had an effect on the choice of voters? If Obama has pulled some of the stunts that Palin did, would the outcome of the election have differed? Go ahead…Just ask. In addition, we will be discussing whether or not Obama's victory can be attributed to shifting voting blocks, and the loosening of the foundation of the Republican Party due to his multicultural background. Who would have won the black vote if Candoleeza Rice were the Republican candidate facing Democrat Hillary Clinton?
Change. Maybe you/we can?
"You're crazy, virtually nothing has changed," said Orsi. "The 'silent majority' still exists, and it still believes what it always did."
"Well, it depends on what you mean by change," replied Jenai. "America's not the same anymore. Its demographics are changing completely."
"Wait a second—the only person who really knows how America is changing is Ron Paul," said Phillip. "America is finally becoming rational. A growing minority is finally starting to see the big picture. 9/11 and the current economic crisis might be the results of mistaken U.S. policy."
Orsi again: " O.K, but what does this have to do with the 2008 presidential election?"
Jenai: "Well..."
Is the American electorate beginning to shift ideologically? Demographically? Both? And is there an underlying change ongoing which the result of the 2008 presidential election doesn't actually reflect?
Does the outcome of the U.S. election matter to the world?
Our group will discuss the effects of the election on the rest of the world. Come to the Raday Salon's "Kitchen of Change" to taste the future for the rest of the world now that Barack Obama is Commander in Chief. Questions on the table for discussion include the following. Will the nations of the world coexist in harmony, prosperity, and mutual respect, working cooperatively to solve global problems, or will they descend into disharmony, distrust, disrespect, and mutual military destruction? Will Obama's presidency alleviate the world's dissatisfaction with the US and help restore America`s shattered image? Will the Obama presidency be able to quell the financial turmoil? How will the Middle East conflict be affected, particularly Israel and Palestine?
As you can see from this list of topics, Tuesday's Salon will surely be a night of lively, spirited discussion!
We hope you'll be able to join us :)
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