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Kerry-versus-Bush: Road to the White House 2004

Originally Published 08 March 2004

University of Warwick Hosts US Presidential Election Forum

With America now focused on a Kerry-versus-Bush showdown in November, the University of Warwick is set to host a public US election forum at Warwick Arts Centre, on Wednesday 10th March from 4pm-6pm.

The forum is set to debate the issues surrounding the forthcoming election and the coming months of campaigning. The participants will consider how John Kerry clinched the Democratic Party's nomination as the challenger for the Presidency, his strengths, and what the prospects of Bush being re-elected are.

Other questions to be addressed are “Where do the votes need to come from for victory in November?” And, “Who is likely to vote for the candidates?” Every vote counts, but swing voters in swing states are often the ones that count most. A few million could determine the next President of the United States.

The panellists are a Democrat, Republican and a neutral British observer: Aaron Scholer is former Deputy Military Legislative Assistant to Senator Joseph I. Lieberman (Democrat, Connecticut) and also worked on Lieberman's campaign for the Presidency.

Matthew Tordoff is a member of the Executive Board of Republicans Abroad UK, a regular media commentator on US current events, a close observer of US Presidential Elections since 1980, and a participant in various US election campaigns over the years.

Godfrey Hodgson, is a distinguished print and television journalist, political commentator, and historian of US politics. He has worked as foreign correspondent (The Observer, the Sunday Times), in Washington, Paris, Rome and Bonn; as an editor (Sunday Times, The Independent); as a TV reporter ("This Week") and anchor (Channel 4 News, The London Programme). He has taught at several universities, including Berkeley, Harvard and Oxford. Godfrey has also written extensively on international affairs.

Dr Trevor McCrisken, from the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Warwick, said: “We expect the audience to raise issues such as the implications of a Bush or Kerry victory for foreign policy, use of campaign tactics, how important the independent candidacy of Ralph Nader might be and whether the electoral system will produce a clearer result this time than it did in 2000.”

“This is likely to be a bitterly fought campaign. Eight months is a long time to speculate about the election outcome, but the campaign onslaught is underway and ads are already airing in over 17 states.”

Audience members will have the chance to put questions to the three close observers of, and participants in, American politics to get a clearer understanding of US electoral politics, and the possible consequences of this election. Entry is free and open to all.

For more information contact: Dr Trevor McCrisken, Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Warwick, Tel: 02476 574 693, Mobile: 0794 144 8102 or Jenny Murray, Communications Office, University of Warwick, Tel: 02476 574 255, Mobile: 07876 21 7740