Experts in the News - November 2006

Experts in the News - November 2006 Political Scientists in the News

Merle Black (Emory University) and Larry Sabato (University of Virginia) state that despite the differences which exist between U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez and Gov. elect Charlie Crist, they can work together for unification of the Republican Party. [read article] –November 28

Christopher Gelpi (Duke University) remembers his youth as he describes growing near Hemant Shah who was the first to open Risk Management Solutions which help to point out “what the risks really are so the [insurance] companies can make better decisions about how to bear them…” [read article] –November 28

Nelson Wiseman (University of Toronto) comments on the dangers of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's motion in the House of Commons which was "aimed at pre-empting a Bloc Quebecois motion to be tabled today that called for Quebec to be recognized as a nation -- without the stipulation of it being part of Canada…" [read article] - November 23

Seth Masket (University of Denver) critiques Gov. Mike Huckabee's mechanism of dealing with negative criticisms while considering a bid for the 2008 GOP nomination. He's had to repeatedly "defend against slips of the tongue and ethics controversies…" [read article] - November 22

Dante Scala (Anselm College) comments on the amount of campaign money that is spent due to increases in professionalism, particularly with Democratic Senator Martha Fuller Clark who spent an average of $17 per vote Equaling to $205,445…" [read article] - November 21

Ronald Walters (University of Maryland) urges Senator Barak Obama to try it because "he's not going to be able to snatch back his rise in the polls and his stature in the public. This is a very special moment for him…" [read article] -November 18

Jay Barth (Hendrix College) comments on how Arkansasans are taking advantage of early voting. The idea of early was to grab the attention of new voters, but more and more people are becoming aware of the convenience that it provides..." [read article] -November 17

Paul Green (Chicago's Roosevelt University), Richard Flanagan (College of Staten Island -New York) and Dick Simpson (University of Illinois in Chicago) compare Richard M. Daley with other potential candidates who will be running for Chicago's mayoral election…[read article] - November 20

Darryl Paulson (University of South Florida) and Stephen Craig (University of Florida ) assess the importance of Hispanic votes because they are the largest growing minority. "Republicans will find it increasingly difficult to win national elections unless they can capture 35 percent to 40 percent of the Hispanic vote…" [read article] -November 14

Don Fowler (University of South Carolina) and Bruce Ransom (Clemson University) discuss the implications of the Democratic Party losing multiple seats in South Carolina as their message was only partially successful… [read article] – November 13

Stephen Craig (University of Florida) and John Santosousso (Florida Southern College-Lakeland) elucidate the reasons why Democrats have claimed victory. “Opinions about the war and other kinds of things like corruption may have produced a substantial Democratic victory…" [read article] -November 12

John Green (University of Akron) and Holly Brasher (University of Alabama-Birmingham) express how important it is for citizens to find a balance between extreme views. “People may be growing more conscious of the need to balance the right with the left. People do think consciously of that. It's not an accident…” [read article] – November 12

Thomas Schaller (University of Maryland-Baltimore County) argues that it will be troublesome if either party “tries to retreat toward its ideological extreme. He argues that in this election, voters rejected the strategy that tries to divide them into competing camps…” [read article] – November 12

Scott Huffmon (Winthrop University) and Bill Moore (College of Charleston), describe the efficacy of Mark Stanford’s campaign in South Carolina. “He ran a media-savvy, national style campaign in South Carolina....” [read article] – November 12

Jack Pitney (Claremont McKenna College) and Thomas Schaller (University of Maryland -Baltimore County) explicate the stance that GOP members will assume following the mid-term elections. “The liberal wing of the GOP suffered a disproportionate share of the losses, and the Republican Party cannot adopt a platform or a set of issue positions and demand that everybody adhere to it 100 percent…” – [read article] -November 12

Christian Grose (Vanderbilt University) examines the reasons that Democratic congressional candidate Heath Shuler’s success in a Southern state. It might be because his campaign “mixed economic populism and strong environmental stances with moderate positions on the social issues that often hurt Democrats in the Bible Belt. He opposes abortion, but supports stem-cell research. He supports gun rights. He talked openly of his Christian faith and bringing "mountain values" to Washington…” [read article] -November 10

Darrell West (Brown University-Rhode Island) and Larry Sabato (University of Virginia) consider the possible areas of reform including that of health care. They also note “that parties in control of the governors' mansions are much better able to help their prospective presidential candidates…” - November 9 [read article]

Darryl Paulson (University of South Florida) and Aubrey Jewett (University of Central Florida) list reasons for why the voters of Katherine Harris altered their thinking. It might be because “she probably misread the strength of her support after the 2000 election…” – November 9 [read article]

Benjamin Ginsberg (Johns Hopkins University ) and Larry Sabato (University of Virginia) analyze the “roll that the House is expected to assume which will include wide-ranging oversight responsibilities that critics say have been largely ignored since the arrival of a Republican administration in 2001…” – November 9 [read article]

Aubrey Jewett (University of Central Florida) and Bob Jackson (Florida State University) explain the implications if Amendment 3 if it goes into affect. “On Tuesday, Florida supported the measure, which requires 60 percent of voters to approve an amendment for it to pass. Currently it takes a simple majority…” – November 8 [read article]

Bob Beatty (Washburn University) and David Rohde (Duke University) discuss how Democrat Nancy Boyda took lead in the elections to win. “Boyda may not have been the most talented candidate, based on her previous defeat and status as an outsider, but it didn't matter…” – November 8 [read article]

Kyle Saunders (Colorado State University) analyzes both the Larimer and Weld counties because the districts “could be shifting, evidenced by the fraction of voter share that Republicans and Democrats have each lost since the 2004 presidential election…” – November 7 [read article]

Peter L. Francia (East Carolina University) explains that “perennial candidates are often motivated to run for office not because they have any expectation of winning office, but rather to publicize issues that they believe the major-party candidates have failed to address…” – November 7 [read article]

George Connor (Missouri State University), Ken Warren (St. Louis University) and David Webber (University of Missouri-Columbia) discuss the multi-issue ballot that voters will receive on Election Day. "Missourians support the three issues with the poll indicating that 51 percent in favor of the stem-cell research amendment, while 35 percent were opposed and 14 percent were undecided…"[read article] – November 4

Matt Crenson (Johhn Hopkins) critics the methods in which some journalists choose their “experts.” They choose scholars based on previously repeated experts making the journalism industry indolent, when in fact journalists should be from reputable “academic backgrounds who are from area schools and who are knowledgeable, eloquent, and aware across a range of issues…” [read article] – November 4

Paul Gree (Roosevelt University), Brian Gaines (University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign) and Chris Mooney (University of Illinois – Springfield) believe that the majority of Republicans in Illinois will not alter their vote based on the March Foley scandal…[read article] - November 4

Fred Solop (Northern Arizona University) and Rodolfo Espino (Arizona State University) emphasize the importance of immigration in Arizona as neither Democrats nor Republicans want to be perceived as weak on amnesty…[read article] - November 2

John Pitney (Claremont-McKenna College –Claremont) and Larry Sabato (University of Virginia) comment on Karl Rove's confidence in recent polls suggesting that the Republicans will win both House and Senate which differes than what most political analysts are saying. “The difference may be in interpretation: It's possible that someone looking at the same numbers might come to a different conclusion…” [read article] – November 2

Robert Crew (Florida State University), Scot Schraufnagel (University of Central Florida) and Charles Barilleaux (Florida State University -Tallahassee) agree that those who win the gubernatorial elections will help in determining the 2008 presidential election…[read article] – November 1

Neal Thigpen (Francis Marion University) and Scott Huffmon (Winthrop University) discuss the differences between Republican Gov. Mark Sanford and Democratic challenger Tommy Moore. Both candidates have been able to connect to the average voter “even though Sanford grew up in a wealthy family on a Beaufort County plantation…” [read article] – November 1

Donna Brazile, Kerry Haynie (Duke), Ronald Walters (University of Maryland) and Vincent Hutchings, (University of Michigan) discuss Democratic gubernatorial nominee Deval Patrick as he addressed a predominately white crowd. The opportunity has come for black Americans to “break through old barriers” but they must “appeal to white voters in a nation where race continues to resonate…” [apsa@apsanet.org