The Most Mean-Spirited Election Ever?

So many of my students and others I talk to think every election we have is the worst, most mean-spirited, most bare-knuckled ever. It's not. It's the way its always been. The difference: television and advertising means that citizens are continually bombarded by negative messages. But our American politics has always been negative, especially during campaign season.

Check out this video about the Election of 1800.

Hat Tip: Political Wire

"No President or Senator Cares What Political Scientists Think"

Dead. Solid. Perfect.

This video is not only hilarious, it is also largely accurate. Here's a dirty little secret: most political scientists know very little, nor care, about actual politics.

Hat tip: Political Wire

The Debate Over Debates at the Akron Press Club: My Take

At the October 26 Tom Ganley event at the Akron Press Club, Tom Ganley was asked (about 40 minutes into the event) about his decision to reject offers from both the Akron Press Club and Cleveland City Club to participate in a debate with his opponent, Congresswoman Betty Sutton. At first, Ganley said that "the playing field wasn't fair." He asserted that he would not be "welcome and severely attacked." When pressed by the moderator, M.L. Schultze, the News Director at WKSU and a board member of the Akron Press Club about what would have been unfair to him about the atmosphere at the press club, he then stated that "I don't think this atmosphere would have been unfair to me" and that "there were some conflicts with some of the times we were talking about here." (By the way, Ganley is the only candidate that has appeared twice within about a year in front of the Akron Press Club in recent memory. His other appearance occurred October 1, 2009 when he was a candidate for Ohio's U.S. Senate seat. You can watch the video here).

Since I was intimately involved in the negotiations on behalf of the Akron Press Club and Bliss Institute, I have a few things to say on the record concerning the debate controversy. On July 28, 2010, I approached both the Ganley and Sutton campaigns about the possibility of a debate organized by the Akron Press Club and Bliss Institute. I told both campaigns I was gauging their interest and willingness to get into serious negotiations about a possible debate. The Sutton campaign agreed just over a week later. The Ganley campaign would never commit to a debate. There was no scheduling issue--we never even got to the stage where we could discuss possible dates. On August 30, the Ganley campaign officially rejected out offer.

As far as the fairness issue is concerned, the Akron Press Club and Bliss Institute has hosted a number of debates over the last few election cycles including a 2006 debate in the 13th Congressional District and a 2008 debate in the 16th Congressional District. We have never heard complaints that we were somehow biased or unfair in the way we conducted those and other events. Quite the contrary. We pride ourselves on our neutrality--any hint of bias or unfairness would be counterproductive and hurt our ability in the future to host these types of events which we view as a public service above all else. I, personally, have worked very hard in the past, and would have done so in this case, to ensure that both campaigns were okay with the rules and regulations before proceeding. No debate would have commenced unless both campaigns signed off on everything following what would have been intense negotiation insuring the fairest process possible.

Tom Ganley's Appearance at Akron Press Club

Congressional candidate, Tom Ganley, the Republican candidate for Ohio's 13th Congressional District, spoke at a luncheon sponsored by the Akron Press Club and Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at The University of Akron.

You can access the unedited video here

He spoke for about 15 minutes and then answered questions for a little over a half hour.

Ganley's opponent, Betty Sutton, spoke at the same venue on October 20.

Betty Sutton's Appearance at Akron Press Club

Congresswoman Betty Sutton, the Democratic candidate for reelection to Ohio's 13th Congressional District, spoke at a luncheon sponsored by the Akron Press Club and Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at The University of Akron.

You can access the unedited video here.

She spoke for a little over a half hour and than answered questions for the last half.

Sutton's challenger, Tom Ganley, is scheduled to speak at the same venue on October 26.

Back to the Future: Solar Panels to Return to White House

In 1979, at the height of the energy crisis, President Jimmy Carter installed 32 solar panels atop the West Wing of the White House to great fanfare. They were removed by the Reagan administration in 1986.

Today the Obama administration announced it would be bringing solar back to the White House next spring spearheading a push to promote solar energy. This time the panels will be located on the White House residence.

Not surprisingly, partisan critics are comparing President Obama to Carter for his move back to solar. The problem: they fail to criticize to George W. Bush as well. "In 2003, President George W. Bush quietly installed a series of three solar systems on the White House grounds, including panels on the pool cabana to help with water heating." The hard cold truth is that the development of green energy and energy independence is not a partisan issue, or at least it shouldn't be.