Election 2012: 25 Days and Counting

Jonathan Alter, Bloomberg View lead columnist and Newsweek columnist and senior editor; Carlos Diaz, Harvard lecturer on government and Allston Burr Resident Dean of Dunster House; Nina Easton, Fortune magazine senior editor and Washington columnist; and Mark McKinnon, former chief media advisor to President George W. Bush discuss the 2012 U.S. presidential race. The panelists explored the extent to which the presidential and vice-presidential candidates’ debate performances impacts voter support during presidential races and how voters’ decisions are impacted by the current state of the national economy. The panelists expressed their personal opinions on a wide-range of factors such as: the debate skills of the candidates, the role that non-verbal language plays with key voting blocks and the extent to which the party-affiliation of viewers impacts the audience’s perception of who won each debate.  This conversation was moderated by IOP Director Trey Grayson and was part of Harvard Freshman Parents Weekend.