News Release

Heard on Campus: Democrats vs. GOP

October 10, 2008

A panel of current and retired Penn State Harrisburg public policy faculty today presented their views on the presidential election, and despite different political party affiliations, the group — surprisingly — agreed on many issues.

"What difference have the debates made in the race" was among the questions moderator Dr. Harold Shill asked the panelists. The consensus: not much.

"The debates have been non-events, more theatre than substance," said Professor Emeritus of Public Policy Robert Bresler.

"The format was not conducive to getting new information out," said Associate Professor of Public Policy Matthew Woessner. "The candidates are just saying more of the same things they’ve been saying."

"Did the vice presidential selections help or hurt each party," Shill asked. The consensus: neither choice had an impact.

"Biden was a safe and competent selection," Woessner said. Professor of Public Administration Jeremy Plant agreed. "Biden was a nonfactor," he said.

"Palin helped herself more than she helped McCain," Bresler said. "She has a long career in front of her and she’ll be part of a new generation of Republicans."

The panelists discussed numerous other topics, ranging from battleground states (Ohio appears to be most important, the panelists said) to the effectiveness of the campaigns (the group agreed with Beverly Cigler, professor of public administration and public policy, who said the candidates should be "embarrassed of their shameful and deceitful ads") to the coat-tail effect in which a Democratic presidential victory could lead to Democratic wins in "key congressional and gubernatorial elections," said Cigler.

According to Bresler, if Republicans lose the presidential election and these key congressional battles, significant power would lie with the Democratic president, given that Democrats already hold power in the House of Representatives. "We haven’t had such one-party rule since 1964," he said.

The panelists expressed uncertainty about the role that race might play in the election, but agreed that race is only a factor among older voters.

"Younger voters have grown up in a nonsegregated environment, so they are not thinking about race as much," Plant said.

Woessner agreed, noting with the other panelists the end of a generation more divided by racial lines. "If Obama wins, which looks likely right now, this is the last time we’ll have to have the race discussion in an election," Woessner said.