Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law hosted two political experts Thursday for a panel discussion on the 2024 presidential election and the nation’s political climate.
The event is titled “The Knox Conversation: America in 2024 and Political Reckoning?” The lecture was part of Knox Conversations, a speaker series created by the university as a space to foster public debate and foster healthy political debate.
The bipartisan committee was comprised of CNN political contributor and former Democratic strategist Paul Begala and former Maryland lieutenant governor and former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele. Pritzker Professor Jason DeSanto moderated the discussion.
Approximately 90 attendees attended the event in person, with the option to attend virtually.
Following welcoming remarks from Pritzker Dean Hari Osofsky, panelists Steele and Begala spoke about their beginnings in politics.
Steele said he originally planned to join the Augustinians, but decided a public space would be a better place to serve the community.
Begala said she discovered her passion for making a difference in people’s lives and creating lasting change by participating in student government throughout high school and college.
Panelists were given the opportunity to answer audience questions submitted before the panel.
Asked about his thoughts on a third party, Steele said he supports the idea of a third party and believes in ranked choice voting and a popular vote for the president. Ta.
Begala said he opposes third parties because he believes it “empowers the fringe” and that the Democratic Party needs to shift more to the center.
DeSanto asked both panelists what their predictions are for the 2024 election and what people can do to take action.
Begala encouraged the audience to vote, volunteer and participate in peer-to-peer organizing. He told participants to step outside their comfort zones to see what others think and emphasized the importance of taking a break from social media.
“Get off social media,” Begala said. “That is incompatible with democracy.”
Steele said people should vote for the country they want to live in and the government they want to talk to their children about.
DeSanto also asked the panelists for their thoughts on the current political climate, noting that a 2023 survey by the Pew Research Center found that 65% of voters feel exhausted when thinking about politics. mentioned. This exhaustion occurred at a time when voter turnout was at its highest in recent elections.
Begala said the vote depletion could be explained by campaigns claiming to be more virtuous than their opponents. Advertisements and campaigns have “switched from ‘I’m right and you’re wrong’ to ‘I’m good and you’re bad,'” he said.
Both panelists agreed that turnout increased because people were more excited. Steele said voter anger could also lead to more support for campaign finance.
“Your anger has value to the party,” Steele said. “The angrier you get, the more money you end up paying.”
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