With Presidential Election Heating Up, UA Professors Offer Insights into 2008 Campaign

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – With the 2008 Democratic and Republican presidential conventions making news, and the campaigns of Barack Obama and John McCain entering the home stretch, faculty members at The University of Alabama are ready to help you with insights into the political process.

For more information or assistance in reaching sources, phone UA Media Relations at 205/348-5320 or e-mail rllecomte@advance.ua.edu

These University of Alabama sources are available for commentary through November:

Presidential debates: Dr. David Lanoue, professor and chair of political science, can speak on the process of the presidential election, particularly in the area of the upcoming presidential debates. He recently published the article “Debates are for Losers” with colleague Peter Schrott in the July 2008 edition of PS: Political Science and Politics. The article assesses the roles presidential debates have played in the outcomes of elections and whether “winning” a debate helps or hinders a candidate. He may be reached at 205/348-5981, 205/310-1863 or dlanoue@bama.ua.edu

Political Speech: Dr. Jason Edward Black, assistant professor of communication studies, researches in the area of African-American discourses and U.S. nationalism. Black can discuss the cultural/historical importance of the Obama campaign. He may be reached at 301/219-7850 or jason.black@ua.edu.

Political advertising: Dr. Karen Cartee, professor of advertising and public relations, can address issues arising from the expected maelstrom of messages and attack ads. She can be reached at 205/348-8844, 205/799-0693 or cart3912@bellsouth.net

Political polls: Dr. Patrick Cotter, professor of political science, can discuss polling, including survey sampling, the methods and tactics used in asking questions, the demographics of respondents and how these polls help candidates with campaign strategy. Cotter may be reached at 205/348-5505 or pcotter@tenhoor.as.ua.edu

The Web and the campaign: Dr. Jennifer Greer, associate professor and chair of the journalism department, will offer insights on campaigns’ growing use of the Internet and the role of blogs and other alternative forms of communications. Greer can be reached at 205/348-6304, 205/394-3194 or jdgreer@ua.edu

Housing and real estate: Grayson M. Glaze, executive director of the Alabama Center for Real Estate, can comment on the volatile housing market, a key issue in the campaign. You may reach Glaze at 205/348-7714 or gglaze@cba.ua.edu

Foreign relations: Dr. Doug Gibler, associate professor of political science, can give insights into the foreign-policy issues surrounding the campaign. You can reach Gibler at 205/789-5746 or dmgibler@bama.ua.ed

Political parties and voting: Dr. Carol Cassel, professor of political science, specializes in public opinion, voting behavior and political parties. Cassel can be reached at 205/348-3805 or ccassel@bama.ua.edu

Economic issues: Dr. Sam Addy, director of The University of Alabama’s Center for Business and Economic Research, and Ahmad Ijaz, economic analyst, are ready to field questions concerning the economy, which are proving key to the presidential campaign. Addy can be reached at 205/348-6191 or saddy@cba.ua.edu; Ijaz can be reached at 205/348-2955 or aijaz@cba.ua.edu