On the afternoon of Oct. 29, WDIV Local 4 partnered with the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) to host a discussion. This event was part of the ‘Decision 2024: Your Vote’ Town Hall series in which OU hosts events to inform the public and students about the upcoming election. At the time of the event, the election was just a week away. The conversation covered topics such as the state of the presidential race, along with Michigan’s House and Senate race as a vital swing state.
The event was facilitated by TV anchor Jason Colthorp from WDIV. Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Director of CCE David Dulio and Associate Professor of Political Science Nicole Asmussen Matthew joined as faculty experts to share their thoughts on a wide range of topics.
The conversation began by discussing the fast pace of the election season and how quickly things have changed.
“So much has happened. That’s the understatement of the century. We think about what has transpired and it’s unlike any other election cycle that I can remember … We think about the fact that the sitting president quit the race just a couple of months before the convention … A great way to describe this cycle is historic chaos,” Dulio said.
“Last January, we were thinking ‘Is Trump going to be on trial?’… Now, we aren’t even thinking about that anymore. Other things have come up,” Matthew said.
Panelists also talked about the candidates’ changing messages and tones throughout the election season.
“For moments, we saw a very disciplined Trump in the first debate with Biden. He stayed on message. His speech at the convention was very on-message. But now, we’re seeing a lot more kind of typical Trump veering off into tirades,” Matthew said.
“I think you’re so right about the first debate performance was maybe best ever. It was really good because he was disciplined and restrained and that has gone away. On the Harris side … she wants it both ways. She wants at the same time to be the last person in the room with the president on important decisions, but then have no accountability for the record of the Biden Administration,” Dulio explained. “That’s an awkward position to be in and I think it’s been a difficult one.”
Panelists also talked about polling given the closeness of the election. How reliable is polling and can it be trusted to predict an election?
“The election is going to be close. That’s what all the polls say, and if you check the news tomorrow it’s going to say the same thing … In one sense, they aren’t that informative because they aren’t telling us who’s going to win, but they are telling us that your vote’s going to matter a lot compared to elections that are more lopsided,” Matthew said.
“Don’t overreact to a particular one that gets reported in the press. Look for trends, look for shifts as they happen at large,” Dulio said.
On Nov. 12, CCE will host an election debrief session called ‘Now What?” Dulio and Matthew, along with Christy McDonald, will discuss the outcome of the presidential race and the implications for 2025. The conversation will also cover congressional election outcomes and what the balance of power between the parties will mean for future policy-making implications. Follow CCE on Instagram @cce_ou.
