Election ’08: Faculty Commentaries

The new meaning of November 4
“What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” Frederick Douglass once asked. Now the question is “What to the African-American is the Fourth of November?” writes Professor of History Anthony Parent, as African-Americans ponder the meaning of the election of Barack Obama.

Roosevelt, Kennedy and Obama
While some have compared Barack Obama’s election to that of John F. Kennedy’s in 1960, another apt comparison would be with Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932, writes Associate Professor of History Simone Caron.

Obama’s game-changing strategy
Associate Professor of Communication and elections expert Allan Louden says that Barack Obama’s use of the Internet and an army of volunteers made the difference in this year’s presidential election — and has likely changed how future campaigns will look.

Obama’s impact on the Supreme Court
Barack Obama will probably make “safe” appointments to the Supreme Court that are unlikely to significantly change the make up of the court, writes Professor of Political Science Katy Harriger.

Obama faces economic realities
Economics professor Robert Whaples says forget about finding someone to blame for the current economic crisis, and instead focus on reducing government debt, ensuring free trade and developing an energy policy.

Foreign policy and the global economy
International business flourishes when international relations are peaceful and stable, writes Associate Professor of Management Charles Kennedy. Will Barack Obama pursue a “transformational foreign policy” that will reduce the risks that threaten a strong global economy?

The challenges of health-care reform
Barack Obama may have to adopt a piecemeal approach to health-care reform, given the current political and fiscal realities, writes Professor of Economics Michael Lawlor.

The outlook for immigration reform
Barack Obama has promised to bring undocumented workers “out of the shadows,” and onto a route to citizenship, writes Worrell Professor of Anglo-American Studies David Coates.

Hope for education and young people
Barack Obama’s election should be positive for America’s youth, both in terms of education policy and in much more personal terms, writes Professor of Education Joseph O. Milner.

The new governor’s ‘to-do’ list
N.C. Governor-Elect Beverly Perdue — the first woman elected governor in the state’s history — has a long “to-do” list before taking office, says Professor Emeritus of Political Science Jack Fleer, who has written extensively on North Carolina’s governors.

The mathematics of voting
Assistant Professor of Mathematics Jason Parsley and students in his first-year seminar are exploring how different methods of voting can produce different results.

Alumni Hagen, Kissell win U.S. races
Alumni Kay Hagan (JD ’78) and Larry Kissell (’73) are heading to Washington. Hagan defeated incumbent North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole on Tuesday, and will join another alumnus, Richard Burr (’78), as North Carolina’s Senators. Kissell (’73) upset incumbent Robin Hayes to win the U.S. House seat for North Carolina’s 8th District. In other election results, School of Law professor Suzanne Reynolds (JD ’79) narrowly lost her bid for a seat on the N.C. Supreme Court. N.C. Appeals Court judge John C. Martin (JD ’67) ran unopposed to retain his seat, while District Court judges Victoria Roemer (JD ’85) and Marshall Bickett (JD ’78) were reelected.