2020 Election Coverage
Presidential elections are often portrayed by politicians and party activists as pivotal turning points in the nation’s history. It’s part of riling the base. We’re in a time when all politics seems without precedent, and few would disagree that the November 2020 election truly will take place at a fork in the road. To talk about the fork where we’re poised and where the roads may lead, we’ve assembled some of LMU’s leading experts on the presidency, election law, the Supreme Court, the role of journalism and more to put this precarious moment in perspective.
U.S. Rep. Karen Bass On Election Results
With votes nearly tallied, U.S. Rep. Karen Bass, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, describes changes she expects in a possible Biden presidency and a new Congress.
How to Hold On to Your Last Shred of Sanity on Election Night
Election anxiety dragging you down? Fight back with laughter: Ivan Ehlers ’04, cartoonist for The New Yorker, MAD magazine and others, has a few tips.
Election Special Report: Where Do We Stand?
The voting is over, and now the election is about counting, counting and counting. Justin Levitt, election law expert at LMU Loyola Law School, and Michael Genovese, LMU expert on the presidency, discuss the state of the 2020 election and what’s ahead in the next presidential term.
How To Deal With Election Anxiety
Political polarization is rampant but election anxiety crosses the aisle between party differences. Cassidy Freitas ’08, a licensed marriage and family therapist, has tips to help keep you mentally healthy.
Ivan Ehlers ’04 on Drawing in The New Yorker
Ivan Ehlers has produced work for The New Yorker, MAD Magazine and The Wall Street Journal. But rejection is part of the job, he says, and studying psychology at LMU has come in handy.
Poll Watching
Polls that seemed terribly inaccurate in the 2016 presidential election left half the country feeling they’d burned their hands on the stove. Should we doubt polling reports this year? Three LMU experts say probably not.
Election Sing-Along
Music has long been part of U.S. politics, from campaign ditties to Civil Rights anthems. Evelyn McDonnell, professor journalism and expert on music, gender and politics, offers some of her favorite songs about voting.
The Counter Vote
If the Electoral College vote produces a result that doesn’t reflect the popular vote for president, is it time to shutter the institution?
Campaign Melodies
Presidential campaign jingles have become a thing of the past. But when done well, they reinforced acandidate’s pitch and spoke to voters.
Carol Costello on White House Virus and Incivility
As Election Day approaches, the White House turns into a virus hot zone and political incivility deepens. Carol Costello, former CNN anchor, discusses America’s diseases of body and spirit — and what she’s doing about them.
Senate Control and the Barrett Nomination
The focus of the November 2020 election is mainly on the White House. But for the party that fails to win the presidency, controlling the U.S. Senate will be paramount. Prof. Richard Fox examines the scenarios.
Stefan Bradley on Black Americans and the 2020 Election
With the Biden-Trump presidential battle threatening to sweep most national issues from the nation’s radar, Prof. Stefan Bradley discusses what he sees at stake for Black Americans in the 2020 election.
Chaya Crowder on Black Voters and U.S. Elections
“The Republican Party has made little to no attempt to historically appeal to Black voters since the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act,” says Prof. Chaya Crowder in describing why Black voters, especially Black women, are the backbone of the Democratic Party.
The Biden-Trump Debate Playbook
Evan Gerstmann, who teaches political science at LMU, says the nominee who controls the topics will win the first presidential debate. But the pressure, he believes, is on Joe Biden, not Donald Trump.
Allan Ides and the SCOTUS Nominee
If Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed as a Supreme Court justice, her impact may be shaped by her relationship with Chief Justice John Roberts, says Allan Ides, LMU Loyola Law School professor. Ides, who clerked for Justice Byron White, shares…
Sean Dempsey, S.J., on the 2020 Catholic Vote
Catholic voters, whose ballots were crucial in 2016, may sway the 2020 presidential election. But, says Prof. Sean Dempsey, S.J., the days when Catholics voted as a bloc are long gone. Today, they span the political spectrum, and to think they’ll vote as a priest instructs them from the pulpit is a stereotype.
Justin Levitt and Election 2020
Justin Levitt, constitutional law professor at the LMU Loyola Law School, may be one of the few experts on U.S. voting laws and rights who does not foresee an electoral apocalypse on Election Day, Nov. 3.
Michael Genovese
Prof. Michael Genovese, a leading expert on the presidency, discusses the upcoming presidential election, which will present voters with a stark choice and promises to be as unpredictable as it will be momentous.
Judy Woodruff
Judy Woodruff, PBS NewsHour anchor, discusses the debate moderator’s role in one of the most visible stages in a presidential election process. It’s part of our special Off Press podcast series focused on the Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate at LMU.
Dramatis Personae
In his bestselling volume “Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics,” Stephen Greenblatt, in a none-too-subtle jab at President Donald Trump, examines the characters of Richard III, Macbeth, King Lear and Coriolanus to illuminate how Shakespeare’s work probes the danger of narcissistic demagogues —…
Tony Coelho ’64
Tony Coelho, who ran the 2000 Gore Democratic presidential campaign, says don’t underestimate approachability when it comes to the voters’ choice for president. It’s part of our special Off Press podcast series on the Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate at LMU on Dec. 19, 2019.
The Angry Age
Political rage has spread globally like a virus, and the divide between “us” and “them” is harder to bridge and growing wider everyday.
Tia Carr ’21 and Olin Osborne ’23
Young voters may determine the 2020 presidential election. Tia Carr and Olin Osborne, LMU international relations majors, describe what they expect from presidential candidates and what they believe candidates offer. It’s the third in our six-part Off Press podcast series…
Makes No Census
A U.S. Supreme Court ruling on a proposed change to the 2020 national census could change U.S. politics for the next decade.