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
U.S. Rep. Karen Bass talks with Off Press about Biden’s presidential prospects, her experiences as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, and what she expects from a new session of Congress.
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?
Election Day 2020 is over, but will the result of the presidential election be decided by the voters or the candidates’ lawyers? Michael Genovese, LMU political science professor, and Justin Levitt, LMU Loyola Law School election law expert, discuss the presidential transition and other scenarios that the ultimate White House winner will face.
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
Carol Costello, former CNN anchor and LMU lecturer of English and journalism in the LMU Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts, explores political incivility and its impact on American politics.
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 a highly polarized 2020 presidential election, in the offing Stefan Bradley, who teaches African American studies, wonders whether issues of racial justice will slip off the nation’s radar.
Chaya Crowder on Black Voters and U.S. Elections
Chaya Crowder, LMU associate professor of political science and international relations, examines how Black voters have shaped U.S. elections and Democratic Party politics since passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
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
Every new appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court changes the high court’s proceedings. Allan Ides, Loyola Law School professor, examines the possible impact of Amy Coney Barrett’s presence on the court.
Sean Dempsey, S.J., on the 2020 Catholic Vote
Catholic voters, considered a crucial swing vote 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 they don’t look for voting instructions from the pulpit.
Justin Levitt and Election 2020
Contrary to others’ predictions, Justin Levitt, Loyola Law School constitutional law professor and elections expert, doesn’t foresee an electoral apocalypse on Election Day 2020.
Michael Genovese
Voters will face a stark choice between candidates in the 2020 presidential election, says Michael Genovese, LMU professor and leading expert on the presidency.
Judy Woodruff
Judy Woodruff shares the moderator’s role in the 2000 presidential debates, one of the most visible stages in the entire election process leading up to the 2020 presidential election.
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 — and the self-destructive willingness of collaborators who indulge them — to tear at the fabric […]
Tony Coelho ’64
Tony Coelho ’64 explains why approachability is a very important quality in a presidential candidate. Coelho knows: He ran Al Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign.
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
LMU International Relations majors Olin Osborne and Tia Carr explain why young voters may determine the 2020 presidential election and what they expect from the candidates.
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.