| Martha Ginn: Hello. I would like to invite everyone to our Election Watch Party tonight at Augusta State at 6pm until ??? We are going to watch the returns on the big screen in the JSAC ballroom. |
| Connor Threlkeld: I want to welcome Dr. Martha Ginn to our chat. Dr. Ginn is a political science professor at Augusta State and advisor to the school’s political science club. Hello, Dr. Ginn. |
| Martha Ginn: Thank you for letting me participate! I have enjoyed reading the other lively discussions. |
| Connor Threlkeld: For our first question, when everything is said and done, where will this particular election fit in terms of modern presidential history? |
| Martha Ginn: I do not think you can really answer that question until we know who wins, but there are several things that make it historic. Of course, the fact that an African American may be our next president or alternatively, a women our next VP make it historic. |
| Martha Ginn: I also think the amount of money spent on this campaign will have a tremendous impact on the campaigns of the future. |
| Randall Flagg: The debate between Coco and Barry last hour showed quite a divide in the mentality of two Augustans. Is this mentality city wide and will the election further divide us or bring us closer together? |
| Martha Ginn: Great question, Randall. I think this election cycle has been particularly divided and I think some of that goes back to ordeal surrounding the 2000 election. I would hope that regardless of who wins tonight, we will come together. |
| Martha Ginn: If we have the record levels of participation some anticipate in this election cycle, I hope the people who were motivated to participate in the process will remain in the process. |
| Connor Threlkeld: To win the presidency in 1960, John F. Kennedy had to overcome concerns about his religion. How does Barack Obama’s candidacy mirror that of Kennedy? |
| Martha Ginn: In terms of religion or concerns in general? |
| Connor Threlkeld: Both, but primarily related to religion. |
| Martha Ginn: Regardless, I think it is difficult to compare the two candidates because so much has changed in terms of our media options. |
| Connor Threlkeld: A lot of pundits are predicting some pretty dire results for the Republican Party when all the votes are counted. In what ways does a landslide election result impact both the party on the winning side and the one on the losing side? |
| Martha Ginn: I think Obama did have to emphasize the fact that he is a Christian in the primary campaign, but I think it has become more of a non-issue for educated voters now. |
| Martha Ginn: I think the presidential race could be tighter than some of the pundits predict, but it is pretty clear that Congress will see in increase in Democratic members. |
| Martha Ginn: If Obama wins the presidency and has a Congress that is heavily Democratic, he will be in a position to implement his campaign promises. If the American people are pleased with the changes implemented by his administration, you would see our political system dominated by one party for some time. |
| Martha Ginn: If Obama wins, but it is not the landslide some predict, then the Republicans need to find a way to keep the people who voted for McCain interested in their party. |
| Connor Threlkeld: How might the Republicans work to maintain support in such a situation? |
| Martha Ginn: They need to start thinking immediately about the next election cycle, both in 2010 and 2012 (as much as we don't want to even consider it after two years of campaigning for this election)and they need start raising money now. The Democrats out-campaigned the Republicans in so many ways in this election cycle, but it is so evident in the amount of money raised. |
| Randall Flagg: People, like myslef, have begun to lose faith in the two party system. Do you ever see a future where there is no political parties? |
| Martha Ginn: Let's face it, the deck has been stacked against John McCain... the current president from his party has historically low approval ratings, we are involved in a war many believed we should have never entered and most want us to end ASAP, Congress is going to shift even more towards the other party and then there is the economy. If McCain does well tonight (but still loses) that suggests that there are people out there who still identify with the Republican party and the party leadership needs to map out an agenda to run on in the future. |
| Martha Ginn: Randall, many of our founding fathers were strongly opposed to parties (they called them factions) but it did not take long for parties to form. Our parties have definitely declined in power over time. There most important role of late has been to help candidates fundraise, and if Obama campaign proves anything, it is that with the internet, candidates do not need the parties as much to help them fundraise. |
| Martha Ginn: I think there are a lot of people out there who would be interested in a multi-party system. But, the way our electoral system is currently structured with single-member districts, the likelihood of a strong third party is quite small. |
| Connor Threlkeld: If Obama succeeds in winning one or two of the southern states he’s competitive in, what would that say about the southern coalition of states that’s been so dependable for Republicans since 1968 when Nixon incorporated his famous Southern Strategy? |
| Martha Ginn: I don't think you can make too much of it from one election cycle. Clinton carried Georgia in 1992 and then GA voted for Dole in 1996. Of course 1992 had the Ross Perot factor. I think if Obama carries some of the South by small margins, we will have to wait and see what happens in 2012. If the margins are huge, then maybe the solid south isn't so solid. |
| Naysayer: Do you think relations between the races and sexes have improved or declined with this election? How? |
| Martha Ginn: As a female, I have witnessed a few double standards in treatment of both Senator Clinton and Governor Palin. |
| Martha Ginn: I think in many important ways, these campaigns have transcended the racial issues. I think the times it has been interjected have been unfortunate and have distracted voters from the real issues. |
| Connor Threlkeld: The term “transformational” has been tossed out by a number of people about an Obama presidency. What exactly does that mean and who have been transformational presidents in U.S. history and why? |
| Martha Ginn: My defintion would be a President who can change the status quo and enact programs that dramatically change the role of government in our society. Other presidents who fit this title to me include FDR with the New Deal and LBJ with both the Civil Rights Acts and the Great Society programs. If Obama wins with a large Democratic majority in Congress, he stands in a position to pass the same types of transformational legislation. |
| Connor Threlkeld: I would like to thank Martha Ginn for taking the time to talk with us. Please check out our next chat with members of the Augusta Chronicle's Teen Board, starting at 5 p.m. |
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