Campaign Strategies and the Midterm Election

Moderated by Ms. Killian, two political writers talked to journalism students about campaign strategies. They discussed the possible change in power in Congress after the November 2006 midterm elections and prospects for the next presidential election. Thomas Edsall argued that Republicans are enlarging their voter base by tailoring messages to voters and by forming coalitions of different interest groups. Thomas Schaller argued that Democrats can win without the South if they pursue voters in the Midwest and Southwest. After their discussion, they responded to audience members' questions.

Thomas Edsall recently retired as a senior political correspondent for the Washington Post. He is the author of Building Red America: The New Conservative Coalition and the Drive for Permanent Power, published by Basic Books. Tom Schaller writes for Daily Kos and The American Prospect. He is the author of Whistling Past Dixie: How Democrats Can Win Without the South, published by Simon and close