Inside American Politics 2020 (Day 1)

Political experts and strategists will join the John Brademas Center and NYU DC Dialogues for a dialogue to discuss the 2020 presidential election results and on the current political landscape in Washington. This series provides students of New York University with the opportunity to learn from practitioners in order to gain an insider’s view of the American political system. This event will be held virtually using Zoom.

Day 1: Monday, November 9, 2020

Panel 1: What Just Happened, and Why? What Were the Primary Issues and Demographic Trends that Led to Joe Biden’s Victory?
This panel will analyze the strategic campaign decisions and external events that had the most significant impact on shaping the outcome of the election. How much credit should the Biden campaign get for their victory, or was this election purely a referendum on the Trump presidency? How did the Trump campaign again defy expectations and perform much better than the media and polls suggested?

Speakers: Joel Benenson, Jonathan Capehart, Steve McMahon (moderator), Stephanie Cutter, Todd Harris, Betsy Fischer Martin

Panel 2: Polls, Posts, & Tweets: How Challenges in Modern Polling and Disinformation in Social Media Are Impacting Elections
This panel will analyze how pollsters, again this year, inflated the strength of Democratic candidates. How did they get it so wrong and what changes are in store for the polling industry? Are efforts to spread political disinformation via social media now a permanent part of American elections?

Speakers: 
John Anzalone, Lisa Benenson (Moderator), Rob Collins, Pat Egan, Karen Finney, Michael Steele

Day 2: Tuesday, November 10, 2020

Panel 3: The Grand Old Party? How Trump Has Reshaped the Republican Party
This panel will discuss the future of the Republican Party. Has Donald Trump permanently reshaped the party in his image? How does the party move beyond 2020 and build a national coalition to compete in the 2022 midterms and 2024 presidential election?

Speakers: Ron Christie, Rob Collins, Todd Harris, Jonathan Martin, Kiki McLean (Moderator), Michael Steele

Panel 4: What’s Next for the Democratic Party? How Do They Balance the Progressive Wing with The Moderate Wing?
This panel will discuss how the Democratic Party underperformed in several races, and what that means for the direction of party leadership. How does President-elect Joe Biden work with the progressive wing of the Democratic party? How does the party navigate its ascendancy and solidify recent electoral gains in more moderate Southern and Sun Belt states?

Speakers: Jonathan Capehart, Stephanie Cutter, Pat Egan (Moderator), Karen Finney, Steve McMahon, Doug Thornell