October 28, 2004
Contact:
Mara L. Kiffin, Assistant Director
Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5350; 954-224-4642
FT. LAUDERDALE, FL. - Nova Southeastern University’s Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences and the Shepard Broad Law Center will present a post-election analysis, “Into the Unknown: After the 2004 Presidential Election” from 6:30-8:00 p.m., on Thursday, November 4 in the Knight Auditorium of the Carl DeSantis Building on NSU’s main campus.
Distinguished Visiting Professor John Anderson, former congressman from Illinois and third party presidential candidate in 1980 will join noted constitutional scholar Charles Zelden, Ph.D., for a first look at the changes and issues raised by the 2004 presidential
race. The two professors will offer brief remarks, analysis and respond to questions from the audience. Don Rosenblum, Ph.D., Dean of Farquhar College will moderate the discussion.
All polls suggest that the contest will be extremely close. No matter which candidate prevails, the outcome will raise numerous issues, including:
- Governing without a strong mandate
- Role of the third party candidate
in national elections
- Negative campaigning
- Public opinion
- Influence of the media
- Future of the electoral process in America.
Panelists will focus on how these key issues remain unclear or unresolved, and will address the future of American presidential politics as it has been rendered unknown in the wake of new tactics and issues, as well as a bruising battle that has left both candidates and the voting public exhausted.
Recently named a “Star Professor” by National Jurist magazine, John B. Anderson serves as the Chair of the Center for Voting and Democracy, and teaches at NSU’s Shepard Broad Law Center. One of his fields is “Law and the Electoral Process.” Between 1961 and 1981 he served as congressman from Illinois, and in 1980 he was a third party candidate for president of the United States and drew over six million votes. In 2000 he declined to run after a movement sought to draft him as a presidential candidate.
Charles Zelden holds B.A. and M.A. degrees from Washington University and a Ph.D. from Rice University. He is an Associate Professor of Humanities at NSU’s Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences and is the author of the 2002 book, Voting Rights on Trial (Hackett Publishing), which was issued in paperback this fall. Voting Rights on Trial looks at patterns of vote denial in American history, focusing on the 2000 presidential election and the events that followed in Florida. Dr. Zelden is also the author of a new book, The Battle for the Black Ballot: Smith v Allwright and the Defeat of the Texas All-White Primary, published in August by the University Press of Kansas, that examines civil rights and voting in the mid-20th century.
For more information about “Into the Unknown: After the 2004 Presidential Election,” please contact Linda Lahey, (954) 262-6111 or Alyssa Rothman, (954) 262-7956.
