All eyes in Washington, D.C., are now firmly focused on the national election in the weeks leading up to November 6th. We asked representatives of higher education associations for their perspectives on the impact of the election on higher education. The results of those interviews are shared in this video.
The 2012 Republican National Convention will kick-off on August 27-30 in Tampa, Florida. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is hoping to reclaim The White House for his party, regain control of the U.S. Senate, and maintain the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The 2012 Democratic National Convention will be held on September 4-6 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Charlotte is an up and coming city with a thriving economy that symbolizes the type of “change” the President Obama seeks for America. President Obama is in a tight race with his opponent as he attempts to stay in office for a second term.
President Obama can leverage the presidential pulpit to run his re-election campaign. The challenger, Mitt Romney, is forced to make his case before the American public through rigorous campaigning that is funded by his significant fundraising base. It is not expected that the recent selection of his vice presidential running mate, Paul Ryan, will have a signficant impact on the outcome of the election. However, the presidential debates could play a big role in influencing independents and undecided voters.
Senators and Representatives are on recess for five weeks in their home districts talking to constituents and campaigning, either for themselves or others. The control of the Senate will be tightly contested. Currently, the Democrats hold the majority over the Republicans, but by a slim margin - 51-47 with 2 independents. One-third of the seats are up for reelection since senators are elected to 6 year terms and the election cycle is every two years. The U.S. House of Representatives is firmly in Republican hands, 242-193. Although there are a number of contested as well as open seats, it is not expected that the Republicans will lose control of the House.
The national election falls on November 6th which is also the beginning of EDUCAUSE 2012 in Denver, Colorado. Participants who do not need to arrive until November 7th, the start of the general sessions and exhibit hall, may be able to cast their ballot in their home district before they depart for Denver. However, many of us will be in Denver at the time of the election and can vote in advance by absentee ballot. For more information on how to obtain your absentee ballot, visit http://www.longdistancevoter.org