Red and Blue Nation: Partisanship and the 2008 Election

Event Details

Special Event: 6-7:30 p.m. in Clark 108, UVA Grounds. Bridging partisan divisions has been the touchstone of both the Obama and McCain campaigns. However, the substantive contrast between the candidates is deep and stark – arguably sharper than between contenders in the last two presidential elections. As America struggles with both foreign and domestic crises, will the next president of the United States unite the country in a way it has not been for several decades, offering long-term solutions on immigration, health care, Social Security and global warming?

Brookings senior fellows Pietro Nivola and William Galston, in Red and Blue Nation? (Brookings Press), consider the extent to which polarized views among political leaders and activists are reflected in the electorate at large, and assess systemic reforms that might depolarize much of the political and policy process. On Oct. 15, they were joined by representatives of both the U.Va. College Democrats and Republicans in a discussion on the possibilities for bipartisanship after the 2008 election. Topics included: Election 2008; McCain; Obama.