UW News

November 6, 2008

Two profs to talk about ‘What Really Happened’ in election

The two will give the Provost Distinguished Lecture, What Really Happened, from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, in 130 Kane. Admission is free, but seating is limited and advance registration is requested.

Eavesdrop on Domke and Smith as they discuss the election like old friends. With the nation’s first African American to receive a major-party nomination on one side of the ticket and a decorated war hero on the other, the 2008 election has delivered drama and unexpected twists throughout the historic campaign.

Just nine days after the election, the Office of the Provost and the UW Alumni Association present the two professors in a lively discussion of how 2008 paralleled other elections in the influence of voters’ party affiliations, religious preferences and economic circumstances. Domke and Smith will also examine factors such as race, gender and the complex political climate that made this election truly unique.

Domke is a former journalist and author of the recently published book, The God Strategy: How Religion Became a Political Weapon in America. He is a professor and acting chair in the UW’s Department of Communication and was chosen by the graduating class of 2008 as their favorite UW professor.

Smith is the author of The Right Talk: How Conservatives Transformed the Great Society into the Economic Society. He is an associate professor of political science and an adjunct professor of communication at the UW, and teaches courses on public opinion and American political culture.

Introduced in 2006, the Provost Distinguished Lecture program highlights a topic of great importance to our society. Twice a year, Provost Phyllis Wise, as chief academic officer of the UW, selects internationally recognized UW faculty scholars to bring relevant knowledge to the attention of the greater community.

For more information and to register online, visit www.UWalum.com or call the UW Alumni Association at 206-543-0540.