Newswise — President Bush travels to Capitol Hill January 20 for his third State of the Union address. With a presidential election year looming, and many in Congress focusing on their own reelection, the question for many is will Mr. Bush deliver more than just a modified campaign speech?
There are many issues on the table that need attention. The war on terror remains a high priority, even as the U.S. military faces challenges in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere around the world. Domestically, the economy is rebounding but unemployment remains a problem, as does the budget deficit.
As one expert here at the University of Maryland wonders, will Mr. Bush "choose to pander" to his constituencies or offer a vision for what a possible second term might look like? Our experts can help you put Mr. Bush's speech into perspective with clear, concise analysis.
Ron Walters, professor of government and politics and director of the African American Leadership Institute, Academy of Leadership, University of Maryland
Expertise - Prof. Walters is one of the top academic experts and media commentators in the country on African American involvement in electoral politics, past and present. Issues include: elections, the role of African American voters in this and past elections, African American candidates, presidential leadership, African American leadership, minority voter turnout and why millions of Americans don't vote at all.
Walters Says - "A State of the Union message in a Presidential election year is more than the usual political event. It not only outlines the president's agenda to Congress, but given the distractions of Congress with the elections, presidents also craft their own campaign program. The African American community and others similarly situated will be interested in how that message plays back against the proposals tendered by candidates for the Democratic nomination for President as the primary elections approach."
Credentials - a nationally known commentator, Prof. Walters writes a weekly syndicated column that appears in hundreds of papers nationally. He is the author of numerous articles and books.
Web Page - http://www.academy.umd.edu/Election2000/Ron_Walters.htm
James Klumpp, professor of communication, University of Maryland.
Expertise - Political communication; public discourse; communication and social change; public life in American communities.
Klumpp Says - " In normal years, State of the Union speeches are among the least interesting of Presidential speeches, uninspiring rituals designed more to aggrandize the parochial interests of those in the policy bureaucracy with their 15 seconds of Presidential attention than to touch chords in the American public. But in election years, the State of the Union speech of sitting Presidents is formed through an interesting choice: Will the incumbent choose to pander to the interests of strategic political constituencies, or to declare a vision for a second term sufficient to motivate a public mandate? Which will this incumbent choose?"
Credentials - Prof. Klumpp has written countless articles looking at political communication and is the author of one book and the co-author of another. He has been quoted in a wide range of media on topics that have included the social issues surrounding political blunders to the State of the Union speech.
Web Page - http://www.wam.umd.edu/~jklumpp/home.html
Shawn J. Parry-Giles - professor of communication, women's studies; director, Center for Political Communication and Civic Leadership, University of Maryland.
Expertise - teaches and studies historical and contemporary political discourse as well as rhetorical, feminist and media criticism. Her current projects examine the rhetorical presidency and presidential image construction in addition to the news media's coverage of Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Parry-Giles Says - "Situated between the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary, President George W. Bush's State of the Union address will offer clear insight into his 2004 campaign plan. Of note are the ways in which President Bush is crafting policy initiatives aimed at enhancing his electability by co-opting the Democratic Party's stock issues and perhaps swing voters in the process.
These are tactics similar to those of President Richard Nixon in 1972. In the end, the Democrats may lose rhetorical and political traction as the President fosters a compassionate agenda that works toward federal deregulation while aiding pharmaceutical companies, NASA, and defense industries in the process. Such tactics may well be the winning rhetorical combination in election 2004." Credentials - author of numerous articles; her books include The Rhetorical Presidency, Propaganda, and the Cold War, 1945-1955
Web Page - http://www.wam.umd.edu/~spg/
Trevor Parry-Giles - professor of political communication, University of MarylandExpertise - presidential rhetoric, political strategy and advertising
Parry-Giles Says - "Election year State of the Union addresses are invaluable opportunities for incumbent presidents to set the campaign agenda. Bush will undoubtedly tout the accomplishments of the last three years and call for a politically popular program of legislation to set the stage for his reelection bid. Given this president's ability to consistently maintain a strong message focus, the themes articulated in the State of the Union speech will be those we will see over and over and over again, in speeches, commercials, at the GOP convention--everywhere for the next 11 months."
Credentials - former political consultant; co-authored Constructing Clinton: Hyperreality and Presidential Image-Making in Postmodern Politics.
Web site - http://www.wam.umd.edu/~tpg/index.html
Paul Herrnson - director, Center for American Politics and Citizenship and professor of government and politics, University of Maryland
Expertise - congressional and national politics; campaign finance reform; voting technology
Herrnson Says - "It will be an important State of the Union, politically. President Bush will use it to reach out to various constituencies in anticipation of the 2004 presidential election."
Credentials - recent books include: Congressional Elections: Campaigning at Home and in Washington, 3rd ed. (2000); The Good Fight: How Political Candidates Struggle to Win Elections Without Losing Their Souls (2001, co-editor); and Playing Hardball: Campaigning for the U.S. Congress (2000)
Web site - http://www.capc.umd.edu/org.asp
Robin Gerber - senior scholar at the James MacGregor Burns Academy of Leadership, University of Maryland.
Expertise - women's leadership, politics and history; women's leadership development; national politics; Eleanor Roosevelt.
Gerber Says - "President Bush is likely to give the most politically calculated State of the Union speech in recent memory. Despite his denials, he is deeply involved in his reelection strategy. The lens for viewing the 2004 State of the Union speech will be one that focuses on how well the President satisfies the Republican base while reaching out to the swing voters he needs in November."
Credentials -a nationally known commentator, Gerber has been widely published. She is a contributing author, with James MacGregor Burns and Georgia Sorenson, of Dead Center: Clinton-Gore Leadership and the Perils of Moderation. She is also the author of Leadership the Eleanor Roosevelt Way: Timeless Strategies from the First Lady of Courage. Gerber has also been a speaker at national conferences and leads workshops and seminars on women's leadership development.
Web site - http://www.academy.umd.edu/publications/Eleanor/rgerber.htm
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