Newswise — For the past 20 years, University of Maryland political communication expert Kathleen Kendall has followed presidential candidates through New Hampshire in the run-up to the nation's first primary election. A research professor of political communication at Maryland, Kendall has written Communication in the Presidential Primaries: Candidates and the Media, 1912-2000.
Shawn Parry-Giles heads the University of Maryland's Center for Political Communication and Civic Leadership and is writing a book about Hillary Clinton and the media.
Here are some excerpts of their latest dispatches from New Hampshire. You can link to their blog online: http://www.newsdesk.umd.edu/sociss/2008/NHBlogs.cfm
Back to the Future: The Power of Obama's Oratory
January 6, 2008,By Shawn Parry-Giles, Professor, Department of Communication, University of Maryland
"If Obama ultimately is victorious in New Hampshire and beyond, much can be attributed to the power of his stump speech - what some consider a lost art. The power of his oratory may well say as much about the state of the electorate in the post-Bush years, where citizens seem hungry for inspiration and a faith in the nation once again, which has long been a hallmark of the rhetorical presidency, the centerpiece of presidential campaigning, and a integral component of the nation's history."
On the Road with Hillary
January 6, 2008,By Shawn Parry-Giles, Professor, Department of Communication, University of Maryland
"Win or lose on Tuesday, Hillary Clinton is working hard to be the second 'come back kid' of the New Hampshire primary through old fashioned retail politics and citizen engagement."
New Hampshire: A Model of Political Energy
January 5, 2008, P.M.By Shawn Parry-Giles, Professor, Department of Communication, University of Maryland
"If every state could model Iowa and New Hampshire, we would be a country of informed, active, and inspired citizenry and we would expect our leaders to work harder to gain and sustain our support."
First Lady Discussion
January 5 , 2008, PMBy Kathleen E. Kendall, Research Professor, Department of Communication, University of Maryland
"Perhaps their performance is one more indication that the stakes have gone up for future First Ladies. We now expect them to be conversant on the issues, at a level that exceeds that of most Americans."
Huckabee's New Hampshire Challenge
January 5 , 2008By Kathleen E. Kendall, Research Professor, Department of Communication, University of Maryland
"Huckabee will have a hard time winning over the New Hampshire audience...New Hampshirites expect a lot more substance from their candidates than I saw at yesterday's rally. They like to look people over and ask them questions. Loud music and Chuck Norris just won't be enough to get their vote."
The Generational Divide in Action
January 5, 2008By Shawn Parry-Giles, Professor, Department of Communication, University of Maryland
"Hillary Clinton's last hope is that her baby boomer peers [select] a candidate that is seasoned in political experience and controversy, ready to withstand the almost unbearable forces of a general election. Such a choice, however, lacks the sense of newness, excitement, and idealism for the nation's youth."
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