Battleground Ohio Podcast

Battleground Ohio: Assessing the 2016 Presidential Race — a weekly podcast from the Political Science Department at Bowling Green State University.

Insights on the race from BGSU’s experts in American politics with a special emphasis on the biggest battleground state of them all, Ohio.

Late October Surprises, Turnout & the Vote of Women and Minorities – November 1

With less than one week to go before the 2016 election, a late October surprise could affect both turnout and the election outcome. Dr. Nicole Kalaf-Hughes and Dr. Melissa Miller weigh in on the FBI discovery of emails that may be pertinent to Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server as Secretary of State. Special attention is paid to possible effects among key segments of the electorate: women, African Americans and Latinos.

Previous Episodes

Questions of character may dominate media coverage of the 2016 campaign, but the economy tops the specific issue concerns of voters. Dr. Melissa Miller joins Wade Gottschalk, the Executive Director of the Wood County Office of Economic Development, to compare the economic proposals of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. They do so against the backdrop of current economic conditions, voter perceptions of America’s economic performance, and the propensity of voters to weigh both economic conditions and their personal economic fortunes when casting a ballot.

Foreign policy rivals the economy as an issue of deep concern to voters in 2016 – even as character issues seem to dominate media coverage of the campaign. Dr. Marc Simon and Dr. Neil Englehart assess the considerable differences between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on a range of issues. ISIS, immigration, international trade, Syria and the future of NATO are among the key foreign policy issues on which the two major-party nominees differ. Clinton and Trump’s foreign policy positions are contrasted with one another as well as with the foreign policy of President Obama.

Could millennial voters tip the balance toward Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump in 2016? Drs. David Jackson and Melissa Miller discuss the millennial vote in light of young voter demographics, the unpopularity of the two major party nominees, the potential for celebrity endorsements to sway young voters, and the recent rescinding of Trump endorsements by Republican elected officials in response to recent developments.

Which party will control Congress after Nov. 8? Dr. Russell Mills and Dr. Nicole Kalaf-Hughes discuss the effects of the Trump versus Clinton battle on lower-level races for House and Senate. A possible rise in split-ticket voting, key states to watch, incumbents on the ropes, and races that are too close to call are assessed. Predictions on party control of each chamber are advanced in light of the historic turmoil at the top of the ticket.

What makes a difference in a close election? BGSU Political Scientists David Jackson and Melissa Miller dissect political science forecasting models that are already predicting a close outcome and discuss factors that could tip the balance toward Clinton or Trump. Each candidate’s performance in the first debate, their turnout operations, and endorsements are among the factors that could matter in 2016.

BGSU Political Scientists Nicole Kalaf-Hughes and Melissa Miller “Debate the Debates” on the eve of the first Clinton versus Trump showdown. Historically, debates rarely influence the election outcome, but conditions in 2016 are different. The three face-to-face encounters between Clinton and Trump may well influence voter attitudes, behavior and vote choice. Kalaf-Hughes and Miller explain why.

BGSU Political Scientists David Jackson and Russell Mills discuss a coveted sector of the 2016 electorate: white, male, working-class voters. While shrinking as a portion of the electorate, they are considered key to the 2016 outcome. Jackson and Mills discuss Trump’s targeted appeal to win them over, why his message resonates among them, and the unique challenges faced by Hillary Clinton – the first woman to be a major-party presidential nominee.

In this episode, Drs. Melissa Miller and Russell Mills, political scientists at Bowling Green State University, talk about Ohio’s pivotal role in the 2016 election, how Ohio’s economic performance will influence the vote, Trump’s attempts to find Reagan Democrats in the Buckeye State, Clinton’s advantage in on-the-ground organizing, and the potential for third-party candidates to influence the outcome in Ohio. This is the first episode in a series of weekly updates on the presidential campaign in America’s most important swing state.

Updated: 04/20/2020 04:26PM