Newswise — Here are some initial reactions by University of Maryland political scientists and political communication experts to Senator McCain's choice of a running mate.
They may be quoted and contacted directly for an interview. Contact information is provided below. Or contact university communications (contacts below).
A more complete listing of political experts is available online:http://www.newsdesk.umd.edu/experts/hottopic.cfm?hotlist_id=18
NOTE: Updates to this release will be posted online as available: http://www.newsdesk.umd.edu/sociss/print.cfm?articleID=1723
KAREN KAUFMANN, associate professor, government and politics
"...overestimated the influence of gender..."
"The Republicans seems to have overestimated the influence of gender on the voting behavior of women in a partisan context. Yes, Hillary Clinton was able to draw disproportionate support from older women during the primaries, but most of these women were Democrats. Her candidacy was especially attractive to women who had lived through the Women's Rights Movement, the losing battle over the ERA, the fight for women's reproductive rights, and the ongoing battle for pay equity. These equal rights issues are at the core of the Democratic Party creed, and Hillary Clinton as the Democratic Party nominee would have embodied the realization of many of these hopes and aspirations.
"Sarah Palin is clearly a beneficiary of these historic battles for gender equity, but will not be perceived as their champion. It feels a bit like a 'Hail Mary pass' at the end of a football game, and suggests great insecurity within the McCain camp. Fritz Mondale picked Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate in 1984 when the odds of victory were heavily against him. Ferraro didn't help Mondale in 1984, and I suspect that Palin's influence over this year's outcome will be similarly weak."
Karen M. Kaufmann, associate professor, government and politics
Expertise Key Words: Among specialties: Election gender gap; common political myths; Black and Latino voters; urban politics. More generally: political campaigns; U.S. public opinion and voting behavior; survey research and polling; group interests/group identities in public opinion and voting.
Kaufmann Home Page: http://www.bsos.umd.edu/gvpt/kaufmann/
SHAWN PARRY-GILES, associate professor and director, Center for Political Communication and Civic Leadership
"...bold and extremely strategic...giving the Obama campaign no time to enjoy the success of their own party extravaganza."
"McCain's selection of vice presidential running mates is very bold and extremely strategic. He is targeting the disgruntled Hillary vote at a time when the Obama campaign seemed to take the independent women's vote for granted. The Democrats can't attack her too vehemently or else they could lose even more women swing voters. They can't charge her with inexperience because of the Senator's own liabilities in that area. McCain just changed the entire calculations of the election, giving the Obama campaign no time to enjoy the success of their own party extravaganza."
Shawn J. Parry-Giles, associate professor and director, Center for Political Communication and Civic Leadership
Expertise Key Words: Media coverage of Hillary Rodham Clinton; U.S. political communication, U.S. war discourse, wartime propaganda, speeches of presidency and first lady, politics and media, campaigns and elections, presidential debates, media coverage of presidency and first lady.
Home page: http://www.wam.umd.edu/~spg/
TREVOR PARRY-GILES: Associate Professor, political communication
"...McCain rolled the dice...Palin brings obvious strengths to the ticket..."
"In picking Sarah Palin, John McCain rolled the dice and shook up the presidential campaign. On the one hand, the selection is a rather obvious, apparent attempt to appeal to women voters. On the other hand, the selection is a more subtle attempt to reinforce the narrative that the McCain campaign seeks to put forth for its candidate - that he's a maverick, someone not beholden to the Bush administration, a Western figure unafraid to take risks, make change, and shake things up.
"Palin brings obvious strengths to the ticket - a reform minded, Western governor with executive experience and a deep understanding of energy issues. Her son is soon to be deployed to Iraq, she has another child who had Down's Syndrome, and her profile is a great fit with the McCain profile.
"On another level, Sen. Obama's selection of Joe Biden motivated this pick on a couple of levels. By not selecting Hillary Clinton, Obama opened the door to the selection of a female candidate for McCain. What's more, by selecting a candidate from an electoral lightweight like Delaware, McCain was freer to select a running mate without reference to electoral power or strength. And Obama's relative lack of experience in elective office insulates Palin from similar charges."
Trevor S. Parry-Giles, associate professor, political communication
Expertise Key Words: Supreme Court Confirmation History & Politics; Hurricane Katrina and President Bush's response; political communication; political advertisements; Bill Clinton's presidency; American political rhetoric.
Home Page:http://www.comm.umd.edu/faculty/tpg/TPGHomePage.htm
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