John Hibbing, political science, was interviewed for an Oct. 14 Politico article on Nebraska’s battleground 2nd District. He said the idea of the district as a difference-maker in the presidential election is not as far-fetched as in previous cycles. “I guess I’d have to say this year [the odds are] a little bit less slim,” he said.
Kevin Smith, political science, was interviewed for an Oct. 16 National News Desk article on Nebraska’s battleground 2nd Congressional District and the surprisingly tight U.S. Senate race between incumbent Deb Fischer and challenger Dan Osborn. “If the polls are correct, what it suggests is there's quite a few Republicans in the state of Nebraska who are effectively saying, ‘I'm not going to vote for a Democrat, but if you give me a true independent, I'll take a look and maybe give them a shot,’” Smith said.
Smith and Dona-Gene Barton, also political science, were interviewed for an Oct. 29 Vox article on the Fischer-Osborn race.
Smith was also quoted in an Oct. 29 Deseret News article on a new report from the American Psychological Association showing that 69% of Americans are experiencing “significant stress” from this year’s presidential election. “There is a considerable and growing amount of evidence that politics is having a negative effect on a broad range of health outcomes,” Smith told the APA.
Barton was also interviewed for an Oct. 28 Midwest Newsroom story on Midwest voters supporting progressive measures while repeatedly electing conservative lawmakers who explicitly reject them. Unlike voting for a candidate whose positions are clearly articulated, ballot language for proposed legislation often does not include partisan cues, she said, and that difference can help produce unexpected results. The story aired on Nebraska Public Media, Iowa Public Radio and KCUR.
Elizabeth Theiss-Morse, political science, was quoted in an Oct. 21 Reuters article on the U.S. Senate race in Nebraska between Deb Fischer and Dan Osborn. “This Senate race is closer than anybody expected,” Theiss-Morse said. But in a deeply conservative state, “Republicans are likely to stay with their party when push comes to shove,” she said.
Sergio Wals, political science and ethnic studies, was interviewed for an Oct. 23 Telemundo Nebraska story on efforts to increase the Latino vote in Nebraska.
Dawn O. Braithwaite, Willa Cather Professor of Communications Studies Emerita, co-wrote with Arizona State University’s Clark Olson an Oct. 26 column for Psychology Today titled “How to be a Good Neighbor in Contentious Times.” They stressed that civility is crucial for a democratic society, that most people want the same things in life but disagree on how to attain them and that being understood is more important than being right.
