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Ailyn Agonia
DOHA
More than 225 of world’s top journalists are taking part in the first-ever Virtual Reporting Tour (VRT) of the United States and the American electoral process which kicked off on Monday.
The eight-week programme offered by the US Department of State in cooperation with Meridian International Center enables journalists to remotely cover the 2020 US elections.
It will feature themes and a series of experts that will give participants important insights into the United States elections and exclusive access to specially create content for them to use in reporting on the talked-about event.
Dr Mark J Rozell, dean of the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, was the first briefer of the programme to shed light on the intricacies of the US electoral system.
An expert on the United States federal government system, Rozell laid the groundwork for future tour briefings with an overview of the US federal republic’s electoral system and aspects that impact the US elections.
During the question and answer session, Rozell also provided insights on pressing issues impacting the upcoming elections in which incumbent US President Donald J. Trump is seeking another four years in office.
Among the issues raised was the impact of COVID-19 on the voting procedure and turn out of the upcoming election. On whether the Democrats will benefit from how President Trump had handled the COVID-19, which to date has claimed the lives of about 200,000 Americans, Rozell said, “There is evidence in polls that the president has seen a drop in support among senior citizens - people who are the most medically at risk for COVID-19. Since his support among senior citizens was strong for him in 2016, that is a real concern to his campaign.”
On the impact of the death of United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the American politics and with few days left until the election day, Rozell said, “The Senate can certainly choose to extend the process if it wants to. Indeed, I doubt there will be a confirmation of the nominee before election day, as the vetting process takes time. There will be the need for hearings from witnesses and with the nominee herself.
“The nomination will have a real impact on the campaign. It is likely to make the membership of the Supreme Court a major issue in the remaining weeks of the campaign and it will help to mobilise key voting blocs for each candidate. My own belief is that it helps Trump more than it hurts him. If the focus is on court appointments rather than talking about his leadership on the COVID-19 spread, it works to his advantage not to be focused on an area of widely acknowledged failure.”
He also weighed in on the impact of the Latino votes on the outcome of the election citing that while more than one-half of the United S tatespopulation growth is coming from the Latino community, the actual political participation by the community lags far behind due to several factors.
“Only about one-half of the nation’s 60 million Latinos are eligible to vote and among them, only about 60 percent are actually registered to vote, compared to 70 percent of Blacks and 74 percent of Whites. Latinos comprise about 18 percent of the US population, yet they make up merely 13.3 percent of the electorate. In the latest presidential election cycle (2016), Latinos comprised 11.9 percent of the US electorate,” said Rozell.
DOHA
More than 225 of world’s top journalists are taking part in the first-ever Virtual Reporting Tour (VRT) of the United States and the American electoral process which kicked off on Monday.
The eight-week programme offered by the US Department of State in cooperation with Meridian International Center enables journalists to remotely cover the 2020 US elections.
It will feature themes and a series of experts that will give participants important insights into the United States elections and exclusive access to specially create content for them to use in reporting on the talked-about event.
Dr Mark J Rozell, dean of the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, was the first briefer of the programme to shed light on the intricacies of the US electoral system.
An expert on the United States federal government system, Rozell laid the groundwork for future tour briefings with an overview of the US federal republic’s electoral system and aspects that impact the US elections.
During the question and answer session, Rozell also provided insights on pressing issues impacting the upcoming elections in which incumbent US President Donald J. Trump is seeking another four years in office.
Among the issues raised was the impact of COVID-19 on the voting procedure and turn out of the upcoming election. On whether the Democrats will benefit from how President Trump had handled the COVID-19, which to date has claimed the lives of about 200,000 Americans, Rozell said, “There is evidence in polls that the president has seen a drop in support among senior citizens - people who are the most medically at risk for COVID-19. Since his support among senior citizens was strong for him in 2016, that is a real concern to his campaign.”
On the impact of the death of United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the American politics and with few days left until the election day, Rozell said, “The Senate can certainly choose to extend the process if it wants to. Indeed, I doubt there will be a confirmation of the nominee before election day, as the vetting process takes time. There will be the need for hearings from witnesses and with the nominee herself.
“The nomination will have a real impact on the campaign. It is likely to make the membership of the Supreme Court a major issue in the remaining weeks of the campaign and it will help to mobilise key voting blocs for each candidate. My own belief is that it helps Trump more than it hurts him. If the focus is on court appointments rather than talking about his leadership on the COVID-19 spread, it works to his advantage not to be focused on an area of widely acknowledged failure.”
He also weighed in on the impact of the Latino votes on the outcome of the election citing that while more than one-half of the United S tatespopulation growth is coming from the Latino community, the actual political participation by the community lags far behind due to several factors.
“Only about one-half of the nation’s 60 million Latinos are eligible to vote and among them, only about 60 percent are actually registered to vote, compared to 70 percent of Blacks and 74 percent of Whites. Latinos comprise about 18 percent of the US population, yet they make up merely 13.3 percent of the electorate. In the latest presidential election cycle (2016), Latinos comprised 11.9 percent of the US electorate,” said Rozell.
