Today the Tate Lecture Series will present a panel discussion and lecture on the current state of American politics and the upcoming Presidential election. The program will be delivered by James A. Baker III and Sam Nunn. It will be moderated by David Gergen.
The discussion falls after both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions and announcements of both Vice Presidential candidates, as most major national polls indicate a dead-heat between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain.
The gathered political advisers and experts will analyze and discuss the strategies of both parties and the affect both candidates will have on American politics.
Baker made his first splash on the Washington political landscape when President Gerald Ford appointed him Under Secretary of Commerce. He quickly gained a reputation as “a savvy political strategist,” serving on numerous campaign committees before becoming Ronald Reagan’s Chief of Staff during the president’s first term in the White House.
Baker was then appointed as the 67th Secretary of the Treasury on Feb. 5, 1985. During his tenure he was credited with guiding a major tax reform bill through Congress.
Baker resigned to become the Chairman of the George H.W. Bush Campaign for President. In 1989, he was appointed Secretary of State, before working as the White House Chief of Staff during Bush’s final year in office.
Nunn first arose to political prominence when he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972. He held the position for 24 years before retiring.
During his tenure, Nunn served as chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services and the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, as well as serving on the Intelligence and Small Business Committees.
Nunn helped draft the landmark Department of Defense Reorganization Act with the late Sen. Barry Goldwater, and helped create the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, which provides assistance to countries for locating and destroying excess nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.
Nunn currently serves as Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a charitable organization that works to reduce the threat of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons worldwide.
Gergen is most recognizable for his role as a senior political analyst on CNN. He was a mainstay on the seemingly daily analysis of the Democratic primaries and race for the presidential nomination.
Gergen also acts as the editor-at-large for U.S. News and World Report. He is a professor at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and director of its Center for Public Leadership.
He advised Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton.
There will be two chances to see the political experts and analysts. The Turner Construction/Wachovia Student Forum with Nunn and Gergen will be at 4:30 p.m. in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center ballroom. Admission is free and seating will be provided on a first come, first served basis. To guarantee seating, arrive by 4:15 p.m..
For the evening lecture, students should go to the basement of McFarlin Auditorium with their SMU IDs at 7 p.m. Backpacks are prohibited, and dress is business casual. Because the evening lecture is sold out, there are no faculty or staff tickets available for the lecture.
