The Race to the White House: US election panel 2012

Can Obama hold on for a second term, or has he simply not delivered enough? What will be the outcome of the most costly political campaign in history? A panel of expert commentators gather to dissect, analyse and de-mystify the 2012 US election.

RSA Thursday

US election fever has well and truly caught hold, and we’re approaching the denouement of what the Independent called ‘the greatest political show on earth’. With both campaigns raising over $350 million in September alone, it’s been the most costly political campaign in history. But how has it gone down with voters? Incumbents almost always hold on for a second term, but critics argue that President Obama is off his game, and with a poor debate performance, struggling economic recovery and 8.1% unemployment, the election is suddenly much closer than anyone anticipated.

How much power do the swing states have? How important is ‘Obamacare’ in deciding the election? Did Obama deliver enough in his first term to justify a second? Will Romney’s infamous remarks about the ‘47%’ be his downfall, or will he be rescued by the 35% of Americans who believe America is on the wrong track?

A panel of expert commentators gather to dissect, analyse and demystify the 2012 US Presidential election.

Speakers to include: Candace Allen, writer and Democrat campaigner; Sarah Churchwell, professor of American Literature, the University of East Anglia; Ian Leslie, author and blogger on transatlantic politics, culture and ideas; and Colleen Graffy, professor of international law at Pepperdine University and former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy.

Chair: Dr Jonathan Rowson, the RSA Social Brain project.