"When John F. Kennedy sought the presidency in 1960," Eleanor Clift writes in a recent column on Newsweek.com, "Lyndon B. Johnson, the seasoned Senate leader who would become his running mate, looked down on the young upstart and complained he hadn't done anything to warrant such lofty ambition. Kennedy was an undistinguished senator, but he had been in the Senate for eight years after moving up from the House, where he was first elected in 1947. Imagine what LBJ would say about Barack Obama, who has barely three years in the Senate, one of which has been spent running for president."
As St. Ambrose University's 2008 Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow, Clift will bring her unique personal and political perspective to campus for a week-long residency Feb. 18-21. A contributing editor for Newsweek magazine, regular panelist on the "McLaughlin Group," political analyst for Fox News Network, and author of several books, Clift has extensive experience in breaking down the current culture and climate of national issues and politics. And with the presidential primary race heading into the home stretch, Clift's visit is especially timely.
"We chose Ms. Clift for many reasons," says Keith Soko, assistant professor of theology and chair of the Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellows Committee. "Eleanor Clift knows how Washington works, historically, politically and personally. She knows what makes politicians tick. And she's reputed to be one of the most accurate predictors of political campaigns among today's pundits. The committee felt strongly that she would represent a pertinent and insightful point of view in 2008."
Appropriately, "America at a Crossroads-Politics or Partisanship" is the title of Clift's public lecture, which will take place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 20, in the Rogalski Center Ballroom. Soko says he expects Clift to offer historical and insider insights that will help the audience interpret ongoing campaign news.
"Ms. Clift is the most prominent Woodrow Wilson Fellow we have hosted," Soko says. "We hope her appearance sparks interest both among our students and the community at large. This election is going to be a critical one for the country. This is our chance to learn something that isn't being ‘spun' by a lot of public relations gurus. Ms. Clift will be the real thing."
-S. Flansburg
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