Election Matters 2020
The 2020 U.S. Elections are set to be among the most consequential in recent memory. At stake: The U.S. presidency, 34 Senate seats, 435 House seats, 11 gubernatorial seats, 44 state legislatures, and numerous state referendums.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the related economic crisis, a national reckoning about structural inequities in U.S. society, and heightened polarization across the electorate, the campaigns and elections are impacting how organizations and executives communicate on the issues of the day.
Powell Tate hosted a webinar series – Election Matters 2020 – to explore the dynamics at play and help organizations navigate this election season. In each one-hour webinar, Weber Shandwick chairman Jack Leslie spoke with notable figures in politics, advocacy, and the media about how this election is different, issues at play, what to watch, and what comes next.
Additionally, on our podcast series, Consultants in Quarantine, Weber Shandwick Chairman and host Jack Leslie takes you inside his one-on-one conversations with compelling political pundits and campaign veterans – from both sides of the aisle – to share their unbridled perspectives and drive provocative yet civil conversation.
Episode 1: Mike Murphy | Listen
Episode 2: James Carville | Listen
Episode 3: Mike Dubke | Listen
Episode 4: Alex Wagner | Listen
Episode 5: John Ellis | Listen
The Art and Science of Polling –Friday, September 18
Leading pollsters Margie Omero (D) and John McLaughlin (R) discussed how pollsters have approached 2020 compared to 2016, what the polls were telling the campaigns and campaign watchers about the state of the race and the minds of the American electorate, and what it will take to engage and motivate American voters amid the pandemic.
Issue Campaigns in an Era of Disruption – Friday, October 2
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and National Director of the Anti-Defamation League, and Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League explored the dynamics at play as organizations communicate, engage and activate on some of the most consequential issues facing American society amid the pandemic and ahead of one of the most hotly contested and divisive elections in modern history.
A New Age of Reporting and Analysis – Wednesday, October 28
CNN Chief Political Analyst Gloria Borger and Aspen Digital Executive Director Vivian Schiller discussed how campaign and election coverage in 2020 is unlike any previous election, whether the media and social platforms have voters’ attention and trust amid heightened polarization and misinformation, and what Election Night – or week or month – might look like.