25 October 2007
Media Consultant Dickenson Discusses 2008 Presidential Campaign
USINFO Webchat transcript, October 24
James “Jim” Dickenson, former political reporter, editor and columnist for the Washington Post, the Washington Star, the National Observer and United Press International, answered questions in an October 24 USINFO Webchat on the presidential election and life on the campaign trail.
Following is the transcript:
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U.S. Department of State
Bureau of International Information Programs
USINFO Webchat Transcript
Elections 2008: Covering the Presidential Campaign
Guest: Jim Dickenson
Date: October 24, 2007
Time: Noon EDT (1600 GMT)
Moderator: Welcome to the first of several webchats covering the 2008 presidential campaign. We look forward to receiving your questions.
Have your say at the State Department's ongoing Campaign Trail Talk!
Campaign Trail Talk is your best source of information on the 2008 U.S. elections. We'll keep you posted on news, rumors and political chatter surrounding thousands of political races. Do you have questions about the electoral process? Or comments about the candidates? Send them in. You decide what we talk about here.
Moderator: We'll begin today's webchat at 16:00 GMT. Thank you for your early questions, we see them coming in.
Moderator: Welcome! Mr. Dickenson will join us in just a moment.
James Dickenson: Hello. I'm Jim Dickenson and I'm here to take your questions about our 2008 presidential election and how we journalists cover it.
Question [Yasser Khalil]: Hello Dear Sir
Do you think the presidents achieve all the election campaign's programs, that they promised people to achieve throw their campaign? And how we (as journalists) monitor them, write about the differences between what they promised, and what they have achieved? I think this is a very difficult and dangerous role for journalists in Arab World, did you find it like that in USA?
Thank You
Yasser Khalil, Egyptian researcher and journalist - (IRC Egypt)
Answer [James Dickenson]: No, I don't recall an American president who carried out all his campaign promises. They almost always find that the situation is different from what they imagined in the campaign, i.e. John Kennedy's criticism in the 1960 campaign of Eisenhower/Nixon for allowing a "missile gap" with Russia. In office he discovered there was no such gap, that in fact we had more missiles than they did. The other big difference is their difficulty in getting many programs passed, i.e. President Bush's failure in 2005 after his reelection to change our Social Security program to include so-called "private accounts", private savings accounts. Public opinion was strongly against this and it didn't even get serious considering in the Congress.
Fortunately, criticism of our presidents and other elected leaders is not dangerous in the U.S. and I have nothing but admiration and sympathy for those of you who put your lives and safety on the line. Our lot is far easier than yours.
Q [Nanou (National TV/Madagascar)]: To Jim: good afternoon:
Could you tell us the limit for a journalist not to get politically involved in a presidential campaign while reporting facts on a presidential campaign?
Thanks
A [James Dickenson]: In America it is a serious breach of professional ethics to get involved in a political campaign, at any level, at any time even with candidates you're not covering. Absolutely forbidden ethically! Our credibility rests on our reputations as being nonpartisan and unbiased and therefore providing our readers with reliable information that is not tainted by the desire to help promote one candidate or another. This is one of the basic rules to which there is no exception.
Q [Roley]: it's great to discuss this important elections with Mr. James Dickenson ... coz he has a great experience
Raliarson (Free Lance Madagascar): To Jim: Good afternoon: What is a political Columnist? And what the difference between him and a political analyst?
A [James Dickenson]: In the U.S. a columnist is one who normally doesn't function also as a news reporter. He or she generally has a regular space on the editorial or OpEd page and it is understood that the columnist offers opinion, interpretation, analysis, etc. of the subject he or she is writing about. Political reporters can function as analysts when they write a "sidebar" to a news story that analyses and interprets the news events; this story is generally described as "analysis" at the top so the reader knows what is happening.
There are also non-journalistic political analysts who interpret the political situation, often working for a candidate or an interested group. They often write their analysis in newspapers and magazines but they are identified as specialists, not staff members or journalists.
Q [Solo Mararolahy]: To Jim: Do you think, Americans are prepared to have an African American President?
Thanks.
A [James Dickenson]: I'm afraid I'm doubtful. I hope so and I think Barack Obama is a very good candidate. Racial tolerance in America has increased steadily over the years but there are still manifestations of discrimination. I don't think we're far away from it, though, and Obama's strong and positive showing is unquestionably speeding the process up. I think his relative lack of national political experience is a big factor working against him but he is so young and so talented that he has a bright future ahead of him. Whether he wins the nomination this time or now he is establishing himself as a major Democratic party leader and possible president in the future.
Q [webchat.state.gov2]: 1. How US President Election system is different from other countries?
2. Now Indian origins settled in US getting momentum in us senate, for example recent victory of Bobby Jindal [recently elected Governor of Louisiana] - How do you feel this?
3. Do you think the Indo-US nuke deal will reflect in US president election? HOW DO YOU FORSEEN IT?
A [James Dickenson]: The big difference is that most democracies are parliamentary systems in which the party that wins the most seats elects its prime minister internally, in other words the party's members of parliament select one of their leaders as prime minister. In the U.S. the voters elect our president separately from the members of Congress. As a result we often have a president who belongs to one party and the Congress controlled by the opposing party. Some people dislike this because it's hard to get anything done, some like it precisely for that reason, that it's a check and balance.
I'm glad an Indian-American won. That's appropriate in a country like the U.S., which is made up of many ethnic groups. I don't know how the nuclear deal will play in the election because I don't know what's going to happen in the near future on it.
Moderator: The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Information Programs invites you to its new Guide to the 2008 Elections website at:
http://usinfo.state.gov/politics/elections/
Q [IRC Cairo]: In your opinion do the American have a free election or the press has a pressure in change their opinion?
IRC Egypt
A [James Dickenson]: Yes, I think our elections are free. They aren't always tidy as the mess in Florida in the 2000 presidential election demonstrated but they are free. The attempts to rig the outcomes of elections come not from the government but from supporters and partisans of one party or candidate or another. We in the press don't get a lot of pressure--our problem is candidates, campaign, government officials and departments who try to withhold information from us.
Q [Laura Gutierrez]: Mr. Dickenson, That the Latin people represents importance in this election. [How is the Latino community affecting this election cycle?]
Laura Gutierrez newspaper "Ocho Columnas" Guadalajara
A [James Dickenson]: The Latino, or Hispanic, vote is increasingly important because of their growing numbers and their political activism. The fight over immigration control centers around Hispanics, of course, so they are very important in the 2008 election. The Republicans have put themselves at a disadvantage with this group because of their strong attempts to limit immigration. The Republicans hurt themselves badly in California several years ago by cutting off social benefits to illegal immigrants there and as a result California, the largest state in the union, is strongly Democratic. They are repeating that error nationwide right now.
Moderator: "Meet" the 2008 Presidential candidates at http://usinfo.state.gov/politics/elections/candidates.html
Q [JohnD]: Can you address the upcoming primaries and why they have become increasingly important over the last few years.
A [James Dickenson]: The primaries became an important factor after the 1968 election due primarily to the anti-war riot and police repression at the Democratic convention in Chicago. Until then the presidential nominating process had been largely controlled by party leaders in the various states and cities who chose their supporters as delegates to the nominating conventions. The Democrats, in revulsion to what happened in Chicago (and its powerful mayor Richard Daly) passed reform requiring that as many states as they could persuade choose their delegates more democratically, i.e. by the voters in primary elections. Now all presidential nominating delegates are chosen by primaries or caucuses, not in the historic old "smoke filled rooms" in hotels at the convention city.
Q [Raliarson] (Free Lance Madagascar): Could you give us some tips on how to become a good political reporter in developing countries like Madagascar?
A [James Dickenson]: I imagine that the process is the same there as here in the U.S. You become a good reporter by learning all you can, in a continuous process, about the political system and process in your country and getting to know the political players, the candidates, their managers and staff, people in the process such as elected officials and their advisers, people who have an interest in the process and are players such as money contributors and special interests--business, farm groups, policy groups, etc.
It's a never-ended learning process. And keep always in mind that your credibility rests on your knowledge, accuracy, and fairness, on whether people believe they can trust you and your information.
Q [Hermenegilde (Lakroa Madagascar)]: To Jim: good afternoon: Are you used to reporting objectively on all candidates’ propagandas? Because here in Madagascar, reporters are somehow tied by conditions given by each candidate.
A [James Dickenson]: Yes, I have always tried to report objectively on every candidate and campaign I've covered. Candidates here often try to attach conditions to giving you access to them and their candidates and if their conditions are unacceptable I won't do it.
It always works out, however, because they need the press to get their views out to the voters. We need them for information, they need us to distribute it. It's a symbiotic process which we all understand and accept.
Q [Rija (free lance/Madagascar)]: To Jim: Have you noticed any change in political practices during the campaign since 1964 till now?
A [James Dickenson]: The big changes have been in technology--the growth of television, of direct mail organized by computer systems, cell phones, satellites (which make live transmission of television stories instantaneous whereas it used to be quite cumbersome to get film and tape shipped from California, say, to network headquarters in New York City), and of course the Internet and blogs. The personal computer, the laptop, make writing and filing a story much faster and easier for the reporter.
The other big change is the growth of the number of primary election, which determine the parties' nominees. The national conventions, which used to be the nominating process, are now mostly formalities in which the party activists get together and celebrate. The rise of the primaries has caused the individual to create his or her own campaign organization rather than rely on the party apparatus.
Q [Asspha]: What's the special character of the USA's 2008 Elections?
A [James Dickenson]: The two major issues now are the war in Iraq and on terrorism and the demand for better health coverage. Right now the Republicans are at the disadvantage because of the war. The two parties are about equal in strength, which is why we have so much bitter partisanship and deadlock on policies and programs. The Republicans had hoped after Bush's reelection in 2004 to establish a long-time majority but the war and the Bush administration's mishandling of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans have been severe setbacks. Right now, the Democrats are favored to win the presidency and modestly increase their Congressional majorities.
Moderator: Dear participants,
Thank you for your questions. Please remember that there are many questions coming into the webchat. Mr. Dickenson is reviewing and answering them as quickly as possible.
Today's webchat is the first of several chat on Elections 2008. Our next webchat in this series is Elections 2008: A Fresh Start with Jerry Hagstrom. The chat takes place on October 29. Learn more at http://usinfo.state.gov/usinfo/USINFO/Products/Webchats/hagstrom_29_oct_2007.html
Q [IRC Cairo]: Do you think MS Clinton can run for the Election to be the first American lady president
A [James Dickenson]: I think she has an excellent change of being our first female president. There has been strong doubt that she can be elected because of all the negative political "baggage" she carries but the competent campaign she's run has diminished this considerably.
Q [www.hotmail.com.cn]: Do you think who will be the next prezident of USA?
A [James Dickenson]: I have no idea. I think it will be the Democratic candidate but I don't know yet who that will be.
Q [marie]: how become candidate?
A [James Dickenson]: Become involved in politics and make enough of a reputation for people to take you seriously.
Moderator: Our speaker continues to work on answers to your questions.
Q [Roley]: To what extent will be a difficult task to the next president with Middle East issues, particularly Iraq?
A [James Dickenson]: Both the Middle East and Iraq will be major problems for the next president. It looks as though the Iraqis will work out their ultimate political settlement, not the U.S. In my opinion that war was a serious mistake because we cannot impose democracy on a country, particularly by military force. People have to select democracy for themselves, you can't force them.
The Middle East has always been a complex and volatile region and not well understood by Europeans and Americans--the British made about the same sort of errors in Iraq as we have. It's going to take long, hard, often frustrating diplomatic efforts to bring any sort of stability to the Middle East, particularly with countries such as Iran trying to develop nuclear weapons. And, the area is important, of course, because of oil. America, like the rest of the world, has a strong interest in stability in the Middle East and we've got to be smart about how we operate there. In this election the Republican presidential candidates are staying pretty close to President Bush's policies because they're popular with the conservative activist minority of voters that have controlled the Republican nomination in recent elections. His policies are not at all popular with Democrats and Independents and many Republicans, particularly the moderates, however, so that could present them with serious problems in the general election in November 2008.
Q [IRC Cairo]: Do You Think Arab American communities will have an effect in this election?
A [James Dickenson]: Not too much because of their small numbers. In some districts, however, they are strong enough to have some impact.
Q [Laura Gutierrez]: That the Latin people represents importance in this election? Laura Gutierrez newspaper Ocho Columnas Guadalajara
A [James Dickenson]: Oh yes, much more. And I think it's a favorable issue for them in the election.
Moderator: "Roley" asks: From your experience ... what's the most important thing is Americans searching for in their presidents?
A [James Dickenson]: The American president is something of a combination of a parliamentary system prime minister and a constitutional monarch. He's the country's Chief Executive and Commander in Chief of the armed forces but Americans want their president to be a national symbol, to stand for our values of freedom and democracy, of tolerance and competence in dealing with our problems. They want him to embody our ideals and the voters' calculations of which candidate best does that plays an enormous role in their decisions on how to vote. The vote for president has been described as the most personal one Americans make, because of these intangible factors.
We vote for Senators and Congressmen and governors based primarily on their approaches to specific problems but the vote for president includes this plus the symbolic element I just mentioned.
Comment [Roley]: thank's alot Mr. James it's a very useful chatting with you ... :)
Q [Lalatiana (RTA/Madagascar)]: To Jim: Can you explain us what is the interest in limiting the budget campaign, especially in African countries like Madagascar. In your opinion, will Hillary Clinton be the first woman president in US?
A [James Dickenson]: The cost of campaigning at all levels in the U.S. has exploded because of the cost of technology, TV ads, polling, the internet, the need of presidential candidates to campaign in many state primaries. As a result, all candidate, presidential, senate, congressional, etc., have to spend an undue amount of time raising money. This is time they aren't spending working on issues but possibly more importantly they get most of their money from the wealthy and powerful, who have more access to them and presumably more influence on policies and programs at the expense of the people.
There have been attempts to limit the amount of money candidates can raise and spend but they are generally unsuccessful except in the amount an individual can contribute to a presidential candidate--$2,300 for the primary, $2,300 for the general, for a total of $4,600. There is no limit on the number of people who can contribute, however, and no limit on how much a person can donate to a political party or supporting private organization for ads, get-out-the-vote programs, etc., that aren't directly given to a campaign.
The reason there's so little reform is that the American people are generally not very interested in the issue. They assume the candidate will get their money somehow and just don't get involved. Many people consider it a scandal, however.
Q [Roley]: you are welcome sir, my first question is: who (in your opinion) is the most effective & popular one from the candidates? and why?
A [James Dickenson]: Right now Hilary Clinton has a big lead over Barack Obama and John Edwards in the Democratic race, about 20 points in the polls. However, they're closer in Iowa and New Hampshire, the crucial first states in the nomination process, and victory there for one of them can change the situation. On the Republican side Rudy Giuliani has held a steady, substantial lead over Mitt Romney and John McCain but this also could change in Iowa and New Hampshire. Giuliani seems to be benefiting from his identification with the terrorists attacks of 9/11 and the war on terrorism, which is the leading issue for most Republican voters.
This looks like the last question so I'll sign off. Thanks for the intelligent questions and your interest.
Moderator: We wish to thank James Dickenson for joining us today. The webchat is now closed. Please visit our USINFO's Webchat Station homepage for more information on upcoming events and a transcript of today’s discussion (usually posted within one business day).
(Guests are chosen for their expertise. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of State.)
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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
