PORT ANGELES — The Nov. 6 national election will take center stage at Peninsula College’s Little Theater with a presentation, “Ground Games, Swing States and Super Pacs: The Elections of 2012,” at 12:35 p.m. Thursday.
Dan Stengel, Peninsula College political science professor, will give the presentation at the theater on the main campus in Port Angeles at 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd.
“In the United States, every election brings new strategies, hazards, issues, personalities and dilemmas,” Stengel said. “As a result, political scientists literally rewrite the book on campaigns and elections every two to four years.
“Since the elections of 2008, many changes affect the electoral politics of America.”
Stengel will look at some of these changes and discuss the tactical challenges faced by both parties as they attempt to motivate their voters, win control of the legislative and executive branches of national and state governments, and articulate a message of hope for the future.
Some of the issues he will examine include geographic and demographic shifts in population, changes in campaign financing and what he calls “a deepening partisan divide.”
Stengel has a doctorate from Michigan State University and is a published scholar with research in judicial policymaking, congressional politics, environmental policy and decision theory.
Over the past 30 years, he has taught courses in political science at Beloit College in Wisconsin, the University of Minnesota and Peninsula College.
He has been a full-time faculty member at Peninsula College since 1994.