The U.S. Election at SDU
Come and meet the charismatic U.S. Ambassador to Denmark, Rufus Gifford, at SDU on Monday the 24th of October and gain unique insight into American politics right before the country’s pivotal presidential election in November.
By Maria Slej Hasselstrøm, mash@sdu.dk
Who will win the nastiest election in modern history—Clinton or Trump? Although the U.S. Ambassador to Denmark, Rufus Gifford, likely cannot answer this question, there is definitely much we can glean from meeting with the popular diplomat. There is no arguing that this election differs from past presidential elections in the United States.
-It is an unusual election in that both candidates are historically unpopular with the American people. Hillary Clinton is seen by many as the epitome of a “broken Washington” and as a corrupt keeper of secrets. Trump is an anomaly in the sense that this is the first time in recent memory that one of the two major parties’ official candidates has been able to get away with making hostile statements about virtually every minority group and lie just about every time he opens his mouth, says Thomas Ærvold Bjerre, an associate professor at the Center for American Studies.
Voting not for, but against, a candidate
There is no telling whether America will see a high or low voter turnout on the 8th of November.
-Many experts fear that the American public’s widespread disgust with politicians, coupled with two historically unpopular candidates, will mean that many stay home on Election Day. On the other hand, there is the possibility that people get off their couches and vote—not for a candidate, but rather against one, says Thomas Ærvold Bjerre.
There is much to suggest that tensions continue to rise right to the very end. The presidential race has already hit rock bottom; only an extremely explosive event could determine the outcome of the election at this point. The Clinton camp is very worried that WikiLeaks will publish material that could evidence some of the many skeletons in her closet, such as the email scandal.
-Many thought that the leaked footage of Trump making derogatory comments about groping women would be the end of his campaign. But he survived, and even though nearly every prominent Republican has withdrawn their support for him, he refuses to step down, and it’s hard to imagine what would get him to, says Thomas Ærvold Bjerre.
Election Night at SDU
The ambassadorial visit will be held in a town hall format, or an open public dialogue. Gifford will open with a short presentation and then take questions from the audience. All questions are welcome.
In addition to the ambassadorial visit on the 24th of October, students and staff at SDU will also keep close tabs on the day of the actual election at a special event called Election Night on Odense Campus. There will be lectures, games, a mock election, networking meetings and much more. The public is invited to come and listen to presentations given by Associate Professor Thomas Ærvold Bjerre and Professor David Nye. The event starts at 8:30 p.m. at SDU’s Friday Bar.
SEATS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE: INFO: Meet U.S. Ambassador Rufus Gifford on Monday the 24th of October, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Where: U45 at SDU, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M
Doors open at 6:15 p.m. and close at 7:00 p.m.
Admission is free, but as there are a limited number of seats available, it is important that you register beforehand. Seats are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis; we will only reply to your email if there are no more seats available.
