Press Releases
Dubai Audience Speaks with Political Analyst Live from the Democratic National Convention
August 25, 2008 – On the first day of the Democratic National Convention, the U.S. Mission to the United Arab Emirates sponsored a conversation with renowned political analyst Jerry Hagstrom, who spoke live from the floor of the convention in Denver, Colorado. Hosted by the Dubai School of Government and also in association with the Dubai Press Club, the event allowed audience members in Dubai to engage Mr. Hagstrom on the U.S. political process and on broader policy issues in the United States and the Middle East.
The Democratic and Republican National Conventions are the largest political gatherings in the United States in four years. Building on the excitement generated by the U.S. presidential primary process, the conventions are a platform for each party to approve their political policies, discuss campaign strategies, and officially name their candidates for President and Vice President. Over 45,000 people – including party members, delegates, journalists, security forces, and other service providers – are expected to participate in the two conventions.
During the live conversation at the Dubai School of Government, Mr. Hagstrom discussed how the conventions shape the policies of political parties, how Democrats will reach out to Arab-American voters, and whether the Democratic Party has been left divided as a result of the primary campaigns of Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Participants also met with U.S. Consul General Paul Sutphin and Dubai School of Government Dean Dr. Tarik Yousef. The Consul General encouraged the audience to take the opportunity to discuss concerns and questions about the U.S. electoral system and the issues in the campaign in a frank and honest way.
The series of U.S. election programming sponsored by the U.S. Mission will continue on September 2nd, as Dubai School of Government and Dubai Press Club co-sponsor a conversation live from the floor of the Republican Convention. The featured speaker will be Steven Duffield, the Executive Director for the Republican Platform Committee for the 2008 Republican Convention. Mr. Duffield has responsibility for the drafting of the national platform and management of the political process that leads to its adoption. For more information on this event, please contact Alia Al Sabt, Events Management Executive, Dubai Press Club at Alia.AlSabt@dpc.org.ae
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