Reactions from Around the World

The world responds to the election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of The United States.

Half-Time

By Katlyn Knox, Executive Associate of The Connecticut Forum

Intermission is a VERY busy time backstage...check it out!

Forum volunteers sort thru your many questions

Moderator Michel Martin prepping on the stairs for the second half

YOUTH Forum member Ornella Thompson looks on
as she prepares to welcome the crowd to the second half

Elizabeth Edwards enjoying Ornella's speech

Live! It's The Presidency!

By Katlyn Knox, Executive Associate at The Connecticut Forum


Hello Forum Fans!

Tonight marks the kickoff of our exciting 2008-2009 Season with our first Forum, The Presidency. This evening our elite panel of historians and insiders will take a look at the nations highest office..where its been, and where its going.

The panel includes:

Elizabeth Edwards, Political Insider and Inspirational Woman

Matthew Dowd, Chief Strategist of the 2004 Bush-Cheney Campaign

Joseph Ellis, Pulitzer-Prize Winning Historian and Author of Founding Brothers

Michel Martin, Host of NPR's Tell Me More will Moderate


I am here to provide you with an exclusive behind the scenes look at tonight's Forum...let's get started!


The panelists have arrived and are settling into The Connecticut Culinary Institute, where the pre-Forum cocktail and dinner are held.

First Stop? The panelist meeting room. Here the panel meets and greets each other before the evening begins, and take a few moments to sign some autographs. Take a look!

Then it is off to the press confrence where members of the media, as well as our very own YOUTH Forum members have a chance to intimately ask the panelists a few questions.

Check back here in a few minutes for clips from the press confrence, and the dish on dinner!

When We Yell at our TV, Do We Really Expect it to Answer?

The political debates have begun, the VP picks have been vetted, the thinly veiled insults have been hurled and the issues have been examined. Yup, it’s election time.


And where has the average American been through all of this? Well from what we’ve been hearing, a lot of us have been at home, yelling at our tvs and doing our part to stimulate engaging political debate.

Here’s what some Connecticut residents tell us that they have been yelling from their couches:

“People really believe this stuff?”

“Leave her daughter alone!”

“Who votes for this guy?”

“You go girl!”

“I can’t even remember what I used to watch before election coverage took over…”

“I cannot survive four years of him.”

“What’s a Palin?”

“Could their daughter BE any cuter?”

“My nightly Law & Order fix is cancelled for this?”

Regardless of which side of the political aisle you identify yourself with, we can all agree that the current presidential race has given us a lot to think about and question as the political drama unfolds. We’re just happy that people are talking – even if it’s just to their tvs!