Battleground Ohio: Assessing the 2016 Presidential Race

With less than one week to go before the 2016 election, a late October surprise could affect both turnout and the election outcome. Dr. Nicole Kalaf-Hughes and Dr. Melissa Miller weigh in on the FBI discovery of emails that may be pertinent to Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server as Secretary of State. Special attention is paid to possible effects among key segments of the electorate: women, African Americans and Latinos.

Questions of character may dominate media coverage of the 2016 campaign, but the economy tops the specific issue concerns of voters. Dr. Melissa Miller joins Wade Gottschalk, the Executive Director of the Wood County Office of Economic Development, to compare the economic proposals of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. They do so against the backdrop of current economic conditions, voter perceptions of America’s economic performance, and the propensity of voters to weigh both economic conditions and their personal economic fortunes when casting a ballot.

Foreign policy rivals the economy as an issue of deep concern to voters in 2016 – even as character issues seem to dominate media coverage of the campaign. Dr. Marc Simon and Dr. Neil Englehart assess the considerable differences between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on a range of issues. ISIS, immigration, international trade, Syria and the future of NATO are among the key foreign policy issues on which the two major-party nominees differ. Clinton and Trump’s foreign policy positions are contrasted with one another as well as with the foreign policy of President Obama.

Could millennial voters tip the balance toward Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump in 2016? Drs. David Jackson and Melissa Miller discuss the millennial vote in light of young voter demographics, the unpopularity of the two major party nominees, the potential for celebrity endorsements to sway young voters, and the recent rescinding of Trump endorsements by Republican elected officials in response to recent developments.

Which party will control Congress after Nov. 8? Dr. Russell Mills and Dr. Nicole Kalaf-Hughes discuss the effects of the Trump versus Clinton battle on lower-level races for House and Senate. A possible rise in split-ticket voting, key states to watch, incumbents on the ropes, and races that are too close to call are assessed. Predictions on party control of each chamber are advanced in light of the historic turmoil at the top of the ticket.