FAIRFAX—Jonathan Martin, a senior political reporter at Politico, joined students participating from George Mason University Video Studio along with Steve Scully, the political editor for the C-Span networks and students from the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, and Purdue University.
Martin provided insight into his career and his work on the 2012 presidential campaign.
“President Obama is a historical political figure in this country, the first African American president,” said Martin in response to how we’ve gotten to this point in American politics. “I think he has harnessed something very important… the coalition of the ascendant; that is young voters, minorities, women, highly educated Americans—and he’s put together a real majority in this country with that coalition. And that’s what got him elected in 2008 and re-elected despite a tough election, a touch economy rather, in 2012. And that is why President Obama is now a two-term president.”
To keep it fair and eliminate bias, Martin went on to explain where the Republicans stand within current American politics.
“As for the Republicans, I think they still have not figured out a way to put the party back together after the end of the Bush years,” Martin said. “They had two nominees, John McCain and Mitt Romney, over the course of the last two election cycles, who were basically transitional figures, Steve, who both generationally, but also politically represented something of a middle ground between impressionism and whatever’s next in the party. And my sense for what’s next is sort of a younger 40-something brand of conservatism. It’s not something that’s watered down, but it’s something that’s more accessible.”
Martin’s views on the election inspired me to stay more up-to-date with the politics of America. To witness someone speak with such precision and from an expert standpoint prompted me to brainstorm about how to become an expert of my field.
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