A panel of speakers convened last night to bring a little hope back to Oberlin politics and share their opinions about the 2004 presidential election and its aftermath.

The panel, which included Oberlin President Nancy Dye and a group of professors from the department of politics, was sponsored by the Office of the President and the politics department.

Each of the seven speakers took about 10 minutes to address a specific topic surrounding the election before the floor was opened to student questions. After an introduction from Professor Ronald Kahn, Dye gave a speech in which she explained the similarities in patterns of religious voters between this election and the election of 1896.

Professor Marc Blecher discussed the concept of a divided America and Professor Justin Buchler went in-depth into party organization and electoral politics, both on a presidential and congressional basis. Professor Ronald Kahn, on a hopeful note, went over the chances of retaining a Supreme Court which will protect civil liberties for all Americans.

Professor Eve Sandberg broke down demographic voting patterns in her talk on identity and issue politics. In a change from domestic to international, Professor Ben Schiff discussed the future of American foreign policy in the Middle East.

Professor Harlan Wilson closed the speech portion of the night in a talk and laid out a five-point plan for progressive moral discourse.

He said that to become successful in a value-oriented political climate, liberals need to emphasize the morality of economic justice, center discussion around the idea of democracy, defend science and knowledge against anti-intellectual attacks, emphasize the human benefit of environmental politics and encourage religious tolerance and pluralism.

The event, which was at the West Lecture Hall in the Science Center, was well-attended, and students lined up to ask questions after the speakers were finished. Questions were varied, ranging from specific policy questions to general proclamations of feeling helpless after President Bush won his second term in office.

The lecturers took a realistic but hopeful stance, emphasizing the possibility for change if the proper work is done. Most of the speakers especially emphasized the need for the Democratic Party to change its electoral strategy and political habits in the years between elections.

At the end of the night, the attempt to give a sense of direction in political times, which frustrate many Oberlin students, was a good one. At the beginning of the night, President Dye stressed the need for keeping perspective in trying times.

“I’ve had a lot of students come up to me and say that they feel like they didn’t wake up in the same country they went to bed in on election night. Well, you have to know that it actually is the same country.”