Get a Great View in the Great Hall as Obama, Romney Debate

   Chances are you’ll see more spin during the presidential debates than if you were stuck on the Scrambler at Kings Island. If that’s your style of entertainment, the University of Cincinnati has a special seat saved for you to watch this political equivalent of a whirling, shifting-back-and-forth thrill ride.

The university, McMicken College of Arts & Sciences and Department of Political Science invite politics junkies and casual observers to the Presidential Debate Watch on Oct. 16 in Tangeman University Center’s Great Hall. Attendees will be able to watch the broadcast of President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney as they parley over platform in the second presidential debate, a town meeting format moderated by CNN’s Candy Crowley at Hofstra University.

The debate watch starts with light refreshments at 8 p.m., and a panel discussion moderated by UC’s Interim President Santa J. Ono will address “What to Listen For” at 8:30 p.m. The panel members are:

Joe diGenova
DiGenova is an A&S 2012 Distinguished Alumni Award winner (’67, BA, political science), former U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia and frequent guest political and legal expert in numerous print and broadcast media outlets.

Richard Harknett
Harknett is an associate professor of international relations and the head of the Department of Political Science, and is widely published in his field.

Stephen Mockabee
Mockabee is an associate professor and the graduate program director in the Department of Political Science, and is widely published in his field.

Victoria Toensing
Toensing is a former Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the U.S. Department of Justice; esteemed expert on white collar crime and terrorism; and founding partner with her husband, DiGenova, in their Washington, D.C., law firm.

The debate broadcast begins at 9 p.m., and when it’s completed, there will be a “Debate the Debate” question-and-answer session with the panel members and audience.

For more information, call the Department of Political Science at 513-556-3314.