C-SPAN 3 Video Conference 4/1

Dick Morris, a political commentator, FOX News correspondent and former presidential advisor, spoke about his experiences in American politics on C-SPAN 3.

Morris discussed the 2008 presidential election, among other topics.  He claimed that white voters in 2008 became more Republican, while younger voters became more Democratic.  He believed that the influx of young, Democratic voters to the polls helped propel Obama into the White House.

Morris also sourced Obama’s election win to the bad economy.  Morris, a self-proclaimed conservative Democrat, admitted that former President Bush did not handle the economy well while in office, and that this was a large factor in Obama’s victory.

“Obama capitalized on that…he coasted to victory on the tail of a bad economy,” Morris said.

Even with his criticism of President Bush, Morris admitted that he did not see eye-to-eye with Obama, especially in regard to reforms for both health care and student loans.

Morris was once a political advisor for former President Bill Clinton.  Morris explained that he met Clinton in the 1970’s prior to Clinton’s run for Arkansas Governor, and that his moderate-leaned views and advice helped Clinton run his administration more from the center than the left.  Even with his advice, Morris felt that Clinton ultimately helped the Republican Party when Clinton’s health care bill failed, giving conservatives what he saw as “eight years of prosperity.”

The program, hosted by C-SPAN political editor Steve Scully, is a joint venture between three college campuses: George Mason University, the University of Denver, and Pace University.  Pace University was not a part of this broadcast due to a campus break.

The broadcast is aired via tape delay on C-SPAN 3 on Fridays at 5 p.m., and it can also be viewed online at C-SPAN’s website.