An online resource for resourceful voters

Polls, endorsements, analysis: Public Affairs’ election website pulls it all together

22 October 2008

BERKELEY — If the election were held at 3 in the morning, would you be ready to answer the call of civic responsibility? Do you know the pros and cons, the ins and outs, the whys and wherefores of all the candidates and ballot initiatives, from the federal level on down? Or are you still trying to shake off the cobwebs of robocalls, 30-second TV spots, polls of polls, and seemingly nonstop horse-race punditry in an effort to make an informed, intelligent judgment?

Fortunately for those in the campus community — liberal, conservative, and “other” — “Campaign ’08,” a helpful compendium of online links to facts, figures, analysis, articles, videos, and more, is just a click away. Billed as “a heaping helping of democracy,” it serves up a healthy alternative to fast-food politics, featuring insight from campus experts and ordinary citizens alike.

The site, produced by staff in Public Affairs, provides an in-depth look at specific election issues — from the U.S. presidential campaign to state ballot measures — in forms ranging from webcasts of panel discussions and events at Berkeley and other UC campuses to an interactive media project by students at the Graduate School of Journalism. Also featured are election-related articles from the campus NewsCenter that will continue to be added as Election Day draws closer.

“With so many proposals and candidates to sort through, we thought voters would welcome a chance to put aside the hollow political ads and sink their teeth into some solid information on the issues,” explains NewsCenter editor Steve McConnell. “The Campaign ’08 site gives us a chance to pull together the many in-depth electoral resources and experts around campus, including some lively interactive projects only available on the Web.”

Campaign ’08 can be found on the campus home page or at the UC Berkeley NewsCenter.