Category Archives: Professional Notes

Farnsworth Comments on Virginia Governor’s Race for NBC 4 Washington

Farnsworth Comments on Virginia Governor’s Race for NBC 4 Washington Professor of Political Science and International Affairs and Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth was quoted in an NBC 4 article titled “Spanberger, Earle-Sears contrast messaging in ads as race for Virginia governor nears.” In the article, Farnsworth analyzed shifting campaign strategies, noting that economic concerns are no longer the primary primary GOP focus. “What you see with the Republican message right now is a very powerful pivot away from the economy, focusing instead on the cultural issues that worked well for Glenn Youngkin four years ago,” he said. Read the full article at NBC 4 and MSN.
Other media mentions for Farnsworth include:
Past elections echo in governor’s race as Labor Day push begins (Richmond Times-Dispatch) But Steve Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington, said the shift in the campaign’s focus shows that its previous strategy wasn’t working. “It’s tough for Republicans to run on the economy right now … hence the pivot,” Farnsworth said. “Candidates who are polling well don’t need to develop new strategies.” Read at Richmond Times-Dispatch
“Trump Revokes Secret  Service  Protection for former  Vice President Harris” (RTVI US) “I think the big uncertainty here is what level of threat she faces,” said Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington. “We don’t know what the current level of threat is that she is facing, but we do know she faced a great deal of threats when she was a candidate for president last year.” See on RTVI US
  Labor Days past: When politics leapt from summer doldrums to its fall stretch run (Virginia Mercury) “So much has changed in Virginia politics over the last 25 years, and those changes all work against events like Buena Vista,” said Stephen Farnsworth, political science professor and director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington. “For the dwindling Richmond press corps, it’s a very expensive proposition to make the trek. For the candidates, it’s not clear there’s a lot of value in going if there’s no coverage,” said Farnsworth who, before his 32 years as a professor, reported for the Kansas City Star. Read article at Virginia Mercury
 
Poll: Spanberger ahead, Earle-Sears closes gap (DC News Now) Dr. Stephen Farnsworth is a professor and director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington. Dr. Farnsworth reacts to Earle-Sears closing the gap and how each candidate should move forward with less than 100 days in the race. “Part of this has to do with Republicans coming together,” said Stephen Farnsworth. Read article at DC News Now

Farnsworth Analyzes Potential Presidential Endorsement in VA Governor Race for Yahoo News

Professor of Political Science and International Affairs and Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth was quoted in a Yahoo News article titled “Trump suggests he may endorse Earle-Sears for VA governor.” In the article, Farnsworth noted that Trump often endorses candidates he views as likely winners, and told the news outlet, “The polls are really unfavorable right now, and it might be a really difficult environment to get a full-throated endorsement.” Read the full article from Yahoo News.

Other media mentions for Farnsworth include:

Trump’s backup at Russia talks shows hesitation on quick deal (CHCH)
CHCH News Anchor Matt Ingram spoke with American Presidency and International Relations expert from the University of Washington in Virginia, Steven Farnsworth about Trump’s meeting with Putin on Friday. Farnsworth suspects Trump brought backup with him to the meeting that was originally set to be one-on-one because Secretary of State Marco Rubio will ensure a good deal for everyone involved and not settle for a quick deal. Read more in CHCH.

Host and comedian Stephen Colbert, the new “face” of the resistance against Donald Trump (20 Minutes, Paris, France)
Deprived of The Late Show, Stephen Colbert could lose his megaphone. Wherever he goes, “with Trump’s approval rating below 40% in recent US polls, there is clearly an audience for the content he offers,” notes Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington and co-author of the book Late-Night in Washington: Political Humor and the American Presidency. Read more in 20 Minutes.