Lafayette to host Dialogue Across Difference: Countdown to Election 2024
In anticipation of the Nov. 5 general election, Lafayette College will host a bipartisan discussion at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 21 in Colton Chapel between well-known political analysts Harold Ford Jr. and Michael Steele.
Free and open to the public, as seating allows, “Dialogue Across Difference: Countdown to Election 2024,” moderated by President Nicole Hurd, will offer an opportunity for the Lafayette community to engage with two veteran political commentators in a conversation about the dynamics, implications, and potential outcomes of this year’s election season.
“We’re thrilled to offer this program with Harold Ford Jr. and Michael Steele as we prepare to exercise our vote and our voices in advance of this very closely watched presidential election,” Hurd says. “I encourage students, faculty, staff, and our community neighbors to attend and hear what these two experienced political experts have to say about the election and the national reaction to it as Nov. 5 draws closer.”
Doors will open at 4:15 p.m., and questions may be submitted in advance. The program is expected to last until 6 p.m. Refreshments will be served afterward. Register to watch the live broadcast.
About the guests
Harold Ford Jr.
Ford served in Congress from 1997-2007, representing Tennessee’s 9th congressional district. Ford was a member of the House Financial Services, Budget, and Education committees during his time in Washington, D.C. Known as a moderate Democrat willing to reach across the political aisle to find common ground, he was also a member of both the Blue Dog coalition and Congressional Black Caucus.
Ford is also an active member of Issue One, an organization of former senators, governors, and members of Congress committed to reform our political and campaign systems. An investment banker, he is a co-host of FOX News Channel’s The Five, appears on MSNBC’s Morning Joe show, and is a frequent contributor to Special Report with Bret Baier.
Michael Steele
Steele served as the first African American chairman of the Republican National Committee. The former lieutenant governor of Maryland, he is the first African American elected to statewide office in Maryland. Until recently he was president and CEO of The Steele Group, a consulting firm working with institutional and individual clients to design overall business development, investor, networking, and communications strategies.
Steele is a political analyst for MSNBC, a contributor on the Fox News Channel, and serves as a regular host for the Salem Radio Network’s nationally syndicated Morning in America show. Additionally, he has been a guest on cable political talk shows such as HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, Comedy Central’s Daily Show, and The Colbert Report.