CNN's Race for the White House Screening and Panel Discussion

The School of Media and Public Affairs hosted an exclusive screening of the CNN Original Series “Race for the White House: Kennedy v. Nixon” and a special panel featuring Dana Bash, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Amy Entelis and Matthew Dallek.

We've been here before. Dirty tricks and Machiavellian schemes. All bets were off when John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon embarked upon a bitter political battle in 1960. The first fully-televised presidential election, this race put a focus on image and personality, which drastically changed how Americans campaign and assess candidates and concluded with one of the closest presidential races in history. 

Kennedy v. Nixon. Youth meets ambition. And the torch was passed to a new generation.

Speakers

Dana Bash (moderator), GW BA '93, CNN’s chief political correspondent, responsible for covering the activities of both the U.S. House and Senate. She got her Bachelor's Degree from GW in 1993.

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Managing Director at the Rock Creek Group. She is also the founder of the Center for Retirement Initiatives at Georgetown University.

Amy Entelis, executive vice president for talent and content development for CNN Worldwide, overseeing CNN Original Series, CNN Films, and the recruitment and development of all CNN anchors and correspondents.

Matthew Dallek, an assistant professor at GWs Graduate School of Political Management, has authored or coauthored three books, including Inside Campaigns: Elections through the Eyes of Political Professionals (with Ken Goldstein and Will Feltus) and the forthcoming Defenseless Under the Night: The Roosevelt Years and the Origins of Homeland Security.

About Race for the White House Series

Race for the White House is a thrilling six-part CNN Original Series narrated by Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey. Using rare archival footage, interviews, and stylized dramatizations, each hour-long episode tells the story of one iconic campaign for the Presidency of the United States. From powerful speeches to the dirty tricks and Machiavellian schemes, Race for the White House captures the drama of a high-stakes presidential election and its impact on politics today. The series is executive produced by Spacey and Dana Brunetti (House of Cards). Race for the White House premieres Sunday, March 6, at 10 p.m. ET/PT as a complement to CNN’s robust election coverage.

Interviewees include: Former Speaker, Newt Gingrich on Lincoln; Barack Obama’s chief strategist David Plouffe on Harry Truman; General Wesley Clark on Andrew Jackson; Michael Dukakis on his 1988 campaign defeat; Nixon aide, Senator John Warner and James Carville and Mary Matalin, respective Campaign Managers for Bill Clinton and George H.W Bush in 1992.

Race for the White House is co-produced by Raw and Trigger Street Productions.