Mark Shields Enlightens and Entertains Audience at the NHIOP

Lecture MP3  (17.4MB) • Podcast Feed

In March, the New Hampshire Institute of Politics hosted political pundit and journalist Mark Shields. He offered a witty overview of the 2004 presidential election and the upcoming 2008 contest to a packed audience of students, faculty, and staff—including college President Fr. Jonathan DeFelice—and other members of the area community. His lecture, while making serious points about the state of current politics, kept the audience laughing and engaged with anecdotes and jokes from a more than 40-year career in Washington. Following his talk, he took questions from the audience.   

Shields' speech capped a day spent mainly with students and faculty. He met with a political communications class taught by Fr. Jerome Day, O.S.B. and discussed the importance of political commentators.

Anne Botteri, NHIOP executive director, presented Shields with the Institute's first "Shining Star Award" for his strong support of the first in the nation New Hampshire Primary. Shields openly supported the New Hampshire primary in a column that recently was featured in The Union Leader . "If candidates don't do well in New Hampshire they just won't do well," Shields said. He credits New Hampshire with the voter turnout that "is the envy of the nation."

"Continue to take it as seriously as you do," Shields advised his audience.

By Bridget Luddy '07