Panelists will share their insights about the legislative branch of government at an “off the record” event hosted by the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site in 2023. This year's event, which takes a behind-the-scenes look at the presidential election campaign, will be held from the 9th. to 11 a.m. May 1 at Pacers Square at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Submitted photo
During election season, campaign activities for important public offices are held in public every day.
Attack ads bombard people on TV and other media. Debate gives candidates a platform to hammer home their qualifications and make their case for victory. Yard signs and signs are everywhere.
But behind the scenes, a completely different world unfolds.
That world will be highlighted in a special event hosted by the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site on May 1st. “Off the Record: Charting the Campaign Trail” is a panel event that brings together experienced presidential campaign staffers and strategists. The event will take place Wednesday from 9-11 a.m. in Pacers Square at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and will feature untold stories, unique insights and insider anecdotes from the time working on various campaigns. is.
“We're bringing in expertise. We're bringing in distinguished Hoosiers who have served at the highest levels of government in a variety of capacities,” said Benjamin Harrison, President and CEO of the Presidential Site. CEO Charlie Hyde said. “As fellow Hoosiers, they are able to be candid and share their stories in a way that is understandable, relatable, and relatable in the sense that it doesn’t feel so far removed from our daily lives. ”
This year's participant is West Lafayette Mayor Erin Easter, who worked on Barack Obama's presidential campaign. Mike McDaniel is executive director of government affairs at Krieg DeVault and a veteran of George W. Bush's presidential campaign. and Adam Wren, national political correspondent for Politico.
The event will be moderated by Morgan Snyder, Visit Indy's senior director of public relations and Film Indy.
“As an organization, we are nonpartisan. We are not political. Our mission is to truly encourage participation in America's system of self-government,” Hyde said. “Let's approach this issue by holding panel discussions and having moderators who can facilitate the conversation in a way that makes people feel comfortable opening up and thinking through what is being shared. ”
This is the fourth year for Off the Record, which was created by President Benjamin Harrison to engage people from all three branches of government, Hyde said. Because this location is the home of Indiana's only U.S. president, organizers wanted to put together a program that would help people understand the county's foundations: executive, legislative, and judicial branches. It had to be done in an approachable way.
Participating in the government process prepares people to choose their leaders, Hyde said.
“Benjamin Harrison said, 'Independence of thought is the first requirement of a responsible citizen,'” he said. “He was really asking people to make up their own minds based on the facts before him.”
Over the years, “Off the Record” has featured a wealth of interviews, from former Indiana Supreme Court Justice Theodore R. Boehm to former House Chief of Staff to Susan Brooks and current President and Chief Operating Officer Mel Raines. Experts have participated. of the Indiana Pacers.
Hyde said the panelists at this year's event continue that rich tradition.
“We offer a wide range of experience, representing the entire political spectrum, but also gaining a range of political experience while running campaigns,” he said.
The event will be held in the midst of election season, a presidential election year, but rather than focusing on the 2024 voting race, organizers decided to share perspectives from their own experiences in the past. I am keeping this in mind. said Hyde.
“For the purposes of this conversation, the current campaign is not being considered. That's what our hosts will make clear from the beginning — this is not about the current presidential campaign,” Hyde said. Ta. “There are real insights being gained from these lessons directly from our panelists, and more broadly from historical experiences that may inform the considerations and conversations we are having today.”
if you go
“Off the record: Charting the trajectory of the campaign”
Contents: A panel event that brings together experienced presidential campaign staff and strategists.
Who: The participant is West Lafayette Mayor Erin Easter, who worked on Barack Obama's presidential campaign. Mike McDaniel is executive director of government affairs at Krieg DeVault and a veteran of George W. Bush's presidential campaign. and Adam Wren, national political correspondent for Politico.
Date and time: Wednesday 9am to 11am
Location: Pacers Square at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis
Tickets: bhpsite.org/events/off-the-record-campaign
