On October 9th, Dr. Paul Sracic, Professor and Chair of Political Science at Youngstown State University, launched the first Young Transatlantic Network (YTN) event of the season by sharing his expertise and views on the role of swing states and their impact on the upcoming U.S. Elections.

Dr. Sracic, who hails from Ohio, a key swing state, explained that there are eight so-called “swing states” in the U.S., where the electoral outcome cannot be predicted.

According to Dr. Sracic, most of the other states do not actually matter as it is clear how they are going to vote, it is a small percentage of undecided voters in the swing states that matter.

He continued by highlighting the importance of Ohio, as none of the presidential candidates have won the election without winning this swing state since 1960.

Dr. Sracic pointed out how politics dominates everyday life in the swing states, where most of the political campaigns are aimed at influencing undecided voters.

The floor was then opened to questions from the audience, who showed particular interest in the possible pathways Romney could take as a new American president or the importance of the next presidential debates. Dr. Sracic then concluded the discussion by saying that if Obama loses this second debate as well, there might be no way back for him. 

This was the first event that YTN hosted surrounding the U. S. Elections. Keep an eye out for the next YTN event covering this front burner topic.