Skip to main content

The German Marshall Fund of the United States

  • Who we are
    • Programs
      • Alliance for Securing Democracy
      • Asia Program
      • Balkan Trust for Democracy
      • Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation
      • Congressional Affairs
      • Digital Innovation Democracy Initiative
      • Europe Program
      • Fund for Belarus Democracy
      • Future of Geopolitics
      • Leadership Programs
      • Mediterranean Program
      • Security and Defense
      • Urban and Regional Policy
    • Offices
      • Ankara
      • Belgrade
      • Berlin
      • Brussels
      • Bucharest
      • Paris
      • Warsaw
      • Washington, DC
    • About Us
    • Marshall Plan
    • Our Partners
  • Experts
  • Events
    Mar
    1
    Upcoming Event

    “The Odesa Debate” Uniting Ukraine, the Black Sea Region and the Transatlantic Partners

    March 1, 2019 to March 2, 2019
    | Odesa
    • Major Conferences & Forums
      GMF brings together hundreds of policymakers, elected officials, academics, and business leaders from around the world to discuss topics from energy to migration, economics to security, urban growth to diplomacy.
    All Events →
  • Our Work
    • Topics
      • America
      • Asia
      • Europe
      • Cities and Regions
      • Security
      • Trade and Economies
      • All Topics
    • Research
      • Publications
      • Transatlantic Takes
    • Perspectives
      • Audio
      • Video
      • Blog post
      • In The News
  • Stay Informed
Jul
7
Past Event

Looking Ahead: Unity or Division at the U.S. Political Party Conventions?

July 7, 2016
Berlin
Related programs: 
Security and Defense Program, Understanding America

Ahead of the Republican and Democrat Party conventions in Cleveland and Philadelphia later this month, the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) hosted a discussion event at Facebook in Berlin on July 7.  H.E. Ambassador John Emerson, U.S. ambassador to Germany, opened the lunch discussion with his welcoming remarks. The panel, featuring Sarah Leonard, senior editor, The Nation, and Reihan Salam, executive editor, National Review, presented both liberal and conservative perspectives on the 2016 U.S. elections. Sudha David-Wilp, deputy director of GMF's Berlin office and senior transatlantic fellow, moderated the panel and Q&A session with guests from both the public and private sector.

In his opening statement, Ambassador Emerson mentioned the fluctuation during the long U.S. election cycle as well as the necessity of mainstream politics contending with the underlying trends which have developed over the course of the primaries seasons regardless of the November 8th elections result. The panel discussion focused considerable attention on the development and (dis)organization of the Republican and Democrat parties, particularly on the conservative element within the GOP and Senator Sander’s role within the Democrat primaries, as well as the changing demographics within the United States. The audience asked questions on potential VP running mates and the challenges for each candidate during the presidential debates in the fall. While neither Leonard nor Salam named a specific vice presidential nominee, Leonard favored a centrist for Hillary Clinton, citing that Elizabeth Warren would be a greater asset for the Democrats in the Senate. From the conservative perspective, Salam emphasized that Donald Trump will need a running mate that is very loyal to him, an important point given the apparent disunity on the Republican nominee within the party. Other domestic policy topics included the immigration debate, the effect of gerrymandering on primaries and elections, and the question of future bipartisanship in Washington, D.C.

GMF would like to thank the U.S. Embassy in Berlin for its support of this project.

Photo credit: Mark Stroud

Sudha David-Wilp

Deputy Director Berlin Office, Senior Transatlantic Fellow

Event Details

July 7, 2016
The German Marshall Fund of the United States
Berlin
Germany
Strengthening Transatlantic Cooperation

Our Organization

  • About GMF
  • Career Opportunities
  • Our Partners
  • Press Room
  • Support Our Work
  • Core Values

Our Work

  • Leadership
  • Policy
  • Civil Society
  • Research & Analysis

Our Experts

  • Find an Expert

Follow

  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Diversity Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Credits

Stay Informed

Don’t miss out on the latest from GMF. Sign up to receive emailed newsletters, announcements, and event notifications.

Subscribe