Obama expert media group launched

18 Oct 2010 - American politics and culture specialists at The University of Manchester have formed a group to offer journalists expert analysis on this year's Midterm elections in the United States. On November 2, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, a third of the 100 Senate seats and some state governorships are up for grabs in the vote held two years after the election of each President. The Democrats have a working majority in both houses: they currently control 59 seats in the Senate, including two seats held by independents and enjoy a majority of some 40 seats in the House of Representatives. So the Democrats have a lot at stake and as the popularity of the Obama administration remains low in the polls, lost seats will impede its ability to govern. The University of Manchester is also the centre of an international network of researchers, journalists and diplomats studying the impact of the Barak Obama - America's first African American President. Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, it is the probably the only project of its kind outside the United States, and brings together experts from Britain, Europe and America. So our experts are well placed to help journalists explain the twists and turns of the campaign and interpret the results as they happen.