Next week, Lawrence will welcome the second convocation speaker for 2004-2005: Arianna Huffington, columnist, author, and political commentator. Huffington will focus on the upcoming election in “The 2004 Election: What’s at Stake?” on Thursday, October 7, in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel.Judging from Huffington’s firm anti-Bush stance, those attending the convocation on Thursday can expect an enthusiastic battle cry for the Kerry-Edwards campaign.
Huffington’s recent columns have focused primarily on the shortcomings of Bush (as in “George W. Bush: Presidential or Pathological?”), Kerry’s potential as a leader, and the “contemptible” way in which “Team Bush” has handled the campaign.
Huffington has also covered other aspects of the election, including college tuition (too high), campaigns focusing on the “undecideds” (bad), polling (very bad), and Teresa Heinz Kerry (“a breath of fresh air,” not surprisingly).
Born in Greece, Huffington received a master’s in economics from Cambridge University and served as the third woman president of the Cambridge Union, Cambridge’s famed debating society.
Huffington is now considered one of Washington’s most influential commentators and has published 10 books. She writes a syndicated column and appears frequently on television and radio programs, including “Larry King Live,” “Crossfire,” “Inside Politics,” and “The Today Show.” Huffington also co-hosts “Left, Right & Center,” a political program on public radio, and co-hosted with Al Franken to provide news coverage of the 1996 Democratic and Republican conventions.
In 2003, Huffington ran for governor as an Independent in California’s recall election. Her latest book, “Fanatics & Fools: The Game Plan for Winning Back America,” was released in April of 2004. Based on her own behind-the-scenes account of California’s election, “Fanatics & Fools” urges frustrated citizens to reclaim politics with a gripping and humorous study of leadership in America.