Dowd’s discussion focused on the politics and personalities of the 2016 presidential race as explored in her book The Year of Voting Dangerously: The Derangement of American Politics. Dowd, a longtime White House correspondent, delineated the challenges faced by both the Clinton and Trump campaigns during the election. In addition, through a series of anecdotes from her interviews with Washington elites and the candidates, she described several possible scenarios of what a Trump presidency might look like. School of Liberal Arts Associate Professor Brian Brox, whose research focuses on campaigns and elections, served as a guide to Dowd’s discussion. Explaining the Clinton defeat, Dowd said, “Hillary lost mainly because she didn’t have a clear message. The subtext of her campaign was basically ‘It’s my turn now’.” Made possible by School of Liberal Arts Dean’s Advisory Council member H. Andrew Schwartz, Dowd’s talk was part of Forum Tulane, an initiative designed to foster intellectual exploration through an annual university-wide conversation around a common theme. The 2016-2017 year’s theme was power. “Power warps some people who get it, while others rise to the occasion,” said Dowd. “We don’t know what will happen in the coming months. It is our responsibility to hold politicians accountable.”