Presidential candidate Ron Paul (R) will speak at the College of Charleston’s Stern Center Gardens Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. as part of The Bully Pulpit Series. Congressman Paul is invited to speak with faculty, staff, students and Charleston community members on topics related to presidential communication as well as issues important to the community.

The town hall event will begin with Dr. Paul’s remarks. He will then field questions from the audience. A meet & greet will be held immediately following the event.  The event is free and open to the public. No ticket is required for entry. Priority seating will be granted to College of Charleston students.

“The Bully Pulpit Series is honored to host Congressman Ron Paul at the College of Charleston on Thursday,” said Dr. Amanda Ruth-McSwain, Director of The Bully Pulpit Series. “This is the second time Congressman Paul will participate in the series since he visited the College during the 2008 presidential primary season.” Congressman Paul is the last presidential candidate to speak in The Bully Pulpit Series this primary season.

A medical doctor and author, Paul has represented Texas’s 14th congressional district in the United States Congress since 1997. Paul serves on the House Committees on Foreign Affairs and Financial Services, and on the Joint Economic Committee, as well as chairman of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology.

A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Paul is a graduate of Gettysburg College and Duke University School of Medicine, where he earned his medical degree. He served as a flight surgeon in the United States Air Force from 1963 until 1968. He worked as an obstetrician-gynecologist during the 1960s and 1970s, delivering more than 4,000 babies, before entering politics in 1976.

“We are thrilled to be working with the Ron Paul 2012 campaign to provide CofC students, faculty and staff the opportunity to engage in an important dialogue with Congressman Paul about issues important to them,” said Dr. Ruth-McSwain.

The Bully Pulpit Series at the College of Charleston, a joint effort of the College’s Department of Communication and the Department of Communication Advisory Council, is a non-partisan series held prior to the South Carolina presidential primaries. The series offers students and faculty the opportunity to analyze the ideas of each candidate about effective presidential communication.

This past Saturday, January 14, 2012, the College of Charleston and the Department of Communication’s Bully Pulpit Series had the pleasure of welcoming the Fox News program, “Huckabee Forum 2: South Carolina Undecided” to our campus.

The program was taped in front of a live audience from noon to 2:00pm on Saturday in the College’s Sottile Theatre on George Street in downtown Charleston. The forum allowed the campus community to participate in a dialogue with five of the GOP presidential candidates. The program was aimed at undecided voters in hopes of helping them reach a decision before the South Carolina Primary on Saturday January 21, 2012. In attendance were candidates Jon Huntsman, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry and Rick Santorum.

In the days leading up to the show’s taping, undecided voters had the opportunity to submit questions for the candidates to discuss on the show. Questions ranged from how candidates will restore the housing industry to how they plan to reduce the federal deficit. Each candidate was allotted the same amount of time to respond to questions and was allowed a few minutes at the end of the program for their closing remarks.

Audience members responded positively to the candidate’s responses, many undecided voters saying the forum had helped them reach their decision on who they would vote for in the Primary on Saturday.

The Bully Pulpit Series was delighted to work with Fox News on their forum. We are especially appreciative of the volunteer experiences they extended to our students, the spotlight they brought to our campus, and the dialogue they invited our community to participate in.

To view clips of the show you can visit the Huckabee website at http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/huckabee/index.html or read our live-tweet at https://twitter.com/#!/CofCBullyPulpit .

-Tori Bundy, Social Media Coordinator, The Bully Pulpit Series

The Bully Pulpit Series was busy this fall hosting three presidential candidates at the College of Charleston.

On October 31, Governor Buddy Roemer candidly talked about his opposition to political corruption. Two days later, on November 2, Governor Jon Huntsman shared his views on foreign policy as well as his plans to create jobs for America. Finally, to a packed auditorium on November 28, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich communicated his stance on immigration and the national debt crisis.

“The Bully Pulpit Series was honored to host presidential candidates Roemer, Huntsman, and Gingrich,” said Amanda Ruth-McSwain, Director of The Bully Pulpit Series. “We look forward to bringing additional presidential candidates to the lowcountry to participate in our event series on political communication.”

All three candidates responded to questions on political communication. Although topics varied from the use of YouTube and Twitter to presidential debates and town halls, each candidate recognized two-way communication as one of the most important responsibilities assumed by the President of the United States.

In addition to Speaker Gingrich, The Bully Pulpit Series was delighted to have both Congressman Tim Scott (R-SC) and CNN Chief National Correspondent John King at the College of Charleston to participate in the November 28 event.

“We are thankful for the continued support from members of the campus, media, political, and Charleston communities,” said Ruth-McSwain. “The participation in our last three events has been amazing and appreciated.”

Watch highlights from the 2011 Bully Pulpit Series.

The Bully Pulpit Series joins Congressman Tim Scott’s First in the South Presidential Town Hall Series to welcome presidential candidate Newt Gingrich (R). Gingrich will speak in The Sottile Theatre Monday, November 28, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. A book signing will be held immediately following the town hall event.

Speaker Gingrich is the third presidential candidate to speak in this series, which invites presidential candidates to speak with campus and community members on topics related to presidential communication as well as issues important to the community.

“We are delighted to not only host speaker Newt Gingrich but to join Congressman Tim Scott in our efforts to provide members of the College of Charleston and Charleston communities with the opportunity to hear from a top-polling candidate seeking the Republican nomination for the 2012 presidential election,” said Dr. Amanda Ruth-McSwain, Director of the Bully Pulpit Series.

A historian and former college professor, Gingrich is the author of twenty-three books, including thirteen New York Times bestsellers. Gingrich earned his Bachelor’s degree from Emory University and Master’s and Doctorate in Modern European History from Tulane University. Before his election to Congress in 1978, Newt taught History and Environmental Studies at West Georgia College for eight years. He represented Georgia in Congress for twenty years, including four years as Speaker of the House.

The town hall event will begin with former Speaker Gingrich’s remarks. Congressman Scott will then ask questions submitted to www.timstownhalls.com prior to the event. Speaker Gingrich and his wife Callista will be signing books immediately following the event.

“We hope many will take full advantage of this town hall discussion by submitting questions in advance,” said Ruth-McSwain.

The event is free and open to the public. First come, first served. Doors open at 6pm. No signs or banners permitted. Please do not bring bags or backpacks.

The Bully Pulpit Series at the College of Charleston, a joint effort of the College’s Department of Communication and the Department of Communication Advisory Council, is a non-partisan series held prior to the South Carolina presidential primaries. The series offers students and faculty the opportunity to analyze the ideas of each candidate about effective presidential communication.

Presidential candidate Jon Huntsman (R) will speak in the College of Charleston’s Randolph Hall Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. as part of The Bully Pulpit Series: Reflections on Presidential Communication. Following the town hall event, the Bully Pulpit Series will host a meet-and-greet reception for faculty, staff and special guests. There is no charge or ticket necessary for admission.

Governor Huntsman is the second presidential candidate to participate in the series this year. He is invited to speak with faculty, staff, students and Charleston community members on topics related to presidential communication as well as the issues that are important to the community.

As governor of Utah, Huntsman focused on cutting taxes, reducing waste and growing Utah’s economy. At the age of 19, Huntsman embarked on a two-year mission trip to Taiwan, where he learned to speak Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese Hokkein. He was later named U.S. Ambassador to Singapore, becoming the youngest head of an American diplomatic mission in a century. As U.S. Trade Ambassador under President George W. Bush, Huntsman helped negotiate dozens of free trade agreements with Asian and African nations.

Asked by President Obama in 2009 to serve his country once again, Huntsman was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate as ambassador to China. As ambassador, he worked closely with American business owners to facilitate commerce in the growing Asian market, bringing jobs and capital back to America.

“We look forward to this town hall event with Governor Huntsman,” said Dr. Amanda Ruth-McSwain, Director of the Bully Pulpit Series. “We are eager to offer the College of Charleston campus community and Charleston residents an opportunity to interact with such an influential political figure.”

The Bully Pulpit Series at the College of Charleston, a joint effort of the College’s Department of Communication and the Department of Communication Advisory Council, is a non-partisan series held prior to the South Carolina presidential primaries. The series offers students and faculty the opportunity to analyze the ideas of each candidate about effective presidential communication.

Presidential candidate Buddy Roemer (R) will speak in the College of Charleston’s Randolph Hall Monday, October 31, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. as part of The Bully Pulpit Series: Reflections on Presidential Communication. Following this town hall event, The Bully Pulpit Series will host a meet-and-greet reception for faculty, staff and special guests. There is no charge or ticket necessary for admission.

Governor Roemer is the first presidential candidate to speak in this series, which invites the presidential candidates to speak with students and Charleston community members on such topics as the frequency of press conferences, the candidate’s relationship with journalists, and the power of the president to persuade.

Governor Roemer served four terms in the United States Congress from 1981 – 1988 as a conservative Democrat and was Louisiana Governor from 1988-1992 as both a Democrat and Republican.

During his tenure in the Governor’s office, his top priorities included reducing the unemployment rate, linking teacher pay to performance, enacting education accountability standards, challenging government unions, and reforming campaign finance. Since leaving public office, Governor Roemer has been involved in a number of business ventures. Most recently, he served as the founder, CEO and President of Business First Bank, a small business community bank with approximately $650 million in assets.

Governor Roemer lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with his wife Scarlett and is the father of three children. He received his undergraduate degree from Harvard College and his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

“We are thrilled to kick off The Bully Series with Governor Buddy Roemer,” said Dr. Amanda Ruth-McSwain, Director of the Bully Pulpit Series. “A prominent figure in American politics, Governor Roemer will address how a successful candidate, if elected, will use the ‘bully pulpit’ powers of the presidency to inform, persuade and mobilize the American people. We look forward to this town hall event.”

A joint effort of the College’s Department of Communication and the Department of Communication Advisory Council, The Bully Pulpit Series is a non-partisan series offering students and faculty the opportunity to analyze the ideas of each candidate about effective presidential communication.

 Charleston, S.C. (August 11, 2011)– The Department of Communication at the College of Charleston announced today that the College will again invite presidential candidates from the two major political parties to the College of Charleston campus to discuss the importance of presidential communication.

“The Bully Pulpit Series: Reflections on Presidential Communication” is a non-partisan series that takes place prior to the South Carolina presidential primaries in February, and will provide the campus and Charleston communities an opportunity to interact with the candidates for President.

The Bully Pulpit  hosted President Barack Obama, Senator John McCain, Senator John Edwards, and Congressman Ron Paul during the 2008 Primary Season. The Bully Pulpit provided candidates access to an engaged audience of college students, community members as well as regional and national media proving to be an important southern stop along the campaign trail.

“During the first, very successful series for the 2007-2008 Presidential Primary Season, we were able to provide a forum for the campus and community to discuss important topics with the top candidates and hope to do so again during this primary season,” said Amanda Ruth-McSwain, Director of the Bully Pulpit Series. “We are thrilled to invite the major candidates running for President of the United States in 2012 to the College of Charleston this fall.”

“The Bully Pulpit series is a unique forum for Presidential candidates to discuss with our students and the greater Charleston community the nature of presidential communication,” said P. George Benson, President of the College of Charleston.  “The series provides an opportunity for our students to gain valuable insights into the American political system.”

The Bully Pulpit Series at the College of Charleston is a joint effort of the College’s Department of Communication and the Department of Communication Advisory Council.

“The Department of Communication and the College are thrilled to be sponsoring the Bully Pulpit series for the second primary season,” said Bethany Goodier, chair of the Department of Communication at the College of Charleston.  “This important series offers students and community members a valuable opportunity to hear presidential candidates speak candidly about the value of communication and the powers of the ‘bully pulpit’ to persuade and inform the public.”

Department of Communication

With the largest undergraduate major at the College of Charleston, the Department of Communication enrolls over 700 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs.  Students in the department study such topics as political communication, interpersonal communication, journalism, and public relations.

College of Charleston

The College of Charleston is a nationally preeminent, public liberal arts and sciences university located in the heart of historic Charleston,South Carolina. With a student population of approximately 9800 undergraduates and 1400 graduate students, the College is known for its small-college feel blended with the advantages and diversity of an urban, mid-sized university.  Founded in 1770, the College of Charleston is among the nation’s top universities for quality education, student life and affordability.