GAMBIER, Ohio — Influential political consultant and strategist Sarah Longwell will return to her alma mater on Wednesday, Sept. 16, for an event at Kenyon College that is part of her national book tour.
A 2002 Kenyon graduate, Longwell has made a career out of talking to ordinary voters of all stripes — Republicans, Democrats and, as she calls them, the “politically homeless.” She has funneled this expertise into her new book, “How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time,” which lays out a roadmap that she argues can reverse the country’s slide into authoritarianism.
The event featuring Longwell — founder and publisher of The Bulwark, one of the fastest-growing independent media companies in the country — will take place at 7:30 p.m. in Rosse Hall, 105 College Drive.
Longwell’s appearance as Kenyon’s Constitution Day speaker is co-sponsored by the Center for the Study of American Democracy (CSAD) and the Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement. The event will be moderated by one of her former teachers, Professor of Political Science Pamela Camerra-Rowe.
The event is open to the public. Registration is required and costs $29, which includes a copy of the book. Parking is available on site behind Chalmers Library in the West Quad Parking Garage.
Longwell, who lives in Washington, D.C., studied political science at Kenyon. She is a nationally recognized leader in qualitative research who is known for conducting focus group sessions to better understand the Make America Great Again movement. Longwell has become a frequent guest on CNN, MSNBC, NPR and PBS and is the host of The Focus Group podcast.
A former national board chair of the Log Cabin Republicans, her work with The Bulwark, which has millions of subscribers across all platforms, was profiled this summer in The Wall Street Journal. The Bulwark’s stated mission is to provide expert analysis and reporting in defense of liberal democracy. Today, it is one of the largest publications on Substack for news and analysis on politics and culture.
Joseph L. Klesner, CSAD director and a professor of political science and international studies, said Longwell brings a mix of unique insight, national influence and irreverent humor.
“Sarah has a real insight about contemporary American politics,” he said. “Over the last 10 years or so, Sarah has done a tremendous amount of focus group research into what is motivating voters right now and especially why people have voted for (President Donald) Trump.”
The Sept. 16 visit to Gambier is one of eight stops on Longwell’s national book tour. The others are Boston, Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
In advance, she sent a note to the Bulwark community indicating that her appearance in Ohio would be a particularly special one: “Even if you listen to us all the time, or have been to our live shows before — I promise this conversation is going to go much deeper than we usually do,” she wrote. “The book is very personal, and it weaves together the journey of building The Bulwark, fighting Trumpism, and all the voters I listened to along the way.”
“How to Eat an Elephant” was published on Sept. 8 by St. Martin’s Press.
Established in 2007, Kenyon’s Center for the Study of American Democracy organizes conferences, lectures and seminars with the goal of stimulating nonpartisan civic and political discourse. It also provides teaching and research opportunities for faculty and students and promotes student internships in Washington, D.C.
For more information, contact the Center for the Study of American Democracy at americandemocracy@kenyon.edu or 740-427-5855.