PHOTO BY JEN CYWINSKI, '10

In the presidential election and campaign, some national security issues can be “sold” to voters as important, while others are a “hard sell." For instance, candidates find it easier to talk about illegal immigrants than they do about reforming the way intelligence agencies work or don’t work.

This talk, led by David M. Barrett. Ph.D. (pictured above), a professor of political science and author of the book, The CIA and Congress: The Untold Story From Truman to Kennedy, discussed how the difficult nature of certain current national security challenges (Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea, and Iran, for example) makes it tempting for presidential candidates to oversimplify and overpromise solutions. Dr. Barrett explored the proposals and promises of the two main presidential candidates, and to the frequent reluctance of the news media to do in-depth reporting on national security issues. The third lecture in the 2008 Presidential Election Series took place on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 4:30 p.m., in the first floor lounge of Falvey Memorial Library.

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Jen (Jennifer) Cywinski is a junior from Paoli, Pa. She previously attended Rosemont College and University of the Arts in Philadelphia as an Art major. She is now majoring in English.