Academy for Political Development organized an evening lecture on the 11th November 2008,  with an intention to analyze the election campaign and the results of the American presidential elections of 2008.  Lecturers were dr. Dražen Lalić (Faculty of Political Science), Tomislav Klauški (portal Index.hr) and Marko Rakar (pollitika.com).

Dr. Dražen Lalić spend a month in the United States observing the election campaign, and wrote an introduction for the Croatian edition of Barack Obama’s „The Audacity of Hope“. Dr. Lalić was at the time of the lecture in the middle of writing a book about the election campaign, which would be published just  before the inauguration of the new American president in January 2009. His lecture „How Obama won“ offered an insight in the most important aspects of the campaign, particularly of the Democratic Party candidate, his strengths and weaknesses, as well as the general atmosphere among American constituency both in 2008., but also in previous elections cycles.

Tomislav Klauški, a collumnist of Index.hr portal, spoke about role of the media in the election campaign. He emphasized the importance (and lack of) of impartiality of the media reports and their impact on the voters’ attitudes.

During the US election campaign, Marko Rakar was a volunteer for the Democratic Party. His presentation focused on a practical experience of working with people and other volunteers and included photographs illustrating party headquarters, rallies of both parties, situation at the polling stations, giving the insight in the vibrant electoral atmosphere.