We were very fortunate to have Dr. David Schultz speak to our club today. Dr. Schultz Is A Distinguished University Professor at Hamline University. He Is Also A Professor Of Law At The University Of Minnesota. In addition to his law background, David Has A Ph.D. In Political Science, a Masters Of Astronomy From James Cook University and A Masters Degree In Philosophy From Binghamton University. He is a three-time Fulbright Scholar who has taught extensively in Europe And Asia, and he has authored more than 45 Books and 200+ articles on various aspects of American politics, election law, and the media and politics. He is regularly interviewed and quoted in local, national and international media. His message to us today focused on the highly polarized state of political opinion and voting trends in the U.S. A few decades ago, our U.S. political opinions fell into a bell curve - with most Americans in the middle. Today we have a bi-modal picture with most of us either on the "right" or "left" and few truly undecided voters in the middle. Because we have the electoral college in place, our upcoming 2024 election will again come down to 5 states that are up for grabs - Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Furthermore, Schultz predicts that it will really come down to 1 or 2 counties in each of these states. The strategy of trying to win independent voters has largely been replaced by trying to "get out the vote" to help offset those that may just choose to stay home given that a majority of Americans are not at all happy with our likely choices - Joe Biden or Donald Trump. If either of these candidates is replaced, strategies may change. Another factor that may play into the outcome is the fact that a full 18% of our electorate will have changed between 2020 and 2024, through a combination of those who have passed away in that 4-year period combined with those that have come of voting age during that time. We all have to stay buckled up for this wild ride!