Prof. Christopher Stout: The Political Importance of Talking About Race February 6, 2021 Not long ago, politicians did not talk about racial issues in their campaigns. Now, there is a very real chance that Joe Biden would not have been elected president if he hadn’t talked about those very issues. Dr. Christopher Stout, an associate professor of political science at Oregon State University, has written two books related to this topic, with his pioneering research about how race intersects with politics on the campaign trail. Research Background and Stout did not always picture himself researching this specific area. “I think it’s kind of by chance, really,” Stout said. “I’ve always been interested in politics and political science.”