… Traditional reporters and analysts want to be neutral, detached observers who deliver information about the political process without participating in it. But in the context of a primary debate, true neutrality and total detachment are basically impossible. In a primary debate, there’s no higher authority or judge who will […] Read more »
As you watch the Democratic debates, remember that how politicians speak is as important as what they say
Candidates for the Democratic Party nomination will square off Wednesday night in the first of two televised debates. Pundits will focus on what the candidates say. But how politicians speak can be just as important. If you watch, keep your eyes on the candidates’ mannerisms — from hand gestures to […] Read more »
As the Democratic debaters chase their base, Trump has a prime opening
Hardball presidential politics, a little like Mother Nature, has an unforgiving way of winnowing a field and this go-round there is more to winnow than usual with 24 Democrats vying for their party’s nomination. In the wild, it’s called survival of the fittest and that seems an apt description for […] Read more »
Watching the Democratic debate tonight — with Twitter on the little screen? Keep this in mind.
As the Democrats debate tonight and tomorrow, many people — journalists included — will be watching two screens: on one, the debates themselves, and on the other, Twitter’s stream of hot takes. Recent reports remind us that Twitter does not mirror the world at large. Yet journalists’ reliance on it […] Read more »
Do Debates Change Voters’ Minds? Here’s What the Research Says.
With the 2020 election still more than a year away, there is plenty of time for the people of the United States to shape and reshape their opinions of the 24 candidates currently vying for the Democratic nomination. This week, 20 of those candidates will attempt to shift opinions in […] Read more »
It’s Not So Much the Debate. It’s the Days After the Debate.
… Presidential debates can be dramatic. The effects on viewers (and voters), however, are more subtle. As you prepare to watch the first primary debate Wednesday-Thursday (and the 11 to follow), let go of the notion that any single moment is going to shift the state of the race overnight. […] Read more »