麻豆传媒

Wake Forest University communication and debate experts offer insights into the upcoming presidential debates between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. , communication professor and expert on political debates, says that in a presidential campaign cycle in which almost nothing has been normal, 鈥減rognostications carry little weight.鈥� However, he said there is 鈥渉igh drama potential for train wrecks鈥� with viewership not seen since the Nixon/Kennedy debate. 鈥淧eople are going to watch because of the unpredictability, because of the personalities involved,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y prediction is it鈥檚 going to be bigger than or as big, almost, as the Super Bowl.鈥� Louden has worked on political campaigns as a consultant and is a commentator for TV and newspapers on debates, political advertising and elections. His latest book is 鈥淣avigating Opportunity: Policy Debate in the 21st Century.鈥� He has provided expert commentary and analysis for USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, MSNBC, 麻豆传媒week and a wide range of other media outlets , former speechwriter and political consultant, studies and teaches rhetoric, analyzing persuasive language from the nation鈥檚 most prominent politicians, coaches and civil rights leaders. He said there are two axioms about debates: Make no glaring errors that can be used in the long term to cast doubt on your judgment or competence and demonstrate or enact stability and competence in the debate itself. Those are the general rules, 鈥渂ut things are very different so far in this race because one candidate is having serious trouble with these principles even at campaign events he controls,鈥� said Llewellyn whose comments have been used by Bloomberg, The Huffington Post, The Miami Herald and others. Jarrod Atchison, who heads the championship Wake Forest debate team, said Trump鈥檚 鈥渄ebate style is new to political discourse and beyond the realm of decorum for many people.鈥� Trump is a master of several techniques, he said, the most effective of which is called 鈥渢he turn around鈥� 鈥� understanding when to take another person鈥檚 argument and through re-characterization, present it as something the audience would object to. 鈥淭he question is will the American public at large see this as an acceptable change in our public discourse, having people argue publicly and use more ad hominem attacks which are directed against a person instead of their message,鈥� he said. Atchison and Llewellyn have both studied the persuasive language involved in conspiracy theories and can discuss Trump's comments about the political system being rigged so that he can鈥檛 win. 鈥淚t looks like he is already ramping up a long-term argument that the election and even the debates are rigged,鈥� Atchison said. : Wake Forest鈥檚 Office of 麻豆传媒 and Communications operates a fully equipped, professional television studio to connect faculty members and campus newsmakers with global news media. The studio provides live video capability that can be coordinated through LTN Global Communications鈥� Smartcloud IP video transport service. To set up an interview, contact a member of the news team. The entire team can be reached at [email protected] and someone will respond promptly. A staff member is on call 24/7 for media requests at (336) 758-5237.