ADVISORY: WFU political communication expert available for presidential debate comment, analysis
Allan Louden, associate professor of communication and director of debate at Wake Forest University, is available to provide expert commentary on the Sept. 30 presidential debate in Coral Gables, Fla. Louden, an expert on campaign rhetoric and political communication, can also provide expert comment during the remaining presidential and vice-presidential debates this election year.
Wake Forest hosted presidential debates in 1988 and 2000. During the 2000 debate, Louden spearheaded projects including: the focus-group project DebateWatch, a course entitled “Great Teachers: Presidential Debates,” and a mock, student debate.
The first presidential debate of 2004 will focus on foreign policy. According to Louden, President Bush has the upper hand.
“This debate has Kerry in between a rock and a hard place,” Louden said. “What he needs to do to come out on top is present a detailed alternative to President Bush¹s foreign policies; the problem is a debate is more about broader brush strokes not detailed alternatives.”
Louden was Elizabeth Dole¹s debate coach during the 2002 North Carolina Senate race, and he is currently working with Bob Brown, a candidate for governor in Montana. This fall, Louden is also teaching the course “Political Communication,” at Wake Forest and via live uplink at Carroll College in Helena, Mont.
Contact Louden directly at 406-431-2461 or louden@wfu.edu, or through Maggie Barrett at 336-758-5237 or barretmb@wfu.edu.
