Advisory: WFU expert available for vice-presidential debate comment
Allan Louden, associate professor of communication and director of debate at Wake Forest University, is available to provide expert commentary on the Oct. 5 vice- presidential debate in Cleveland, Ohio. Louden, an expert on campaign rhetoric and political communication, can also provide expert comment during the remaining 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.
Louden says trying to use Edwards’ and Cheney’s speaking styles to predict the debate’s outcome could prove faulty. “Cheney is often underestimated, and Edwards is largely untested in the venue,” Louden said.
Louden was Elizabeth Dole’s 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 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.com.
