Public invited to participate in DebateWatch project at Wake Forest University

The public is invited to participate in DebateWatch, a focus group program sponsored by Wake Forest University and The Commission on Presidential Debates tonight at 9 p.m., and again on Thursday, Oct. 5 at 9 p.m. The program is designed to gauge voters’ reactions to the candidates’ performance during the debates.

Participants at several sites across the nation will watch the presidential debate tonight and then break into small discussion groups that will be videotaped. The tapes will be sent to the Commission on Presidential Debates for a national study about the impact of presidential debates. DebateWatch will take place in the Annenberg Forum in Carswell Hall.

On Oct. 5, participants will watch the vice presidential debate and then also break into small discussion groups that will be recorded.

Edward Hinck, author of the 1993 book, “Enacting the Presidency: Political Argument, Presidential Debates and the Presidential Character,” will speak at both Wake Forest DebateWatch events. At Central Michigan University, he is a professor of communication and director of forensics.

The Commission on Presidential Debates founded DebateWatch in 1996. The nonprofit, non-partisan organization has sponsored and produced all the presidential and vice presidential debates since 1988.

More information about the Commission on Presidential Debates and DebateWatch is available at www.debates.org. For information about Wake Forest’s involvement in this project, call Allan Louden at 758-5408.

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