Release date: Sept. 24, 2004

Emory Experts Offer Debate Analysis

Contact:
Beverly Clark, 404-712-8780 (w), 404-275-4771 (c) or beverly.clark@emory.edu
Elaine Justice, 404-727-0643 (w), 404-520-4325 (c) or elaine.justice@emory.edu

The following Emory University experts are available for commentary and analysis of the upcoming debates between President George W. Bush and Sen. John Kerry, and between Vice President Dick Cheney and Sen. John Edwards.

Alan Abramowitz
Emory political scientist Alan Abramowitz, an expert on national elections and polling, says the debates this year will undoubtedly play a crucial role in determining the outcome of the election. Abramowitz says that while expectations will be higher for President Bush than they were in 2000, John Kerry can't afford to come across as "too intellectual" or condescending, as Al Gore did in the first 2000 debate. Reach Abramowitz at 404-727-0108 or alan.abramowitz@emory.edu. For more, click here.

William Newnam
Emory debate expert William Newnam says this year's debates are "important because the public is generally uneasy right now, but not very comfortable with Kerry as an alternative to Bush." Newnam says the small numbers of soft supporters on each side and the undecided voters can be moved by the debates "if Kerry can overcome the accusation of being a man of too many positions." Newnam, the associate director of debate at Emory since 1982, is the co-author of a leading text on argumentation and debate. Winner of many coaching and service awards, he has coached multiple national champions. Reach Newnam at 404-727-6189 or wnewnam@emory.edu. For more, click here.

Drew Westen
Emory University psychologist Drew Westen says that for Kerry to be successful during the debates, he needs a makeover of some of his nonverbal and linguistic mannerisms to appeal to undecided voters who do not like Bush but cannot seem to find it in their hearts to swing to Kerry. In his recent research on the intersection of psychology and politics, Westen found that people overwhelmingly respond to candidates, advertisements and rhetoric at a more subconscious, emotional "gut" level than by conscious examination of fact and figures. Reach Westen at 404-727-7407 (w), 404-375-6639 (cell) or dwesten@emory.edu. For more, click here.

Alan Cienki
Alan Cienki, an associate professor of linguistics in Emory's Program in Linguistics and Graduate Institute of the Liberal Arts, examines American political language and how the metaphors used by conservatives and liberals reflect differing cultural models. He recently completed an in-depth analysis of the language and gestures used by Bush and Gore in the 2000 debates, which will be published in a forthcoming edition of the Journal of Language and Politics. Cienki says during the 2000 debates, "Bush did a better job of using seemingly liberal language to express conservative ideas, while his gestures were more consistent with the underlying message." Reach him at 404-727-2689 or lanac@learnlink.emory.edu.

Paul Zwier
Trial advocacy expert Paul Zwier, who advises attorneys at top law firms on their courtroom appearances, can comment on the effectiveness of the presidential and vice presidential candidates' presentation skills. Zwier offers tips on how candidates might improve their debate performances—even the courtroom-savvy John Edwards. A nationally-known consultant to some of the nation's leading law firms, Zwier is director of Emory Law School's Advocacy and Dispute Resolution Training, and executive director of education for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. Reach him at 404-712-2358 or pzwier@law.emory.edu.

Antonio de Velasco
Antonio de Velasco, a PhD. candidate at Emory, is teaching a course this semester on rhetoric, culture and the 2004 Election that is examining politics as "theater," and analyzing the "scripts" each party follows to get across its messages. De Velasco, whose thesis is on political centrism, rhetoric and the symbolism of political discourse, says most of the real action will happen after the debates. "Most citizens do not make lasting judgments by sitting down to watch and carefully analyze the debates in full," he says. "Their impressions are formed from second-hand media accounts after the fact. " Reach de Velasco at 404-876-4182 (h) or adevela@learnlink.emory.edu.

For more political news, visit the elections news page.

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