Debate Analysis – Thursday, October 1st (Blog #5)

Assess each candidate’s performance in the first presidential debate. What debate strategies (noted in Denton et al Ch. 9) did they employ and how were they similar to/different from the strategies we discussed in class last week? How would you assess their performances? And, if you were a debate coach, what advice would you give each candidate going into their next meeting? Since there are no new class readings this week, use Denton et al Ch. 9 as your textbook reading and two articles that you find on your own as your sources (hence, no Blackboard reading). Your blog posts are due by 11:59 pm on Thursday, October 1.

Debates – Tuesday, September 22nd (Blog #4)

Imagine you are a debate coach hired by either the Trump or Biden campaign (use your candidate for the Election Eve Projects). What debate strategies (from Denton et al Ch. 9) would you recommend your candidate follow? Which previous presidential candidates should they look to as examples of best debate practices that they should emulate? Which previous candidates made mistakes which they should learn from and avoid? Finally, what does your candidate need to do for their debate performance to help, and not hurt, their campaign? 

Stump Campaigning – Tuesday, September 15th (Blog #3)

Compare the stump campaigning strategies of the Trump and Biden teams. What impact has the pandemic had on stump campaigning? What are the top talking points on the campaign trail? How would you characterize the media coverage of the candidates’ campaign events? Finally, why does stump campaigning remain an important part of the political process? Along with referring to one of the textbook readings and one of the articles posted on Blackboard for this week to support your response, you must offer examples of media coverage from at least two different media outlets. These will count as your additional articles for this week (so there are a minimum of four sources required this week).  

Battlegrounds and Voting Blocs – Tuesday, September 8th (Blog #2)

 

Which states are the important battlegrounds in the 2020 election and why? Which voting blocs are being targeted by each campaign and why are those particular demographics crucial for the candidates? And what are some of the ways the candidates are targeting these voters – by state and/or demographic – during the pandemic? Your response should be supported by at least three sources (see assignment guidelines for details).