Created Equal: Experts discuss what it takes to win a political debate
WSU Director of Debate Ronald Stevenson and political strategist Dennis Darnoi joined the show to help us unpack Tuesday’s vice presidential debate.
Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, left, and Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, shake hands as they arrive for a CBS News vice presidential debate, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in New York.
JD Vance and Tim Walz squared off on Tuesday in what will likely be the last debate of the 2024 presidential election. It was surprisingly substantive and civil, but how do you judge a candidate’s performance?
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Ronald Stevenson, a professor of forensic debate at Wayne State University, says there are two primary elements that determine how someone performs.
“There’s substance and then there’s style, and it’s how you balance those two things that I think ultimately is where individuals come down and have differing opinions on the outcomes of these particular debates,” he said.
Stevenson and political strategist Dennis Darnoi joined Created Equal on Thursday to discuss how formal debates are won and whether political debates are judged in the same way.
Use the media player above to listen to the conversation.
Guests:
- Ronald Stevenson serves as a senior lecturer and director of debate at Wayne State University.
- Dennis Darnoi is the founder of Densar Consulting, which is a local political consulting firm that tracks voter data.
Listen to Created Equal with host Stephen Henderson weekdays from 9-10 a.m. ET on 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand.
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