Five of the major TV networks are calling on President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump to commit to debates this election season. According to CNN, the networks are drafting a letter for the Biden and Trump campaigns, urging them to participate in televised debates ahead of the 2024 election. The networks include NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox News and CNN.
Peter Loge is the director of the School of Media and Public Affairs. Loge has nearly 30 years of experience in politics and communications, including a presidential appointment at the Food and Drug Administration and senior positions for Sen. Edward Kennedy and three members of the U.S. House of Representatives. He currently leads the Project on Ethics in Political Communication at the School of Media and Public Affairs and continues to advise advocates and organizations.
Loge explains why it’s unlikely we’ll see debates anytime soon.
“Debates are ways for voters to see candidates in action, and to learn more about candidates they might not know a lot about. Voters know Trump and Biden and they have strong opinions about both. Learning requires a willingness to listen with an open mind, and not a lot of people have an open mind about either Trump or Biden,” Loge says.
“The strategic question for campaigns is what they can lose or gain by debating. Neither side can afford to lose any support, and Biden needs to gain support. Biden has more to gain than Trump by debating, and Trump has more to lose than Biden. The result is that we are unlikely to see debates. Both campaigns will say they want to debate and come up with a dozen reasons why the other side or the process is unfair.”
If you would like to speak with Peter Loge, please contact GW Media Relations Senior Specialist Cate Douglass at [email protected].
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