With the election around the corner, I’m gearing up to appear at a few public events to talk about political communication and my research. I’m particularly looking forward to an event entitled: “Political and Policy Communication: Impact, Ethics and the Art of Persuasion” hosted by George Mason University on October 25th from 9:30 a.m. – 12:45 …
How we choose to watch political debates changes what we get out of them. That’s not really news: scholars have been discussing this effect since the first televised presidential debates in 1960. Popular wisdom suggested Nixon’s poor appearance (“death-like”) on TV hurt his standing compared to Kennedy’s vitality, later supported by finding that people who …
With the Affordable Care Act back at the front of the media landscape as it arrives in front of the Supreme Court this week, advocates on both sides of the issue are dusting off their messaging strategies around the issue. Last Friday, President Obama signalled that rather than running from the title of “Obamacare” that Republicans have …
Continue reading ‘Owning “Obamacare”: The implications of a new message strategy’ »
The South Carolina primaries are over and the victory – seemingly impossible only a week ago yet surprising no one tonight – went to Mr. Gingrich. But if Mr. Romney needs someone to commiserate with over a glass of beer, he has a most unlikely partner: Stephen Colbert. Colbert flirted with the idea of a …
Continue reading ‘Misery loves company: Colbert’s new drinking buddy’ »
An update to yesterday’s blog post: Nate Silver of The New York Times now concurs with my prediction that Gingrich will win South Carolina. When writing my blog post yesterday, Silver had Gingrich and Romney tied with a 50% chance to win, but late last night, Silver updated his numbers to give Gingrich a 62% chance of victory, based on the …
Continue reading ‘Nate Silver concurs: Gingrich now favored to win South Carolina’ »