The Subtle Nature of Presidential Debate Influence

Abstract

This essay argues that the influence of televised, general election, presidential debates on prospective voters' perceptions of participating candidates may be larger than previous research suggests. Specifically, two sources of debate effects have gone largely undetected to date: those based on candidates' relational communication, and those which are commingled with the influence of other communication forms. Early research suggests that these effects are important, both statistically and practically.