Tuesday’s presidential debate featured memorable zingers, facial expressions and false claims of migrants eating pets. But for voters seeking detailed plans and policy positions, the debate likely left much to be desired.
And, in some ways, that’s by design.
When it comes to presidential debates, style can be more important than substance, according to experts from the USC Price School of Public Policy. Candidates want to convey clear messages, appear presidential, and deliver soundbites that go viral long after the debate ends. Those priorities can come at the expense of a detailed policy discussion, especially when candidates have just two minutes to answer questions.
“The truth of the matter is the debate format is another way of seeing a politician perform,” said Dora Kingsley Vertenten, a USC Price School Professor. “We’re judging whether or not we can see them in that office,”
Historically, how a candidate looks or sounds can matter more than what they say. Americans who saw the first televised presidential debate in 1960 famously believed John F. Kennedy outperformed Richard Nixon, who sweated under the hot studio lights. Yet most listeners of the radio broadcast believed the debate was a draw, or a Nixon victory.
And just this year, President Joe Biden’s meandering and mumbled responses during his last presidential debate amplified concerns about his age and set in motion his withdrawal from the 2024 election.
Social media has amplified this dynamic, said Mindy Romero, Director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the USC Price School. How candidates carry themselves through the tone of their voice or demeanor can determine whether voters view them as strong, weak, confident or rattled. And a witty insult or attack line can be recirculated on Facebook or TikTok for days after the debate.
“There’s a long history of zingers or one-liners that can actually change the tone of a debate,” Romero said. “I just think they have a much longer life now with social media.”
That’s not to say policy was entirely absent from the 90-minute debate. Vice President Kamala Harris pitched economic plans for an expanded child tax credit and financial assistance for first-time homebuyers. Former President Donald Trump repeatedly criticized Harris and President Joe Biden’s handling of inflation and immigration. And the ABC debate moderators asked the candidates policy questions – even if the candidates didn’t always answer them.
But some undecided voters came away from the Tuesday debate wishing they heard more about the candidates’ policy proposals, according to The New York Times.
That’s no surprise to pollster Christian Grose, Academic Director of the USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy, which is affiliated with the USC Price School. Voters who are still undecided at this point tend to be less informed than those who’ve already picked their candidate. So, not surprisingly, those less-informed voters want to hear more about candidates’ policies.
“In this election, where most people are decided, undecided voters do not love the back-and-forth and ‘gotcha’ moments that candidates’ supporters love and find fun,” Grose said. “The problem is most people who are undecided at this point are not that informed, so they might want to learn more about policy, but their own policy views are not as strong as those who’ve decided.”
Another factor that may limit detailed policy discussion is that most voters are hardly policy wonks. Kingsley Vertenten said she is unsure there is much room for policy in today’s political climate, recalling how a gubernatorial campaign she advised wasn’t interested in policy development because they’d have to explain to constituents how government worked.
“Hillary Clinton had a 600-page policy book and early in her campaign she talked about it very publicly,” Kingsley Vertenten added. “And all we can remember is ‘Crooked Hillary’ and that she had an email problem.”
