by Kathleen E. Kendall, Research Professor, Department of Communication, University of Maryland.
Newswise — How will we remember the third presidential debate of 2008? About 60 million of us watched it. Instant polls show that viewers chose Senator Barack Obama as the victor, over Senator John McCain (CNN poll, 58%-31; CBS poll, 53%-22). But debate effects take awhile to develop and crystallize. Though there are instant polls, sometimes the impressions of the debate change in the course of the week that follows. A gaffe can be the defining moment, or a flash of unforgettable humor. A classic case of such change was the second Ford-Carter debate in 1976, in which debate watchers believed President Gerald Ford won the debate, but the extensive criticism of one of his debate statements, that "There is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe," changed public opinion. A week later, most people saw Ford as the loser of the debate, and Governor Jimmy Carter the winner.
In the debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York on October 15, 2008, the presidential candidates met in the context of a financial crisis. On that day, in fact, the stock market experienced some of the worst losses in history, with a more than 700-point drop in the Dow. The agreed-upon focus of the debate was domestic issues. The format was a 90-minute debate at which the candidates and moderator Bob Schieffer of CBS sat together at a table and discussed a total of eight questions.
One vivid example is likely to characterize this debate historically, the story of "Joe the Plumber." In the first question to the candidates, Schieffer asked them each to explain why their plan to revive the economy was better. McCain said he would focus on housing, working to reverse the decline in home ownership.
Obama outlined his four-point rescue package for the middle class. Then McCain introduced the story of "Joe the Plumber," a man in Ohio who had met Obama and asked him questions about his tax policies and how they would affect his dream to own a plumbing business. Joe assumed that under Obama, his taxes would go up. "Joe was trying to realize the American dream," said McCain, as he criticized Obama's tax policy. He then looked into the camera and spoke to Joe. "Joe, I want to tell you, I'll not only help you buy that business that you worked your whole life for, and I'll keep your taxes low, . . . and I will not stand for, a tax increase on small-business income. . . . . " Obama replied that he wanted to provide a tax cut for 95 percent of working Americans. He said, "What I want to do is to make sure that the plumber, the nurse, the firefighter, the teacher, the young entrepreneur who doesn't yet have money, I want to give them a tax break now."
Joe the Plumber's name came up over 20 times during the debate, both in the first question on the economy, and also in the discussion of health care. Both candidates addressed him directly, promoting their tax policies and their health policies. Joe the Plumber was far more than a sound bite. He became like an offstage character in a play, making concrete the problems in the economy and the implications of tax policy and health policy. He helped to bring the vague term "middle class" down to earth. The audience could relate to him easily, as everyone knows a plumber, or has seen a plumber at work. Many people dream of having a small business. His presence brought the style and arguments to life in this debate. He even strengthened the candidates' delivery, for when they spoke directly to Joe, they talked conversationally and looked into the eyes of the audience.
In the media coverage of the third debate that night, some of the commentators mentioned Joe. George Stephanopoulos of ABC saw the strategic implications of bringing this person into the debate, remarking that McCain used Joe effectively to "set the agenda." Brian Williams of NBC called Joe "the figurative leader of the demographic group that politicians often talk about and at times talk down to." Tom Brokaw of NBC said that Joe was "the winner" of the debate. Much of the coverage dealt with the usual horse race coverage, as in past debates. Before the debate, the discussion centered on the fact that McCain was behind in the polls, and needed a "game changer." After the debate, only an occasional Republican, such as Governor Mitt Romney, thought that had happened, saying, "Tonight was the beginning of that turnaround." Most thought no game-changer had occurred. Once again, as in earlier debates, people pointed to the visual aspects candidate delivery, calling Obama "calm," "cool," "unruffled," and describing McCain as "angry," "upset," and "aggressive."
In the debate itself, the candidates described Joe the Plumber in ways that strengthened their arguments, using him as though he were a historical or literary figure. But as we know, he is a real person, Joe Wurzelbacher, of Holland, Ohio. In the five days since the debate, he has been interviewed extensively. He talks, the media talk, and Senator McCain and Governor Palin talk about him on the campaign trail. The story has moved on from the confines of the presidential debate, and it is too soon to say whether this vivid use of proof within the debate will help or hurt either candidate. One thing IS likely: that as the details fade about the 2008 presidential debates, we will find the third one the easiest to remember, because of Joe the Plumber.
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