Experts offer insight on vice presidential debate

Newswise — Several Virginia Tech experts are available to discuss what next week's vice presidential candidate debate between Republican Sen. J.D. Vance and Democrat Gov. Tim Walz means and whether it will influence voters.

Nature of vice presidential debates

Often, vice presidential debates serve as a defense of the top ticket candidates. Vice presidential candidates often will act more adversarial, with increased sparring between one another, said Cayce Myers, professor and director of graduate studies in the School of Communication. 

“In this debate, I expect Vance to attack Harris in her changes in policy positions, especially on fracking,” Myers said. “Walz will continue Harris’s narrative around Trump’s temperament and legal problems.” 

Influence on voters

Vice presidential candidates typically do not play a large role in election outcomes, said Karen Hult, professor of political science, but this election may be an exception because it's so close.

 “Any possible advantage or disadvantage linked to the vice presidential nominees could make a difference with particular constituencies or in parts of the U.S. or on certain issues,” she said. “The two vice presidential candidates’ effectiveness in reinforcing the strength and message of their running mates and in amplifying the importance of the choice voters face could have an effect.” 

Larger audience possible

The audience size for political debates tends to be larger for those that are held closer to the election. Even so, in a typical election year, the vice presidential races draw fewer viewers than presidential debates.  

Considering that Tuesday’s debate may be the final televised debate of this election season and the closeness of the race, the event may draw an unusually larger audience, said Megan Duncan, associate professor in the School of Communication.

However, more attention to the debate doesn't mean that it will change many voters’ minds.  

“People vote for the top of the ticket,” she said. “Rather than making a decision about who to vote for, the draw for this debate might be more about wanting to see their team score some touchdowns and the other team fumble the ball.”

About Hult   

Hult, professor of political science at Virginia Tech, serves on the faculty of the School of Public and International Affairs’ Center for Public Administration and Policy with expertise in the U.S. presidency, federal and state politics, policy and governance, and federal and state courts. Read her full bio here. 

About Myers   

Myers, director of graduate studies at the School of Communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, specializes in media history, political communication, and laws that affect public relations practice. Read his full bio here. 

About Duncan  

Duncan is an associate professor in the School of Communication at Virginia Tech. Her research focuses on how partisans judge the credibility of and engage with the news. Using survey-embedded experiments, surveys, and other quantitative methods, she’s interested in knowing more about audiences, their perceptions of the news, how they form opinions, and how to use this knowledge to make democracy stronger. Read her full bio here.  

Schedule an interview

To secure an interview, contact Jenny Boone in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at [email protected] or 540-314-7207 or Margaret Ashburn in the media relations office at [email protected] or 540-529-0814.