When Winning Isn’t Winning

To measure the success of a political debate, one might use some key metrics:

1. Viewership and reach of the debate;
2. Public opinion polls / long term impact;
3. Media coverage and analysis;
4. Social media engagement;
5. Fundraising impact;
6. Candidate performance evaluations;
7. Issue clarity / voter education
8. Memorable moments;

So, did Trump win the recent debate with Biden? Opinions land on both sides, but it’s clear Democrats saw Biden’s performance in the debate as a disaster. So much so, he was pressured to back out of the campaign.

The Republicans probably preferred that he stay in the race. So this begs the question can you win a debate by too much? If the Republicans think that Kamala Harris will be a tougher opponent, then maybe.

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Bibliography:

“5 Political PR Metrics to Monitor during a Campaign.” 2022. Determ. October 26, 2022. https://www.determ.com/blog/5-political-pr-metrics-to-monitor-during-a-campaign/.

“2021 Report.” n.d. Leaders’ Debates Commission. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://www.debates-debats.ca/en/report-2021/.

“How to Measure Public Affairs Success.” 2020. Dober Partners. March 29, 2020. https://www.doberpartners.com/how-to-measure-public-affairs-success/.

Panetta, Alexander. 2024. “The Presidential Debate: A Make-or-Break Moment in U.S. Election?” CBC News, June 26, 2024. https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/debate-preview-analysis-1.7245827.

The Democracy Project, Institute for Public Administration, University of Delaware. n.d. “Category Questions to Consider as You Score.” Udel.edu. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://www.bidenschool.udel.edu/ipa/content-sub-site/Documents/Democracy-Project/debatescorecard.pdf.