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Polls and Elections: Do the Presidential Primary Debates Matter? Measuring Candidate Speaking Time and Audience Response during the 2012 Primaries
Author(s) -
Stewart Patrick A.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
presidential studies quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.337
H-Index - 5
eISSN - 1741-5705
pISSN - 0360-4918
DOI - 10.1111/psq.12191
Subject(s) - laughter , presidency , presidential system , political science , media studies , politics , psychology , social psychology , sociology , law
Televised presidential primary debates are highly important for partisans by providing unmediated information concerning candidate viability. Here the presumptive winner of a given primary may be indicated during debates through both the speaking time they are given and the audience response they elicit. Here I explore both candidate speaking time and audience laughter and applause by content, analyzing six 2012 Republican Party primary debates. Debate venue plays a significant role in determining applause and, to a lesser extent, laughter. There is also a negative relationship between candidate speaking time and audience laughter, suggesting an insurgent strategy for second‐tier candidates. © 2014 Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress