Harris risks pitfalls in debate with Trump, expert says

LAWRENCE — The Sept. 10 televised debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump is fraught with peril for Harris, according to an expert in presidential rhetoric.

Robert Rowland, professor of communication studies at the University of Kansas, is available to journalists before or after the Harris-Trump debate to comment upon its impact.

Rowland said that Harris is perhaps the least known presidential candidate in recent memory. Thus, she needs to introduce herself and sell her agenda to potential voters.

“At the same time,” Rowland said, “the debate is a point of danger for her. A misstep could halt all the positive political momentum she has developed over the last few weeks. The next debate is also important for whether it will continue the trend toward theatrical performances that do not serve the key functions of educating the people about the issues and candidates.”

Robert Rowland not only won the National Debate Tournament as a college student and has coached national champions, but he also has been a leading researcher studying the influence and value of presidential debates, going back to the Reagan administration. 

Rowland is the author of the 2021 book “The Rhetoric of Donald Trump: Nationalist Populism and American Democracy” (University of Kansas Press).

He also is the author of “Reagan at Westminster: Foreshadowing the End of the Cold War” (2010, Texas A&M University Press).