Next Thursday, Aug. 6, 10 of the many candidates for the Republican nomination for president will take the stage in a debate hosted by Fox News, after being chosen based on their average ranking in five national polls conducted before Aug. 4. Only the candidates currently leading by double digits in recent polls – real estate tycoon Donald Trump, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker -- are not in danger of losing their spots in the debate.
The following University of North Texas political scientists are available to provide previews and analysis of the debate and its participants:
Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha, associate professor in the UNT Department of Political Science, researches American political institutions and public policy. He is the co-author of Breaking Through the Noise: Presidential Leadership, Public Opinion and the News Media and The President's Speeches: Beyond "Going Public." He has been interviewed by the Associated Press, Dallas Morning News, Governing magazine, San Francisco Chronicle and Scripps Howard News Service, among other media outlets, and appeared often on NPR to discuss presidential races.
Phone: 940-565-2329
E-mail: mes@unt.edu
Valerie Martinez-Ebers is a professor of political science and co-editor of the American Political Science Review. Her areas of expertise include race, ethnicity and Latino politics, including immigration policy analysis and program evaluation; the impact of migration into the heartland of the United State; the rise of Latino voters and the role of Hispanic legislators.
Cell phone: 940-390-2304
E-mail: valmartinez@unt.edu
James E. Muelleris a professor of journalism in UNT's Frank W. and Sue Mayborn School of Journalism. He will discuss communication used by the political candidates, particularly communication with members of the news media and press conferences.
Mueller is the author of Towel Snapping the Press: Bush's Journey from Locker-Room Antics to Message Control, which compares George W. Bush's press relations to those of other presidents and Tag Teaming the Press: How Bill and Hillary Clinton Work Together to Handle the Media, which traces the Clintons' press relations through Bill's terms as Arkansas governor and U.S. president and Hillary's run for the White House.
Phone: 940-368-3528
E-mail: jmueller@unt.edu