Lauren Przybyl and Russ Mack discussing the 2024 Vice Presidential Debate in the Fox 4 studios.
How much preparation goes into a presidential debate? More than you think.
Russell Mack, a strategic communication instructor, shared his insights with Lauren Przybyl on Fox 4 KDFW, drawing on his 40 years of experience in government and corporate communication. Mack discussed the recent vice-presidential debate, highlighting the effort behind the scenes.
Russell Mack speaking on Fox 4 News about the 2024 Vice Presidential Debate.
Mack, who once served as Special Assistant to President Reagan and Director of Public Affairs, helped prepare Reagan during his reelection campaign. As someone who has been in the room for debate prep, Mack offered a unique perspective.
“It has been a long time since we’ve seen a debate this civil,” Mack said.
He observed that both teams seemed to consciously avoid aggression. While the idea often prevails that the aggressor wins in a debate, the vice-presidential candidates focused on policies and remained polite.
“The past matters, but I think voters are more focused on the future,” Mack said about the debate’s topics. “Everyone wants to turn the page. There has been so much contention in politics for so long. The candidates understood that. That’s why the tone last night was as calm and reasonable as it was.”
Mack also pointed out that the American people want to relate to their leaders. While Mack thought Tim Waltz’s “knucklehead” comment may have crossed a line, he acknowledged that both candidates remained approachable and relatable. This marked a stark contrast to the tone of the presidential debates. Although they disagreed on some issues, Mack noted that the candidates shared more common ground than has been seen in the past—they just had different approaches to solving those problems.