While vice presidential debates are “often a sideshow that has little influence on the election outcome,” the Oct. 1 faceoff between Republican J.D. Vance and Democrat Tim Walz has the potential to be a revealing and consequential exchange between two effective communicators, according to Robert Rowland, University of Kansas professor of communication studies.

A former national champion college debater himself and coach of debate champions, Rowland is available to journalists in the week before the Vance-Walz debate to comment upon the rhetorical matchup, or immediately afterward, to analyze the opponents’ performances.

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

“Vance is fulfilling a role often played by vice presidential candidates — attack dog carrying the nationalist populist message of Donald Trump,” Rowland said. “The focus of his campaign has been on activating core Trump supporters.

“In contrast, Governor Walz has been perhaps the most effective spokesperson for the message of the Kamala Harris campaign — that Trump, Vance and other MAGA Republicans are weird.

“Not only does the debate promise to be a clash between effective proponents of the core message of each campaign, but it also provides a forum for each candidate to challenge the credentials of the other. Given the attacks made against Walz and Vance by the opposing campaign, there is potential for a revealing exchange.”

The KU researcher has specialized in the rhetorical legacies of presidents, calling Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama “once in a generation” communicators who raised the sights of their fellow citizens to lofty national ideals. Trump, conversely, he has called “a master at creating fear and hatred of others.”