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TV Talk Show Appearances

Television talk shows are an important means for presidential candidates in the general election to reach voters, some of whom may be less likely to watch other types of campaign messages, such as debates. Professor William Benoit and Doctoral Candidate Kevin Stein studied statements made by President George W. Bush and Senator John F. Kerry in their television talk show appearances during the general election stage of the 2004 campaign through mid-September.

The candidates were mostly positive on talk shows (72% of statements). Four years earlier, Bush and Gore were more positive (91% of their general TV talk show statements). Most of this shift toward the negative can be attributed to Senator Kerry: In 2004, Bush was significantly more positive than Kerry. Bush praised himself in 93% of statements; Kerry was positive in 63% of his talk show statements. This was less positive than Kerry's 2004 Democratic primary talk show statements (77% positive). Four years ago in the 2000 campaign, the tone of Bush's general campaign TV talk show statements was roughly the same as this year (95% positive).

The candidates discussed both policy (issues) and character, but the emphasis was on policy (59% policy; 41% character). This contrasts sharply with the 2000 campaign: Bush and Gore discussed policy in only 33% of general TV talk show statements, choosing to emphasize character in 67% of their statements. In 2004, Bush and Kerry emphasized policy issues at about the same rate (Bush 62%; Kerry 58%). In the primary phase of the 2004 campaign, Kerry emphasized policy issues in 56% of his talk show statements, about the same level as in the general campaign. In the 2000 campaign, Bush had the opposite emphasis in his general TV talk show statements, stressing character (70%) much more than policy (30%).

All television appearances since February 2004 (Bush 5, Kerry 11) were included in the analysis. Programs in the study were Judy Woodruff's Inside Politics, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, CNN's American Morning, Larry King Live, Meet the Press, Lou Dobbs Tonight, This Week with George Stephanopoulos, CBS News with Dan Rather, MTV News, Hannity and Colmes, ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, The Today Show, Radio and Television Ireland, and Al-Arabiya.