Kentucky politicos share insight into debate preparation

FRANKFORT, Ky. ( FOX 56 ) — Thursday night’s presidential debate could have a record-breaking audience, raising the stakes for both candidates in the race to November.

“The hardest part about debates is really the research that you need to go into. There’s a lot of work that staff are going to do,” FOX 56 News Political Analyst Jonathan Miller said.

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There’s a lot of strategy behind the zingers and jabs that can be thrown out on the debate stage, and as both Miller and former gubernatorial candidate Daniel Cameron explained, getting them committed to memory is critical.

“I think I did upwards of probably eight or nine debates last year. And so there was a lot of practice,” Cameron said.

Cameron said debate prep for politicians is not much different from the regular practice that comes with being an athlete and compared it a lot to building muscle memory and reflexes.

“Understand your policies; have that substantive knowledge so you can articulate those well. And then after that, it really is, at least for me, it was doing mock debate,” Cameron said.

“I’m usually instructed to go hard. And when I’m playing the opponent, and to get dirty and to have some of the opposition research,” Miller said of his experience with mock debates. “Sometimes that can be a little awkward.”

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Miller has helped prepare candidates in several congressional and senate campaigns for debates, as well as being on the stage himself in his 2007 gubernatorial run. He said the key is nailing down policy points the candidate can say in a clear and quick way, but also preparing them for the attacks they’re certain to get from an opponent.

“Iron sharpens iron, right? And so, you know, the person that is your sparring partner in these debates, mock debates, if you will—is just trying to make you better,” Cameron said of his experience.

Even after all that practice, Cameron said things like the bright lights of TV were among the unexpected elements he had to be ready to adapt to in the moment.

The presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, being hosted by CNN, airs Thursday night at 9 p.m. and will be carried on FOX 56 News.

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