Howtoprepareadebate

A. DebatePreparationSevenRulesforSuccess
Wehavenowofficiallyenteredsillyseasonthefinalweeksofthe2010electionseason,and thatmeans.debates,andlotsofthem! Campaignsspendaninordinateamountoftime raisingmoneytodoonethingdelivertheirmessagetovoters,mostoftenthroughpaidmedia. Preciouspositiveearnedmediaopportunitiesstoriesinvolvingacandidateinapositivelight, inprintorontelevisionbecomelikerainbowswithoutrainveryrare. DebatesareaveryrareopportunityforcandidatestogetoveranhouroffreeFREE exposurebeforetheelectorate.Almostallraces(StateSenate,Congress)havelocallytelevised debates,andbiggerracesgettheopportunitytodebateonmuchbiggerstagesvenuessuch asMeetthePress.Theseopportunitiescanmakeanunderfundedcandidate,asanallstar performanceusuallyleadstomultipledays,orevenweeks,ofpositiveearnedmediaexposure tofollow.Yet,toomanycandidatesspendmoretimepreparingbreakfastthanpreparingfora debate,anditshows. WhichbringsustoDebatePrep101,Rule#1Ifyoudontprepare,youknowhowyouwillfare! (Hintnotwell!) Sixmorehardandfastruleseverycandidateneedstorememberbeforeadebate: 2.TooLongisWrongThemomentisfinallyherethemoderatorhasofferedupasoftball. Candidatexyz,howdoyoufeelabout____?Theultimateopportunitytoreallydeliveracrisp, focused,movingmessage.Thecandidateanswersandhitsahomerun,andthen.keeps going,andgoing,andgoing,untilfinallythemoderatorputsapainfulendtoit.Toolongiswrong. 3.Memorizeis,umm.fraughtwithperilGovernorJanBrewerofArizonaisthelatestvictim oftryingtomemorizeanopeningstatement,and.blanking.Ithappenstoeveryone,butvery rarelyonsuchanationalstage.Audienceswillforgivealot,butanaudiencewillnotforgive blankingonanopeningstatementwhenyoumustarticulatewhyyouarerunningforoffice.More onGovernorBrewerstoughweektofollow 4.BillsDontPayIhavetraineddozensofincumbents,andmostshareonetraitwhenitcomes toansweringadebatequestion.Mybillon.SenateBill1234,whichIcosponsored HouseResolution123,whichIvotedagainstOtherthanverycontentious,verypublicpieces oflegislation,thepublicrarelyremembersabillnumber.Eveninthatrarecircumstancewhen thepublicdoesrememberthebillbynumber,talkabouttheissuebehindthebill,notthebillitself. Hint:Whenunemploymentandtaxesarethroughtheroof,nottoomanypeoplewillbelievethat yourbill,regardlessofpartyaffiliation,will,ordid,changeeverythinginstantly. 5.Smile!YoureonCandidCamera!Today,ifyouarerunningfordogcatcherandare debating,someonewillberecordingit.Ifyouerr,saysomethingquestionableorgaffe,itwillbe onYoutube.Approachyouropponentbeforethedebatebegins,smile,shakehands,andactlike anadultforthenexthour.Evenifthedebateisnttelevised,ifyoumessup,itwillbe.

6.BeacomposerYourdeliveryisasimportantasyourcontent.Allowyourcadencetoguide thelistener.Allowyourtonetoserveasaverbalhighlighterwhenyouaremakingapoint, changingcourse,orframinganissue.Pausebetweenthoughts.Yourvoiceisaninstrument.If youaremakingadramaticpoint,builduptoitthroughchangesintone. 7.DontloseyourcomposureIhaveyettoseeacandidateloseadebatesolelyforbeingtoo civil.Ihaveseenmanylosesolelybyfailingtobecivilenough.

B.WritingYourOwnDebateSpeech 1. WriteinstandardEnglish.Inotherwords,don'tuseslang,asitmakesyourargument seemlessvalid. 2. Knowyouraudience.WriteinstandardEnglishhowever,don'tusetoocomplex vocabularyifnooneelsewillunderstandit! 3. Makeyourpointofviewclear.Naturally,yourpointwon'tbeaseffectiveifnoone knowswhatyou'retalkingabout! 4. Usestatistics.Backingupyourpointsmakethemseemmuchmorereliable,and thereforevalid. 5. Acknowledgeyouropponent'spoint.Ifyoudothis,youwilllooksmarterandmore knowledgeable,asitseemslikeyouhaveweighedupthepointsofview,andfoundyour conclusionyouropinion. 6. Usepersuasivetechniques.Theseincludelistofthree,whichmakesyourpointmore memorableandeffectiverhetoricalquestions,whichmakeyouropponentsconsiderthe validityoftheirpointirony,whichunderminestheirpointandmakesyourselfseemmore matureandintelligentsimile,whichgivesthemsomethingtorelatetohumour,which getstheaudienceonyoursiderepetition,whichreinforcesyourpointandsoon. 7. Listentosuccessfuldebatespeechesonyoutube.Thisgivesyousomethingto aspireto,andalsohelpsyouknowhowtopresentyourspeech. 8. Whenit'sfinished,proofread.Grammaticallyincorrectlexisunderminesyour intelligence,andthereforeweakensyourargument. 9. Andthat'sit!Trytolearnyourspeechoffbyheart,asitsuggestsyourinterestinthe subject,andthereforemakesyouseemlikeamorereliabledebater.

C.Usefullanguageforadebate
AGREEING DISAGREEING SUGGESTING STRESSING PERSONAL OPINION NOT CORRECT NOT APPROPRIATE

EXPRESSIONS 1.That'sagreatidea! 2.Whydon'twe....? 3.Iseeyourpointbut............... 4.Ithinkweshould.................... 5.Asforme...... 6.Ithinkyouareright..... 7.I'magree 8.Howabout........... 9.Iagree 10.Whatever! 11.AsfarasIamconcerned....... 12.Areyousure? 13.Iwonderif...... 14.Ithinkthat'sadumbidea!! 15.Wecould...... 16.Idisagree/don'tagree..... 17.I'mnotagree! 18.Areyoucrazy? 19.Idon'tthinkso. 20.Mindyou,I...... 21.PersonallyIthink..... 22.Haveyouconsidered.......? 23.Iamnotofthesameopinion.... 24.Isticktomyopinion 25.AsItakeit..... 26.Shutup,youdon'tknowanything..... 27.Iholdtheopinionthat.... 28.Quitethecontrary! 29.Well,maybewecantrytolookatthingsfromanotherperspective.....