Debate Results

Re: Presidential Debate -- Judge: Professor Peggy Elliott
      October 23, 2008
 
Winner: McCain team
1st Runner-up: Obama team
 
Criteria: Professionalism, Evidence of Preparation, Organization of information (clarity) and Persuasiveness
 
McCain team earned 558 of a possible 700 rubric points.
Obama team earned 536 of the possible 700 points.
 
Observations:
Both sides showed evidence of thorough preparation.
Both were highly professional in their delivery, speaking clearly and, for the most part, with conviction. Dress was appropriate, and all were respectful of the person speaking. Both teams were well organized.
Some members of both teams were guilty of reading their proposition or rebuttal. With little or no eye contact and a monotone delivery, it is almost impossible to be persuasive.
Both sides were strongest in the area of social issues and weakest in the area of the wars and terrorism.
The Obama team suffered with the absence of several of its members. Although the captain delivered well for the missing members, it was obvious that he was depending on emotional appeals rather than prepared remarks for these segments.
Both team captains were strong in delivery and persuasiveness.
 
McCain Team
The McCain opening statement was too short and light on position statements.
The McCain side was, overall, more persuasive except on the topic of health care.  
The single focus on abortion while rebutting on social issues made it seem as if this was the only major issue, and the Obama side then fell into letting the McCains set the rebuttal agenda. Be careful in rebuttals to choose issues on which the stance is not as well known. Everyone knows where the two candidates stand on this particular issue.  
Several members used good writing techniques such as parallelism and careful pacing to create more persuasive propositions. Using hand gestures to add emphasis also helped the persuasiveness of many members.
This team did not necessarily come out on top because of the SNL-style closing statement, but the humor helped relieve the tension that had built throughout the event and the writing was creative.
 
Obama Team
The Obama team was strongest in organization, except in the area of energy, in which the proposition simply listed stances rather than linking them. This was also the Obama team's area of least persuasiveness.
Explanations, anecdotes and personal experiences created more "pathos" among the Obama positions, allowing the audience to be involved in a personal way with the speakers.
At the same time, the use of platitudes such as "changing lives for the better" and "serving greater needs" did little to enhance understanding or persuasiveness.
This team had a great deal of dependence on notes.
Why split a one-minute rebuttal between two people?
Obama's life story explained much of his character, but left little room for discussing experience. More emphasis on experience would have given a better picture of the man as a leader.

 

Bob Botsch's Comments: I think that Professor Elliott was right on the mark in her comments. Having two people missing definitely hurt the Obama side. Machiavelli would call this fortuna, and we certainly know that good or bad luck can play a decisive role in who wins or loses in a campaign or even in a debate, like Nixon being ill in the first great televised debate. I scored each presentation and rebuttal on a 1-10 scale, and after adding up the points, I had it as McCain: 128, and Obama: 121. In other words it was very close!