The Presidency 5

Sarcasm, i'm not sarcastic at all—ianloic (Flickr.com)

In a past blog post, we mentioned the ways to win a presidential debate, based on historical ones that have been successful. Today, we place special emphasis on the five things you must avoid if you are to engage in a debate, whether as a presidentiable or not. But hey, it always helps to assume the attitude of a president even if the position you are aiming for is more humble. So, on to the list.

Do not be sarcastic. We already mentioned this in the previous blog post, but it cannot be emphasized enough. Many think sarcasm is a form of wit, but really, it just rubs people the wrong way and doesn’t say anything positive about you. If you are running for office, will sarcasm address pressing issues like poverty, health care, education, etc? So steer clear and focus on issues that need debating, and keep the sarcasm in any form, including the tone of your voice and your facial expression, away from them.

 Do not get personal. Even if your opponent has a background teeming with scandals, problems, and controversies, avoid getting into it during a debate (or even as a campaign tactic). Personal attacks will do more harm to the one attacking than to the one being attacked in the long run. During a debate, always take the high ground but to do not take the bait. Steer the discussion back to the topic and say something like “Maligning people will not do anything to resolve this issue, so we had better stick to it.” It will show your audience how serious you are about dealing with issues, and show up your opponent as a bully and a sneaky debater.

Do not get distracted by sub-topics. Debates often list down the major issues the participants will tackle. Some resort to introducing sub-topics that may seem to have something to do with these issues, but only really serve the purpose of distracting you and making your arguments weak and ineffective. Stay alert for these tactics and always steer the discussion back to the main ones.

Do not overlook potential win-win situations. Too often, adversaries in a debate get locked in the notion that the other’s opinion often contradicts their own. This is not true at all times. In fact, it would be good to look out for suggestions by the other team that complement and strengthen your own campaign, and be quick to point that out. This way, people can start to see you as a reasonable candidate who is not arrogant, but is willing to listen to what others have to say for the greater good. Which brings us to…

Do not forget to listen to what the other has to say. Unfortunately, debates have been relegated to one-upmanship, even by the most powerful and well-educated people. What debates should be are informative, educational, and enlightening. While they are powerful platforms for getting the vote, a good participant in a debate must learn to listen very carefully to what the other has to say; not to pick out possible things to parry and argue against, but to really know where they are coming from.

Whether it is for school council president or the president of the nation, those who come out the most successful in debates are often expected to get the vote. There are a number of things one should bear in mind when preparing to go on a debate with a fellow candidate, and they are as important as preparing a great speech. This holds true not only for presidential debates, but for all kinds requiring an audience closely observing the proceedings and watching out for potential pitfalls and winning moments.

Be confident. Nervousness is never an expected trait of an aspiring leader. Self-confidence is. This is not to be mistaken for cockiness, as arrogance can grate at people even if it’s well-founded. One of the best ways to have self-confidence is to practice reciting your speech beforehand using a mirror. You can use cue cards as reference, but do not read the speech like someone made it for you and it’s the first time you’re reading it. Look to the audience or at the camera when you talk, only occasionally glancing at your notes to keep your thoughts organized. Keep your tone calm and confident, and your words sure and succinct. Avoid gestures denoting anxiety such as too much hand waving and blinking.

Do not resort to sarcasm.

Sarcasm, Interesting Ad—eliazar (Flickr.com)

It does not matter if it is in the form of a joke, a smirk when your opponent is talking, or a rolling of the eyes… it definitely has no place in a presidential debate. They say sarcasm is the knee-jerk self-defense mechanism of the insecure, and in a presidential debate, this is all too apparent. People will likely take note of you as someone who looks down on other people’s opinions, and not the witty, intelligent, and confident person you might be attempting to come across as.

Come across as compassionate. A compassionate leader is definitely someone who will get the vote. In fact, you can make compassion your campaign’s mantra, and chances are, people will respond well to positively. Being compassionate makes you very human and involved. You can start your speech by mentioning unfortunate events which your voters are involved in, and express the intention of wanting to be part of the solution to overcoming this misfortune.

Don’t give your opponent too much credit. Some presidential candidates think that by flattering the ego of their opponent, they would come across to the audience as friendly and amiable. While a polite “good day” or other salutation would do at the opening of the debate, don’t go as far as praising your opponent’s achievements or hinting that he is someone more than just a decent person. Debates exist to give you the opportunity to present to the people what you can do to improve their lives. It is the perfect platform for you to offer your services as a leader, not to expose your opponent’s credentials.

This season of presidential debates, we are likely to be impressed by things we hear and see in different forms of media, or be totally unimpressed (or even irked) by them. Some even become fodder for stand-up comedians and internet memes.

Let’s take a look back at some of the most memorable presidential debates in history to be educated, entertained, enlightened, and even amused.

The clip above features Senator John F. Kennedy (D-MA) and Vice President Richard Nixon (R-CA) on September 26, 1960. A very interesting observation was made while this debate went on, and it had a lot to do with how the candidates “appeared” on TV versus how they “sounded” on radio. According to the YouTube caption:

It was the first presidential debate between candidates from opposing political parties as well as the first one to be televised. It is best known not by its subject matter, but by the preparedness and physical appearance of both candidates. Television audiences thought Kennedy won the debate by a landslide, while radio audiences thought Nixon won it by a landslide. Nixon appeared emaciated, unhealthy, and awkward, while Kennedy appeared handsome, tanned and confident. Nixon was recovering from an injured knee that resulted in a recent hospital stay. He had just arrived at the studio after a strenuous campaign in which he made appearances in all 50 states, including newly admitted Alaska and Hawaii. He refused to have makeup applied to his face, and had not shaved, making his stubble clearly visible to television viewers. Kennedy on the other hand, took time to rest before the debates and his suit contrasted well against the background. In effect, Nixon’s gray suit seemed to blend in with the background, especially on the era’s black and white television screens.

Meanwhile, in 1980, presidential candidates Reagan and Carter held their own debate, and this time around, the words took center stage (it may also have helped that it was filmed in color so there was no fear of fading into the grey background):

And then there was the McCain-Obama debate which was punctuated with acerbic wit coated in humor. Economics and global affairs were discussed during this first presidential debate round.

Washington Post reports on how Ann Romney debate shows importance of female voters in 2012 election.

Ann Romney—Gage Skidmore (Flickr.com)

The desire to get the female vote had  members of the presidential campaign trail mentioning women’s issues left and right, including the topic of stay-at-home moms. Ann Romney herself was recently interviewed on Fox News, which touched on the subject of her considering raising five sons and taking care of her husband “a full-time job”. In the interview, she said:

“My career choice was to be a mother. Other women make other choices. We have to respect women in all the choices they make.”

Her sentiments sparked many other debates in social media and television and radio talk shows, thanks to a recent comment about how Ann Romney is in no position to talk about economic struggle (being a stay-at-home mom). However, this issue has also served to unite both parties, albeit briefly, about the difficulty of raising a family. To quote White House press secretary Jay Carney:

“We can all agree, Democrats and Republicans, that raising children is an extremely difficult job, and that is true for all mothers as well as fathers.”

Mom with kids, Jogging with the kids—Ed Yourdon (Flickr.com)

One thing is clear about the remaks about and by Ann Romney, as well as the other women members of the presidential campaign trail: women are clearly important in this election, and in past and future ones, as well.