There are three presidential debates and one vice-presidential debate, important (if flawed) events in this pivotal presidential election. You've set aside the 90 minutes needed to watch John McCain and Barack Obama interact with citizens in the Town Hall debate, but now what? Learn what each candidate is trying to accomplish and put together your own scorecard to determine the winner.
Attitude: Engaging or Defensive?
Terry J Alcorn / Photodisc
There's a great book for persuasive speakers, You've Got To Be Believed To Be Heard. That's true for salesmen, and it's true for politicians. If there are inconsistencies in a message, we believe "our eyes"--after all neural pathways from the eyes to the brain are 25 times more dense than from our ears.
Our eyes take in a lot of information, information relating to how comfortable the candidate appears to be: is he smiling (not the fake smile that doesn't reach to the eyes); does he use gestures or does he have a death grip on the podium? Is he energetic, enthusiastic?
Then there's how well he takes a punch. In TV debates, punches aren't literal, they're rhetorical. Does he snap back and show anger, or is he calm and collected?
Our eyes take in a lot of information, information relating to how comfortable the candidate appears to be: is he smiling (not the fake smile that doesn't reach to the eyes); does he use gestures or does he have a death grip on the podium? Is he energetic, enthusiastic?
Then there's how well he takes a punch. In TV debates, punches aren't literal, they're rhetorical. Does he snap back and show anger, or is he calm and collected?
Q&A: Answer, Spin or Gaffe?
The format is this: Tom Brokaw will moderate the questions, which are supposed to come from people attending the Town Hall meeting in Tennessee as well as people asking questions online.
Be sure to have a piece of paper or an open word processing program... and make a note if a candidate actually answers the question asked. Usually, given that they have only two (2) minutes, candidates will "bridge" (a nicer way to say "spin") to a pre-rehearsed answer, otherwise known as a soundbite.
Speaking of the answer, do you feel like the candidate is talking at you, down to you, or with you? That's important. And watch for the YouTube moment, the gaffe.
Be sure to have a piece of paper or an open word processing program... and make a note if a candidate actually answers the question asked. Usually, given that they have only two (2) minutes, candidates will "bridge" (a nicer way to say "spin") to a pre-rehearsed answer, otherwise known as a soundbite.
Speaking of the answer, do you feel like the candidate is talking at you, down to you, or with you? That's important. And watch for the YouTube moment, the gaffe.