Johnson,+Gary

Gary Johnson
affiliation: strake jesuit

I was a debate coach at Strake Jesuit College Prep in Houston from 2005-2009. I judged LD on the national circuit and in Texas a lot. In those four years, I judged over 800 rounds - most on the national circuit.

1. I prefer to hear arguments substantively engaged (if possible) rather than theory. For example, I do not want to hear 10 reasons why AFF cannot parametricize.

2. Theory: If your opponent mishandles your theory and you do a good job extending it, I will very quickly vote on it. I will tend to look somewhere else if theory isn't very clear. I will NOT try to vote on the theory debate just because someone makes a theory argument. I will vote on RVIs. I will not vote on "disclosure theory."

3. Speed: Go fast if you want. I will say "clear." I don't think ARs can go slow against good NEGs. If you insist on going slow and affirming, your odds are not very good in front of me.

4. *Extensions:* Your extension of an argument must be complete: claim, warrant, and impact. "Extend the Johansen card, which proves solvency" is NOT a sufficient extension for me. I will not vote for arguments that I think have been extended without a warrant.

5. **I vote in the clearest place possible.** I don't like to sit and think about the decision because that maximizes the possibility for intervention.

6. I don't read postmodern stuff for fun, so you need to explain your argument well from the constructive. However, I have more than a basic understanding of postmodernism/poststructuralism, so I like to hear different stuff when done well. I hate recycled Nietzsche cards. Your speaker points will suffer (23 or lower).

7. **When affirming:** I do not think AFFs can beat good NEGs unless AFF knows how to weigh arguments well. Any competent NEG will have more reasons to vote for them. AFFs need to have BETTER reasons. This is done through good weighing. Just saying you outweigh on magnitude, for example, is NOT weighing.

8. I think the value is useless. I will not flow the value, nor do I want to hear arguments about the value. You do not need a value.

Ask me questions pre-round and I will answer them.