Bailey,+Eric

While I did not debate in high school or college, I have an extensive background, academically and professionally, in related fields, such as philosophy, linguistics, and computer science.

As an LD judge, I maintain the following constraints on my decision-making paradigm:
 * I make my decisions based on what transpires during the round, deliberately independent of personal interpretation and opinion. That is to say, if an obviously (to me) fallacious case is presented, but not properly refuted, my vote is likely to go to the undisputed liar. Even if your case makes no sense to me, it needs to be out-debated for me to vote against it.
 * In a sense, your job is to persuade me, so I only presume what I'm persuaded to presume, and am persuaded by the strongest links to, and impacts under, the framework established during the round.
 * I am not very experienced when it comes speed, but with proper elocution, I can handle a fairly quick pace. If your case is too fast, or your diction is difficult to understand, my flow might be off, and I may then question some of your attempted extensions. With that said, I practice a personal short-hand, and use your prep time to go back and clarify anything particularly scribbly.
 * When you make dubious claims, I'm very skeptical, but again, it's not about me, so if your opponent doesn't call you out, you can get away with it. By the same token, if your opponent makes weak or false claims, and you let them stand, it will reflect poorly on you. Unless, of course, in the context of your case, you don't need to, and briefly point that out.
 * Theoretical and meta-debates can be fascinating, but I prefer substantiated arguments and actual debates, when it comes to LD.
 * Convince me that you comprehend the cards you present, and have your own thoughts to support and defend the claims therein. It's very easy to see through your arguments when you're only regurgitating, and it's not very fun to judge. Other debaters often sense the mindless recitation and, when they effectively use it their advantage, get my ballot.