Goldstein,+David

David Goldstein

Conflicts: Cypress Bay High School; Pine Crest

Reading through this philosophy before your round will be very helpful.

tl;dr version: I'm cool with mostly everything. Debate is a game. Tech>Truth. I haven't judged on this year's HS topic at all, so I don't know any of the topic-specific jargon/buzzwords. Large overviews are pointless. Prep time ends when the flash drive leaves the computer. Don't go for theory unless you have to. The team that wins framework usually wins the debate. Number your arguments in the 1NC/2AC, and respond to them accordingly.

I also agree with everything Calum Matheson says: http://judgephilosophies.wikispaces.com/Matheson%2C+Calum

Full version:

I'll do my best to evaluate any and all arguments/styles fairly. That being said, no judge can be 100% tab, so here's how I view most things

Meta-issues:

Do you. Have fun. Learn something.

All arguments are regarded as true until they are answered. There really isn't any argument that I won't listen to. If you say "genocide is good" or "slavery is good" or something clearly immoral, I'll still evaluate it and the other team is still required to answer it. That being said, "genocide good" is pretty easy to answer, and if you can't easily explain why genocide is bad, there's a pretty good chance you wouldn't be able to win the debate anyway.

The role of the judge is clearly up for debate. If one team presents makes a claim on what the role of the judge is, and the other team does not answer it, my role is whatever the first team said it was. However, if no one makes an argument as to what the role of the judge is, I usually default to policy-maker. The same goes for the ballot. If no team makes a role of the ballot argument, the ballot is a determination of whether the plan is better than the status quo or a competitive alternative.

Clipping is cheating and you will lose the debate and earn 0 speaker points. Same goes for stealing files and lying about prep time.


 * Paperless issues:**

While I fully embrace your right to read cards and files off your laptop, I prefer you flow on actual paper. I won't hold it against you if you chose to flow on your computer, but I will have no sympathy for you if your laptop crashes and you lose your flow.

All cards being read in the speech must be flashed to the other team before the speech begins. If you make a decision mid-speech to read a different card or if your partner brings you up something to read mid-speech, or you finish the 1AC with 45 seconds left and want to keep going, either flash the cards to the other team before the speech ends, or you have to use your own prep time afterward (before cross-x) to flash them the extra cards.

I already said this, but I want to emphasize it again. PREP TIME ENDS WHEN THE FLASH DRIVE LEAVES THE COMPUTER. If you say "stop prep", and the flash drive is still in your computer, I keep the prep clock going and you lose .1 speaker points.

Co-prepping is uncool. If your partner is bringing up a pre-typed couple of paragraphs for you to mindlessly read in the middle of your speech, I'll flow it, but I will not like it.

Unless the tournament rules prohibit it, feel free to use the Internet during the debate to look up stuff. However, if I find out that you are using the Internet to chat with your coach, you lose the debate and get 0 speaker points. But if you want to waste precious prep time to cut a card that you were too lazy to look for before the tournament, have at it.

If you aren't using some form of debate template on your computer, don't bother doing paperless. Verbatim is awesome.

If you and your partner are paperless, and the other team does not have a laptop, you have to provide the other team with a viewing computer. If you did not bring a viewing computer, one of your computers will have to be loaned to them.

Delete the other team's speech docs after the debate. Otherwise, you're stealing. Stealing is wrong.

Style/Performance:

While I'm definitely more comfortable judging "traditional"-style debates, I can be somewhat versatile. If you think that the best way to convey your arguments is through hip-hop, or reading narratives, or poetry, I'm not going to hold that against you. Just be prepared to defend your form as well as your content.

Speed is a double-edged sword. I can understand any speed, but I cannot understand you if you're unclear. If I cannot understand you, I will say "clear" once. If later on in that speech, I still cannot understand you, I put my pen down and stop flowing until you get the hint.

When it comes to theory/topicality/framework, you've got to slow down a bit. If you want me to get the nuance of your conditionality argument, I've got to be able to hear what you're saying.

Cross-x:

Cross-x is a speech. I will flow it, and it matters. Every cross-x has a winner and a loser.

If you say "cross-x was embarrassing on this question" or some variant, you are probably making a fool of yourself. Cross-x is rarely embarrassing, and if it is, I already know that it was embarrassing.

Cross-x is a time for questions, not arguments. "You don't solve" is not a question. If you have an argument, you've got an 8 minute speech coming up that is perfect for it. Instead, use the cross-x to set up future arguments.

If you don't reference cross-x every speech after the 1AC, you probably didn't do the cross-x correctly.

Cross-x is binding unless I am told otherwise.

Topicality/Theory/framework:

Evidence is good. If you have evidence for why breadth is better than depth in education, it'll take you far.

Reasonability is stupid. Like, really really stupid.

I view topicality the same way I view a counterplan debate. You have to win that your definition solves the standards, and you need a net benefit to your interpretation.

If you go for T in the 2NR and you DON'T spend 5 minutes on it, you will probably lose the debate.

I generally think that underlimiting is better than overlimiting, but I can be persuaded otherwise

An interpretation is not "abusive". It is "unfair" maybe. It could be "bad for debate". But it is not "abusive". Unless other team literally punched you during your speech, they did not abuse you.

I can go either way on conditionality. It's hard for me to vote against 1 K and 1 CP unless they are fiercely incompatible (e.g. Borders K + States CP or Cap K + Privatization CP). Multiple PICs are probably bad. Multi-plank conditionality is probably bad. More than 4 advocacies is almost definitely bad (but I can be persuaded otherwise).

2AC theory violations must have an interpretation (e.g. "They get 1 conditional advocacy").

If the 2AC rockets through 10 theory arguments and then the 1AR blows up on 1 small "independent voting issue" from 1 of the shells, you lose your ethos.

The team that wins framework most likely wins the debate.

I'm very biased against framework arguments that go something like this: "Your aff doesn't have a plan text and I don't understand how to answer Ks so you should lose because it's unfair or something." Learn anthro.

Counterplans:

I will not kick the counterplan for you. If you go for it in the 2nr, the only relevant comparison in the debate is between the counterplan and the plan. You don't get to also weigh the status quo against the plan as well. While it may be "logical" to consider the status quo, since the debate is a referendum on the plan's desirability, forcing the 2AR to defend against two possible alternatives to the plan (ie the cp and the squo) makes for bad debate. Also saying something is "logical" does not mean it's fair. It's logical for the plan to change halfway through the debate in order to avoid to the link to a disad, because that's how politics works, that doesn't make it fair.

Since you seem to have read pretty far into my philosophy, kudos. Here's your prize for reading this far: If you want an automatic .5 added to your speaker point total, use the word "sassafras" in one of your speeches. It will prove to me that you are a dedicated debater and know that it's always a good idea to research the judge before the debate. Now, back to other stuff.

There is a debate as to what types of counterplans are acceptable. I generally believe counterplans such as consult, conditions, recommendations, plan contingent counterplans or counterplans that compete off of certainty and immediacy are not competitive. I can be persuaded otherwise.

Spitting out as many generic perms as you can in 30 seconds is a bad move. If you throw out 10 perms in a row without any cards, I will not be able to flow them all. I will write down "fuckload of perms".

Kritiks:

Don't assume I'm familiar with all of your literature. I'm familiar with most Ks, but if you're reading something WAY out of left field, just throwing out a pile of cards and assuming I'm an expert in your author will not bode well for you.

Floating PIKs are bad unless you mention (before the 2NR) that it's a floating PIK

If you don't understand your own literature, you will be punished both by your opponent and by me

Don't read some crazy rare K just to throw off your opponent. But, if you actually just LOVE Bataille, you do you.

I prefer a lot of impact comparison on k vs. plan debates.

Long-ass overviews are only acceptable if you're making actual arguments. Re-explaining something you said in your last speech will not earn you a ballot.

I could go on, but I'm far too lazy to write any more. If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask me before the round.