DeMaret,+Paul

I'm a real world policy maker judge. I will entertain arguments for other frameworks if they're strongly warranted and well articulated, but I strongly prefer to view debate as a training ground for evaluating policies in the real world. With this in mind, here's how I stand on several issues:

D/As - I'm unswayed by generics, and readily accept no-link or no-internals arguments if the story isn't plausible. Thus, don't expect to win simply because you have outrageous impacts. I'm much more swayed by stories that are plausible.

CPs - I'm more interested in the story than the procedurals. Does the CP make for a better world than the Plan? Persuade me so.

Kritiks - Unlikely to listen unless the impact on the real world is evident and compelling--though I will definitely listen to arguments regarding how Plan impacts/entrenches/catalyzes mindsets that are ideologically destructive. As for K on Aff? There's too much good ground here for Aff arguments, so I'm extremely unlikely to vote your critical Aff up.

T -If Aff's not topical, make the argument. If they are topical, and you run/kick it, you hurt your ethos. I think ethos matters.

Speed - I care about warrants and persuasion. Both are diminished by too much speed--and I tend to suspect speed as an attempt to cover for a lack of warrants in the cards. If your evidence is good, slow down and let me hear that it's good.

I think policy debate provides an ideal platform for training people to evaluate the value of proposed government actions. In the process, it is unparalleled in how it teaches critical thinking that matters in a democracy. I don't like debate that trivializes the power of policy debate to do this by privileging specialized discourse (jargon) and discursive practices (speed) that have little or no value outside of a debate round and which dis-enfranchise many debaters through its linguistic exclusivity. If you want my ballot, treat me like a citizen who cares about whether Plan makes the world a better place, and speak to me accordingly.