Ehrlich-Quinn,+Reid

Reid Ehrlich-Quinn Damien 2010

I debated for four years at Damien, and I've judged about 20 rounds on this topic.

I find the most common problem in debates to be debaters trying to win with too many arguments. The best and cleanest wins happen when a debater organizes the debate, points out what matters and what doesn't, explains why they win the arguments that matter, and names the few pieces of evidence that support those arguments. Speeches that don't do those things generally don't win debates, and at the very least work against you.

Clarity is really, really important. Comparisons between impacts win debates, not "heg is the biggest impact because it solves nuclear war." Specific strategies make for better and more entertaining debates. Read em But don’t change your strategy because you see my name on the ballot. I will reward hard work and smarts, but those things tend to win debates regardless of who is judging.