Presidential Debate Analysis
Analysis of the President Debates
There are going to be three (3) Presidential Debates and One (1) Vice-Presidential Debate. Please answer the following questions and submit a hard-copy in class by November 6, 2012. Students are required to only view one of these debates and answer the following questions. However, for students who failed to submit homework assignments on LucusConnect, you are required to view Three (3) and write your analysis on each debate.
First presidential debate: President Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney
Topic: Domestic policy
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 3
Time: 9 - 10:30 p.m. EDT
Location: University of Denver, Denver, Colo.
Moderator: Jim Lehrer, executive editor of PBS's "NewsHour"
Format: "The debate …show more content…
will focus on domestic policy and be divided into six time segments of approximately 15 minutes each on topics to be selected by the moderator and announced several weeks before the debate," according to the Commission on Presidential Debates. "The moderator will open each segment with a question, after which each candidate will have two minutes to respond. The moderator will use the balance of the time in the segment for a discussion of the topic."
Vice presidential debate: Vice President Joe Biden vs. Rep. Paul Ryan
Topic: Foreign and domestic topics
Date: Thursday, Oct. 11
Time: 9 - 10:30 p.m. EDT
Location: Centre College, Danville, Ky.
Moderator: Martha Raddatz, senior foreign affairs correspondent, ABC News
Format: "The debate will cover both foreign and domestic topics and be divided into nine time segments of approximately 10 minutes each. The moderator will ask an opening question, after which each candidate will have two minutes to respond. The moderator will use the balance of the time in the segment for a discussion of the question."
Second presidential debate: President Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney
Topic: Foreign and domestic issues
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 16
Time: 9 - 10:30 p.m. EDT
Location: Hofstra University, Hempstead, N.Y.
Moderator: Candy Crowley, chief political correspondent, CNN, and anchor, CNN's "State of the Union"
Format: "The second presidential debate will take the form of a town meeting, in which citizens will ask questions of the candidates on foreign and domestic issues. Candidates each will have two minutes to respond, and an additional minute for the moderator to facilitate a discussion. The town meeting participants will be undecided voters selected by the Gallup Organization."
Third presidential debate: President Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney
Topic: Foreign policy
Date: Monday, Oct. 22
Time: 9 - 10:30 p.m. EDT
Location: Lynn University, Boca Raton, Fla.
Moderator: Bob Schieffer, chief Washington correspondent, CBS News, and moderator, "Face the Nation"
Format: "The format for the debate will be identical to the first presidential debate and will focus on foreign policy."
Please Answer the Following Questions:
Some Questions by Joel Schwartzberg who was ranked among the top ten overall public speakers in America.
1. Did the candidates end their sentences with questions marks, or with periods?
The candidates often spoke in imperative sentences ending them with commas. The candidates used sentences ending with question marks sparingly through out the debate. Each candidate addressed their topics by briefly talking about their ideas on the subject and presented information supporting their statements.
2. Did the candidates constantly gesture, or use gestures sparingly? Where did they put their hands when not gesturing?
Both candidates communicated good overall body language and used hand gestures often. Most gesturing was used to help convey the idea being expressed by the speakers. When the candidates weren’t using gestures to communicate they let their hands rest at the podium or took notes to prepare a rebuttal while the other was speaking.
3.
Did the candidates seem afraid to pause, or did they use pausing strategically to mentally prepare strong responses or to emphasize a point
The candidates did not appear to be uneasy while pausing during their speeches. Both candidates were rushing to cover various topics in a limited time and used pauses sparingly. However, when the candidates did use pauses it was done in a strategic way so that it expresses an emphasis on what they were addressing. 4. What did the candidates do non-verbally that conveyed strength and confidence?
Both candidates used body language and eye contact with each other to show confidence. Each candidate changed their tone of voice accordingly to convey strength and emphasis on specific topics and key points in their speeches.
5. What did the candidates do non-verbally that conveyed weakness and insecurity?
Both candidates repeatedly went far over the allotted amount of time for each segment of the speech. Governor Romney showed impressions of weakness by constantly interrupting Obama during his turns to speak, and refusing to let the mediator talk by raising his voice and interrupting again also while going over time and out of …show more content…
order.
6. What made more of an impression on you: what the candidate said or how he said it? Provide an example.
The content of the message was much more important to me than the way or tone it was delivered in. Governor Romney was using emotion and the tone of his voice to connect with the audience, but Obama was able to use detailed explanations to show how he would execute his plans and ideas. Content is more important than conveyance.
7.
When the “debate” is over, consider and list what tactics worked for them.
Obama was able to address Romney’s key points and actions and explained what flaws they consisted and continued to state how he would fix the topic instead; using previous statistics and past stories of people he has met during the campaign. Governor Romney used his vocal inflections and body language to connect with the audience. He also critiqued past mistakes or fallacies in Obamas previous term and then argued how he would address the topics. Romney also critiqued president Obama for his past promises to reform the economy that he hadn’t followed through with.
8. What did you observe regarding the candidates language, was it clear and precise?
Obama used very clear language throughout the debate and provided detailed descriptions of both the problems with each topics and his plans to fix them. He provided statistics, research, and past experiences as supports and examples during his speeches.
Romney was easy to understand because he was using his voice in a clear and strategic way. Although Romney was easy to understand, he answered some of his questions with misleading or vague explanations that often led to an off-topic
subject.
9. Which candidate seemed more credible? Why so?
Barak seemed much more credible with the points that he proposed during the debate and the explanations that he used to support his ideas. He spoke in a calm tone of voice and was able to clearly convey the point of each message while managing to stay on topic. He talked about both past issues and mistakes and provided information on how we would solve those problems in the future.
10. Incorporating some aspects of what you are learning this semester in Comm 2200, what are some points of advice you would offer the candidates if you were their public speaking advisors after viewing this debate for preparation for the next one?
Both candidates did very well at the debate after speaking on various controversial topics. However, to help improve on their speeches I think it would help if each candidate were to start with an internal preview as to help stay on track. Both candidates were able to bring up various topics in each of their responses, but this multitude of topics led to the conversations getting off topic. Also, the candidates should not be able to interrupt the mediator or each other during the debate. Each candidate should be allowed to finish speaking on their topic within the given time limit of each response.
11. **Compare and contrast each candidate’s performance from the last debate you viewed? Where there improvements? Provide some examples. If not, what did you notice?
Obama had better body language and a much more emotional appeal at the next debate
Romney made improvement on waiting his turn and not interrupting Obama during his responses. Romney provided multiple internal previews and lists how he will execute his ideas in the future.
There are going to be three (3) Presidential Debates and One (1) Vice-Presidential Debate. Please answer the following questions and submit a hard-copy in class by November 6, 2012. Students are required to only view one of these debates and answer the following questions. However, for students who failed to submit homework assignments on LucusConnect, you are required to view Three (3) and write your analysis on each debate.
First presidential debate: President Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney
Topic: Domestic policy
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 3
Time: 9 - 10:30 p.m. EDT
Location: University of Denver, Denver, Colo.
Moderator: Jim Lehrer, executive editor of PBS's "NewsHour"
Format: "The debate …show more content…
will focus on domestic policy and be divided into six time segments of approximately 15 minutes each on topics to be selected by the moderator and announced several weeks before the debate," according to the Commission on Presidential Debates. "The moderator will open each segment with a question, after which each candidate will have two minutes to respond. The moderator will use the balance of the time in the segment for a discussion of the topic."
Vice presidential debate: Vice President Joe Biden vs. Rep. Paul Ryan
Topic: Foreign and domestic topics
Date: Thursday, Oct. 11
Time: 9 - 10:30 p.m. EDT
Location: Centre College, Danville, Ky.
Moderator: Martha Raddatz, senior foreign affairs correspondent, ABC News
Format: "The debate will cover both foreign and domestic topics and be divided into nine time segments of approximately 10 minutes each. The moderator will ask an opening question, after which each candidate will have two minutes to respond. The moderator will use the balance of the time in the segment for a discussion of the question."
Second presidential debate: President Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney
Topic: Foreign and domestic issues
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 16
Time: 9 - 10:30 p.m. EDT
Location: Hofstra University, Hempstead, N.Y.
Moderator: Candy Crowley, chief political correspondent, CNN, and anchor, CNN's "State of the Union"
Format: "The second presidential debate will take the form of a town meeting, in which citizens will ask questions of the candidates on foreign and domestic issues. Candidates each will have two minutes to respond, and an additional minute for the moderator to facilitate a discussion. The town meeting participants will be undecided voters selected by the Gallup Organization."
Third presidential debate: President Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney
Topic: Foreign policy
Date: Monday, Oct. 22
Time: 9 - 10:30 p.m. EDT
Location: Lynn University, Boca Raton, Fla.
Moderator: Bob Schieffer, chief Washington correspondent, CBS News, and moderator, "Face the Nation"
Format: "The format for the debate will be identical to the first presidential debate and will focus on foreign policy."
Please Answer the Following Questions:
Some Questions by Joel Schwartzberg who was ranked among the top ten overall public speakers in America.
1. Did the candidates end their sentences with questions marks, or with periods?
The candidates often spoke in imperative sentences ending them with commas. The candidates used sentences ending with question marks sparingly through out the debate. Each candidate addressed their topics by briefly talking about their ideas on the subject and presented information supporting their statements.
2. Did the candidates constantly gesture, or use gestures sparingly? Where did they put their hands when not gesturing?
Both candidates communicated good overall body language and used hand gestures often. Most gesturing was used to help convey the idea being expressed by the speakers. When the candidates weren’t using gestures to communicate they let their hands rest at the podium or took notes to prepare a rebuttal while the other was speaking.
3.
Did the candidates seem afraid to pause, or did they use pausing strategically to mentally prepare strong responses or to emphasize a point
The candidates did not appear to be uneasy while pausing during their speeches. Both candidates were rushing to cover various topics in a limited time and used pauses sparingly. However, when the candidates did use pauses it was done in a strategic way so that it expresses an emphasis on what they were addressing. 4. What did the candidates do non-verbally that conveyed strength and confidence?
Both candidates used body language and eye contact with each other to show confidence. Each candidate changed their tone of voice accordingly to convey strength and emphasis on specific topics and key points in their speeches.
5. What did the candidates do non-verbally that conveyed weakness and insecurity?
Both candidates repeatedly went far over the allotted amount of time for each segment of the speech. Governor Romney showed impressions of weakness by constantly interrupting Obama during his turns to speak, and refusing to let the mediator talk by raising his voice and interrupting again also while going over time and out of …show more content…
order.
6. What made more of an impression on you: what the candidate said or how he said it? Provide an example.
The content of the message was much more important to me than the way or tone it was delivered in. Governor Romney was using emotion and the tone of his voice to connect with the audience, but Obama was able to use detailed explanations to show how he would execute his plans and ideas. Content is more important than conveyance.
7.
When the “debate” is over, consider and list what tactics worked for them.
Obama was able to address Romney’s key points and actions and explained what flaws they consisted and continued to state how he would fix the topic instead; using previous statistics and past stories of people he has met during the campaign. Governor Romney used his vocal inflections and body language to connect with the audience. He also critiqued past mistakes or fallacies in Obamas previous term and then argued how he would address the topics. Romney also critiqued president Obama for his past promises to reform the economy that he hadn’t followed through with.
8. What did you observe regarding the candidates language, was it clear and precise?
Obama used very clear language throughout the debate and provided detailed descriptions of both the problems with each topics and his plans to fix them. He provided statistics, research, and past experiences as supports and examples during his speeches.
Romney was easy to understand because he was using his voice in a clear and strategic way. Although Romney was easy to understand, he answered some of his questions with misleading or vague explanations that often led to an off-topic
subject.
9. Which candidate seemed more credible? Why so?
Barak seemed much more credible with the points that he proposed during the debate and the explanations that he used to support his ideas. He spoke in a calm tone of voice and was able to clearly convey the point of each message while managing to stay on topic. He talked about both past issues and mistakes and provided information on how we would solve those problems in the future.
10. Incorporating some aspects of what you are learning this semester in Comm 2200, what are some points of advice you would offer the candidates if you were their public speaking advisors after viewing this debate for preparation for the next one?
Both candidates did very well at the debate after speaking on various controversial topics. However, to help improve on their speeches I think it would help if each candidate were to start with an internal preview as to help stay on track. Both candidates were able to bring up various topics in each of their responses, but this multitude of topics led to the conversations getting off topic. Also, the candidates should not be able to interrupt the mediator or each other during the debate. Each candidate should be allowed to finish speaking on their topic within the given time limit of each response.
11. **Compare and contrast each candidate’s performance from the last debate you viewed? Where there improvements? Provide some examples. If not, what did you notice?
Obama had better body language and a much more emotional appeal at the next debate
Romney made improvement on waiting his turn and not interrupting Obama during his responses. Romney provided multiple internal previews and lists how he will execute his ideas in the future.