Congressional Debate

I think successful congressional debate really requires attention to the roleplaying purpose of the activity: what is the purpose of the debate, who is the intended audience, and what register of language should be used? Although congressional debate is a debate activity, the intended audience is other legislators as well as the American public. Using debate-oriented terminology without context excludes individuals without that background knowledge and shifts the focus from roleplaying to something akin to PF or policy debate. Likewise, speaking skills matter: the best speeches will feature high quality content delivered in a clear, engaging voice with physical presence. Remember, too, that the goal is to solve problems and not necessarily to decimate your opponent.

So what makes high quality content? Clear structure, clear support, citations. Sometimes it's helpful to nitpick details of a bill and use a heavy research-based approach, whereas other bills or portions of the debate will benefit from a more 10,000 foot view of the issue.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Personal Background: I debated four years in Wisconsin. I competed at NCFLs and NSDAs 4 times each. Most of my experience is in PF, Congress, and extemp but I have some experience with other events.

Include me on Email Chains please: rspors25@gmail.com

The vast majority of the rounds I have judged this year are policy rounds. That being said, don't spread in front of me. If you are spreading, share a speech doc, but just please don't. If you are running a K, T, or CP, you better be ready to explain it well (For example if you are running a T don't just rattle off the tags Education, Time abuse etc. Explain these arguments to me well). I tend to prefer 1 or 2 well reasoned arguments over 15 tags with no links or warrants.

TLDR: Have good ethics, Trust the Flow, Don't be a jerk.

Policy:

If you have received a blast and I am your policy judge, please know my experience is in PF/LD in a very traditional district. A fairly low level of Speed is okay but if I can't hear you I can't flow you. I will keep a flow and I will vote on the flow. If you are running a theory or a K it will take work to convince me but I am not against these types of arguments. Topicality or Framework arguments are things I am far more familiar with and I also tend to find them more relevant to the round than other theory arguments. In essence, convince me that your plan would work, and is the best solution. If you are the neg, Convince me they are wrong.

PF: Constructive: Speed is fine as long as you are clear. If you are unclear I will stop flowing and if it isn't on my flow it isn't on my ballot. I competed in a very traditional district so that is what I am most familiar with. If you are running some sort of progressive debate, make it a strong case. I think progressive arguments are overused in PF. If you are running something weird, explain it well and convince me. I think debate is ultimately an event based in convincing your opponents and judge. Convince me your argument isn't so weird.

Rebuttal: I want a line by line. 2nd rebuttal should include responses to 1st rebuttal otherwise it is dropped. That being said, don't be toxic and attempt to spread people out of rounds by arguing you should win the round based on a dropped third subpoint on your sixth response to their observation. Win the round via solid argumentation not some trick.

Summary: Summary is the hardest speech in a round. As a general rule, if something isn't in your summary it better not be in your final focus. Summary is a speech for crystalizing your arguments into something that can be used in your final focus and weighing. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WEIGH. If you don't weigh, you make me weigh. You will be sad because I may not weigh your voters favorably, I will be sad because you made me do more work. Don't make everyone sad. Weigh! Also don't just say "we win on timeframe and scope and yada yada yada" I can do that. Tell me why, under the established framework you are winning in a way that means you must win the round. If you want to use all those fancy weighing words, don't just shout the buzzwords at me. Tell me why I should be deciding the round in terms of timeframe, magnitude etc.

Final Focus: Give me the voters. Tell me why you're winning the important points of the round and tell me why that means you're winning the round. The final focus is not "Rebuttal: Reprise" (nor is the summary for that matter). Please do not just word vomit every card your side read the whole round. Tell me why you won.

LD:

Values and Criterions are important. Treat them like they are important. Whichever value wins out is how I am going to weigh the round. Make your arguments in terms of the values and weigh under the criteria.

Lincoln Douglas is a debate of values and morals. Keep that in mind.

Progressive debate is fine just make it make sense.

Everything I said above about speed, argumentation and weighing remains true for LD.

Congress:

1. This event is called congressional DEBATE, not congressional speech giving. Use your speech times to advance an argument, to directly clash with other speakers, and to persuade the audience to your side. That being said while I do want a well-reasoned debate, you are also essentially cosplaying as senators so there is some room for theatrics and if done well, this can add to your speech. A boring speech is not very persuasive.
2. SPEED! Speed does not belong in this event whatsoever. You are senators persuading the body to vote one way or another on a bill not policy debaters.
3. I would rather you give no speech at all than a repetitive, pre-written speech that takes time from other debaters who want to bring up new points.
4. Questioning periods, points, and motions weigh heavily on my ballot. Use these to your advantage. Answering questions well is HUGE for me. Effective use of parli pro is impressive to see, but incorrect use is a big disadvantage.
5. I will rank the PO as we are instructed to do. If you are an excellent PO you are likely in the running for the top spot in my rankings. If you are a poor PO you will likely find yourself near the bottom. Being a good PO is about running a fair and efficient chamber. I want that chamber to run like a well oiled machine.
6. Evidence, Follow the same ethics and evidence things I have stated below.

General Things for Everyone:

The Flow: In this round the flow is going to be king. If I can't understand you I can't flow you and if it isn't on my flow it isn't on my ballot.

Critique: I will disclose if they let me. I will give a oral critique if they let me. Everything will be on the ballot. I know how valuable that feedback is to coaches and competitors alike. If you are unhappy with my oral critique, look to my ballot for more information. If you have any questions, ask them. I am more than happy to give more advice/feedback. If you are just postrounding trying to argue about my decision. Don't, that's annoying.

Evidence Ethics:IMPORTANT There is nothing that irritates me more than shoddy evidence standards. This is an educational activity and if there is a card to which the content is in question it is possible I will call for said card. Be prepared. I want to be included in your email chains (rspors25@gmail.com).

Cross: Don't be abusive. Be assertive. I think cross is one of the most informative parts of a debate round. I will be actively listening but not actively flowing. If something is conceded in cross, it is conceded. That being said, it still needs to be brought up in speeches to make my ballot. If something important happens during cross, explicitly tell me "Judge write that down" I will but then I will expect you to elaborate in a speech.

Speaker points: I will probably be pretty generous with speaks. If you are racist, homophobic, sexist, Antisemitic, or anything else bad, expect the speaks to reflect that. Cross is a really good way to impress me and show me that you are a 30 pt speaker.

Experience:

I have judged debate on and off for about a decade now, much less in recent years than former years. Depending on the year, I focused more heavily in LD or PF. I enjoy judging both.

While not a debater myself as a student, I have professional experience debating issues and policies at a professional level. I am a former lobbyist for a state agency and have many hours of expert legislative testimony under my belt.

Judging Philosophy:

Anything can theoretically win with me, but if you are going to go to the absurd to create a case, the threshold for succeeding is much more difficult than a straightforward case. I like concrete contentions, clear rebuttals, and direct clash on issues rather than circumscribed commentary.

I believe that students should have the freedom to explore whatever viewpoints or positions that they bring to the table. I think it is inherently harmful to the activity and civil society as a whole to prescribe a set of beliefs or preferred speech. You will not see any political stickers on my judging tablet, as I want to be a neutral and welcoming judge to all students. Win the debate based on the strength of your arguments, rhetorical construction, and persuasive speaking; not by having the “right” thoughts or beliefs. That said, please be respectful to each other. Debate contentions and philosophies; do not personally attack each other.

Speaker Points:

I am primarily a forensics judge, and I bring my forensics perspective to determine speaker points. Presentation to the judge or the opponent, clear articulation, grammatically correct word usage, and an effort to deliver rather than just read your speeches all help earn extra points with me.

I can tolerate a bit of spread (rapid speaking) in delivery and generally do not factor speed into speaker points. If you are going faster than I can comprehend, I will interrupt you and request that you go slower. But if I am not requesting that you slow your speed, you may assume that I can understand what you are saying.

Logistics:

I will not request evidence or cases, as I want to be persuaded based on the verbal debate rather than deliberating over written briefs. The exception is if there is a challenge of validity that the debaters cannot resolve themselves, but even then, I am more likely determine validity based on the dialogue of the debaters than reviewing the evidence myself.