Politics
How to pick your disad
1. Link Debate – certain affs just go a certain way. Gotta win
that. In my mind, need to win its unpopular or get another
disad.
2. uniqueness debate – Based on the literature. In my mind,
this is using the literature to find agenda items that will pass.
3. Impact scenarios – external & internal.
4. Versus K affs – pick based on the impact – not even the
uniqueness. Just a passable card.
Putting together the 1nc
1. uniqueness card that tells a story – mentions
capital. I like disads with a uniq & pc key card
2. read as specific a link as possible
-prevents the link turns from mattering.
-helps with a net benefit to the counterplan
3. read an external impact early. Turn the case not
necessary.
2nc/1nr 1.0
overview
-do not explain the story
-do impact the external argument – read terminal
impact cards where possible. Ochs, Bostrom, 1%
Warming, etc.
-do read an impact to access as much as possible
-do read additional external impacts if they have
good defense
-do NOT read something that impact turning is
possible/probable.
2nc/1nr 1.1
uniqueness • -have to win it. This is where you have to invest your time
b/c judges will be calling for cards.
• -focus on evidence that cites obama’s capital as the reason
it will pass first.
• -reading quantity is good but focus on a diversity of
warrants.
• -read the aff’s evidence – try and have specific answers
regularly – read those where necessary.
• -handle uniqueness overwhelms the link well. Know your
judge. Means a risk
• -look for and lie about these things: vote count,
momentum, insiders
2nc/1nr 1.2
Link Debate • -read new links if necessary.
• -read link uniqueness to go your way
• -read old school theory cards to indict their
link
• -explain why their link turns don’t apply to
your scenario
2nc/1nr 1.3
Handeling Theory Arguments
• - Have blocks that are short and to the point – do
not waste time.
• - be prepared to debate “politics disads good”
• - intrinsicness – Wake Forest people vs MSU
people
• - Vote no
• - bottom of the docket
• - magic wand
2nc/1nr 1.4
Impact Debate – not an impact turn
• -External – explained in the overview section
• -Access as much as possible - heg, economy
are your friends.
• -It is difficult on this topic to go for politics vs
case. Very very difficult
• -if it access everything and you kick it – it
screws up everyone’s impact in the debate.
2nc/1nr 1.5
Impact Debate – an impact turn
• -Focus on one that you can impact terminally
• -Access all of their terminal impacts wherever
possible
• -focus on uniqueness to their impact turns
2nr on Politics
2nr on Politics
• -How much of the case do you solve/how much of the case
do they win?
• If the case is big focus on the magnitude of the impact
• If the case is minimal focus on the link and uniqueness.
• -If you have played your cards right you should be okay on
the impact
• -have a 2nr extension of the uniqueness ev written out
before the debate
• -talk about specific link warrants as tied to the bill. Not
“political capital.”
• -Think about it in a macro world. Immigration v Cuba
FAQ
Questions Asked
• How do I make politics in the 1nr more viable
versus big affs?
• Is it a net benefit to something less unpopular?
Yes – have to win that spin. Its about the risk of
losing the vote.
• Should you go for it with case or not?
Answering Politics
2ar
• 1. You should have read the cards up till then – where are they the
weakest.
• 2. have specific link turns you are ready to talk about at all times.
Talk about what it means to win some or all of the link debate for
the risk of the disad
• 3. impact defense.
• 4. make an assessment on uniqueness – can I decrease the risk –
talk about what it means to win a chunk of uniqueness.
• 5. don’t be pscyhophrenic
• 6. you will be behind on uniq & impact debate against good politics
teams. You should be ahead on the link debate and internal link
debate.
1ar
1. Have a strategy!
• -do I want to straight turn
• - am I extending impact defense to everything
2. extend lots of stuff
3. Things to consider while answering it in the 1ar
• - is there value to argument uniqueness overwhelms the link – if the warrant for passage isn’t
connected to the link.
• NEVER as a uniqueness argument but as an indict to the link to the disad.
• NEVER in the 2ac
• Are your non-uniques related to the link argument
• -did we sandbag good uniqueness evidence to read
4. If you are straight turning – Uniqueness focusing on warrants, multiple link turns, explain specific to
scenario.
5. If you are not straight turning – impact defense, internal link defense, specific link turns, a few theory
arguments. Quality and then quantity
2ac 1.0
1. Screwing with the neg block
• -great variety of answers
• -do not read cards that make the same argument
• -theory, theory, theory
• -impact defense on their impact evidence
• -read internal link take-outs. Usually the weakest
part of the disad
• -feel free to sand-bag good uniqueness cards.
• -link uniqueness in the 2ac
• -thumpers
2ac 1.1
Strategic 2ac inclusions
• -winners-win link turn – always
• - multiple link turns specific to the aff
• -link uniqueness
• -thumpers
2ac 1.2
Other strategic inclusions
• -impact turns to the bill
• -theory arguments.
• -prez not involved
• Capital doesn’t trade-off
2ac 1.3
Consider the net benefit
• -don’t read answers the cp sucks up. Be able
to read that the difference isn’t popular
• -counterplan is unpopular – be prepared to
look through backfiles/analytical arguments.
Researching Politics
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Search the week before – Obama congress – to create a list of disads
make friends to find out what other disads are being read
a. college friends
b. camp friends from across the country
c. use cross-x and files to purchase indexes to find out what will be read
create your list of all possible disads and start researching
a. uniqueness both ways
b. mpx defense to most – unless uniqueness is overwhelming in a particular way you don’t need
c. IL answers to the impact you want to read
Once you decide uniqueness is one sided pick a disad based on that – all good debaters know this
a. Brute force strategy for researching politics
i. type title into google news & lexis-nexis and read EVERY article
ii. copy articles into WORD and change key words to bold to improve processing speed
b. finesse strategy for researching politics
i. refine your searches to make sure you cover everything that is in the lit
ii. cut enough articles to guarantee uniqueness – if you can’t guarantee – keep working
c. things you do regardless of your strategy
i. make a list of the non-unique warrants – cut/write answers for the block
ii. make sure Obama is key to the passage – research this including phrases like “political capital”
Researching Politics
5. impact research
• a. if you are aff don’t impact turn – research link turns & have uniqueness
• b. make sure you have a big external and internal impact scenarios
• c. be prepared for mpx turns before you read a disad
• d. go old school to look for new and varied mpx
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i. think tanks discuss proposed bills in congress
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ii. congressional testimony is great for economy internal links
6. Link uniqueness file – research these for the aff & Neg
• a. PC – yes/no
• b. congress likes each other – doesn’t like each other
• c. Obama getting wins now – Obama losing now
• d. Bipart now / Partisan now
• e. Obama making concessions now – no concessions now
• f. obama popular / unpopular
7. Have a solid internal link file
• a. produced one at most camps so they are online
• b. research what is key to the agenda at the start of each semester to improve your link arguments
• c. use old school cards to support your updated link & uniqueness arguments