Ask Jim about Debate
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Breaking Down Barriers: Ask Jim about Debate |
You can submit questions too, just email Jim at hansonjb@whitman.edu
The first two sections are taken directly from Breaking Down Barriers: How to Debate (Version 3.0, 1996)
Punting Arguments
When an argument loses its strength in a debate-Punt It! PUNTING AN ARGUMENT MEANS TO GET RID OF IT. Punting can help you avoid talking about an issue you are losing and it can give you the time you need to cover other issues in a debate. When you punt, think through two things. First, make sure that it is something a judge wants you to do. Some judges believe you should carry all of your arguments through to the end of the debate. Do not punt in front of those judges. Second, make sure you punt the right argument. Don't drop an argument that your judge likes!
How do you punt an argument?
In some cases, you can just drop the argument. For example, if you are negative, you can sometimes just drop topicality-let it go. Other times, you should be much more careful. What if the affirmative says, "Go to the topicality argument and pull our fifth answer that says we decrease pollution. No answers to that. That directly turns the environment disadvantage-our plan helps the environment and it is conceded by the negative." Don't let that happen to you. When you punt an argument, go through all of your opponent's responses against the position and think "how can they use this argument against us?" If they can't-ignore it. If they can use it against you-respond. For example, On the topicality argument-go to their fifth response that they reduce pollution. First, do not allow them to cross-apply this to the disadvantage as they have never made that argument before. Second, they don't show reduced pollution-they just show pollution will not increase. Third, the disadvantage still shows that they increase greenhouse gases-they do harm the environment."
Punting a disadvantage with turns on it
If the affirmative presents turns against your disadvantage and you want to get out of these answers, you can do the following:
1. Read evidence against the turns. Point to your link cards also to show that the turns are false.
2. Point out that the uniqueness on the disadvantage shows the turns are "not-unique"--in other words, the present system will not increase the situation, so the turns do not stop anything bad from happening--because nothing bad will happen.
3. Use your impact card to answer impact turns. If that's not good enough--read more evidence against the turns.