Debate Strategies

[Greg Bernhardt]

I taking a debate class and we have a practice debate next week. Our professor really hasn't told any strategies on debating. I am the first cross examiner for the negative side. The affirmative wants to ban animal testing. What are the things I need to accomplish as the first negative cross examiner? Also misc debating strategies or tips.

[iansmith]

For debates, I would try to prepare a list of arguments and points that the other side would come up with and I would prepare responce to these arguments.

[Mr. Robin Parsons]

Originally posted by Greg Bernhardt
I taking a debate class and we have a practice debate next week. Our professor really hasn't told any strategies on debating. I am the first cross examiner for the negative side. The affirmative wants to ban animal testing. What are the things I need to accomplish as the first negative cross examiner? Also misc debating strategies or tips.
A bit like law I suppose, if you can't win on the facts, argue the law, if you can't win on the law, argue the facts, do whatever you can to make them look like they haven't a clue what they are talking about, and YOU do!!

Listen to what they say!

remember, "what you see in others is really what is true arising from within you!" apply that to the manner of their arguement.

[jcsd]

If things aren't going well, resort to violence; go for the gentalia and always remember to follow your punch through with your elbow.

[Mattius_]

what kind of debate? Ted Turner is best represented on Cnn's show 'crossfire' where there are aff 1, aff 2, neg 1, and neg 2...

But then there is lincoln-douglass debate, which is best represented in the way bills are passed in congress...

I would say watching c-span or crossfire, dependent upon which style of debate your going into, would be a good way to start.

[Greg Bernhardt]

Here is the structure:

1st affirmative
1st negative cross exam - here I am!

1st negative
1st affirmative cross exam

2st affirmative
2st negative cross exam

2st negative
2st affirmative cross exam

[dduardo]

You have to explain that humans are animals, and to ban animal testing means that you ban doctors from testing their patients for diseases, etc.

Woohoo, what a good arguement!

[Mattius_]

It sounds like lincoln-douglas debate... I would definately take all of the ideas we had from the animal testing thread...

The key part of a debate, is to put the other person in a position which they have to compromise...

Get one or two facts that you keep harping on, and that they cant defend without coming off cruel... They will dodge that critical fact you throw at them alot, but keep harping on it and they will lose...

Make sure to be a demagogue, appeal to the audiences emotions, give morbid examples and then ask how they can justify carrying out these morbid examples.

Research jane goodall, she is an excellent source against animal testing.

[Adrian Baker]

Ask how many animal rights activists when having a heart attack ask for 'no drug tested on animals please'.

Also, what do many of these people do when their house is overun with rats, cockroaches or similar? Read them their rights????

Pah!

[Greg Bernhardt]

Originally posted by Mattius_
It sounds like lincoln-douglas debate... I would definately take all of the ideas we had from the animal testing thread...

The key part of a debate, is to put the other person in a position which they have to compromise...

Get one or two facts that you keep harping on, and that they cant defend without coming off cruel... They will dodge that critical fact you throw at them alot, but keep harping on it and they will lose...

Make sure to be a demagogue, appeal to the audiences emotions, give morbid examples and then ask how they can justify carrying out these morbid examples.

Research jane goodall, she is an excellent source against animal testing.

Good tips, but I am pro animal testing in this debate. The affirmative wants to ban, I am negative.

[phoenixthoth]

start such a debate on a forum where it might get you the best arguments. or perhaps two sites each which would predictably lean towards one side on average.

then observe the arguments used for and against. it will help you know what to use and what not to use and it may tell you what they might say. you can even try out your arguments and see what the response is.

[Mattius_]

Good tips, but I am pro animal testing in this debate. The affirmative wants to ban, I am negative.

Doh!

in that case, point out past diseases which have been cured through animal testing(im sure you can credit a few.) and then ask the opposition if they feel comfortable with the fact that millions of children with cancer are waiting for a cure, but will not get one without animal testing... Get a specific cancer case in which a child was saved by a new drug, and has since live a meaningful life... Make sure to throw the fact that without animals testing, little timmy would be long gone... Ask them to justify little timmy's death, specifically... Ask them if they could personally say to little timmy's face that animal testing is wrong.

Check on a drug called 'Ukraine', It heats up a cancerous tumor to 109 degrees thereby burning the cancer away... I know numerous lives have been saved with that treament... I am confident that Ukraine has undergone animal testing...

Also check on how many lives chemotherapy has saved...