POLITICS

1. POLITICS KENDALL KAUT

2. Why we Need to understand the DA • Links to nearly everything • Key reason most affirmatives do not occur • Easy net benefit to many CP’s • Great impacts and can turn case • Important to be able to answer

3. 1nc • Uniqueness • Internal link- example: pc key, Boehner key, bipartisanship key • Link • Impact

4. Uniqueness • Reason an issue will or will not pass • Many Components of issue specific uniqueness • Recency • Author qualifications • Predictive • Answer a frequently read card

5. Things to consider in uniqueness • Top of the agenda • Uniqueness Overwhelms the link • How it squares with your link arguments(Important again for making sure uniqueness doesn’t overwhelm the link). • MOST IMPORTANT: HOW LIKELY IS IT THAT I CAN WIN UNIQUENESS WILL GO MY DIRECTION.

6. Different types of internal links • Political Capital • Speaker of the House’s Political Capital • Public Popularity • Bipartisanship/Partisanship • Olive Branch- Almost never read anymore • Lobbies • Particular Senator or Group of Representatives is key

7. Choosing an Internal Link • Need to consider three things when deciding on an internal link: • Is the internal Link unique? Example: Does Obama have Political Capital Now? Is there Bipartisanship now? • Is the internal link something I can win is actually important for effecting passage? Example: Can I win Obama’s Political Capital actually is important for passage of immigration reform? • Is the internal link something I can win link arguments for? Example: If your reading political capital key, can you win the plan will drain the President’s Political Capital?

8. Internal Link Truth(meta) *Internal Links need to be won on two levels: A Truth in the abstract- Example: political capital is supported in Political Science Literature B Truth for the issue at hand- Example: Even if political capital can be important to the agenda, does it matter for immigration? *Use one to help you with the weakness of the other

9. Thumpers/Pounders/link takeouts • Defintion- An argument that something will occur that will trigger the internal link inevitably, which would then cause the impact to the disad to not occur. • Example: The Vote on immigration reform will occur in August. In July there will be a committee on Benghazi that will take out Obama’s capital. Or There will be a budget debate which will drain Obama’s capital. • Two arguments to make in response: • A The Disad Issue is top of the agenda- IE Immigration vote before everything • B The Thumper’s Don’t Trigger the Disad- You must cut cards answering all of them.

10. Links • Link must be specific to why it would trigger the Internal Link Example: Link- Removing the Embargo causes Congressional Backlash. The Internal Link is that Political Capital is key. • Consider Links with other strategies in debate- Make sure the link is not generic enough to be thumped. Example: If the link is the GOP hates Spending you’re gonna have a bad team if someone thumps you.

11. Impacts • Read an external impact in 1nc • Make your impact something easy to go for in the 2NR. Don’t read a throwaway hoping to not get impact turned • Look for Impacts in a variety of places including the CBO.

12. 2AC • Begin by asking a few questions: • A What part of the Disad is the biggest lie/least true? • B Where am I comfortable being at the end of the debate? • C How likely is this team to go for politics?

13. Parts of a 2ac • Make sure smart true arguments get out. Example: PC Not Key to immigration is more important than read a 2nd no pass card. • Don’t read repetitive Cards- Don’t need to say Border security means immigration won’t pass 3 different times. • Be Careful Just straight turning • Contest each link argument- Not enough usually just to link turn • Offense On Politics is good but understand if your offense is a total lie, your case will be your offense in the 2AR

14. 2AC Continued • Thumpers are almost always good • Almost always read Defense to the Scenario and terminal impact defense • You need to win both uniqueness and the link goes in the opposite direction to win link turns. • Impact turning is dangerous and often means you’re going to lose

15. 2NC/1NR • Make the decision on several fronts: • A What are my 2NR Options? • B How do I feel about each of us taking politics? • C Is Getting Cross-xed about the issue make a difference? • D Will extra 1NR Prep time make a difference?

16. 2NC/1NR Overview • Begin by giving an overview that deals with your impact and turns case • Need more turns case arguments if case arguments are weak

17. Block Generic Thoughts • Asses after the 2AC what argument are you most likely to lose on? • What argument has the 2AC made that you can blow off?

18. Answering uniqueness • Respond to the warrant the 1NC has made for not passing every time • Read a wall of cards in response- Again how likely is it they can win not pass • Be careful about uniqueness overwhelms the link

19. A2: Political Capital Not Key(Meta) • Requires the reading of cards from Political Scientists- there are several common cards • Need to always read a card or two on this • Again play up that it is true in the case of the Disad • Have blocks made to common authors • Dickinson, Edwards, Hirsh, Klein

20. A2: Winners Win • Winners Win- Argument that winning(getting something done A Plan is Not a Win B Winners Don’t Win I Presidential Perception- Beckman and Kumar ‘11 II Not true- Capital is finite C Link Comes First Generally want to read 2 cards on winners win but sometimes 1 good card is enough. Always need to read a card in response.

21. A2: Political Capital not key to issue at hand • Play up that if it is important to all of the agenda then it matters here • Read many other cards on this if possible • Explain reasons it might matter that take into account the warrant of their evidence • Example: Hirsh evidence says it is irrelevant to immigration because the GOP will vote for it because they don’t want to lose election, but if they think Obama is weak it ruins the chances they consider the importance of Latinos for future elections.

22. Link Debate • Read link defense to their Link Turns if at all possible • Read new link scenarios in the 2NC But be careful about a few things: A Could they thump the scenario- Example: If you read partisanship or spending links? B Might they win that the new link scenario goes the other way- Example: Even if the plan

23. Impact Debate • IF they read defense to your scenario read a new impact but also read extensions for your original impact • IF they did not read defense to your scenario, almost never read a new scenario- it opens the 1AR up to impact turning • If you can’t make turns case arguments it can be worthwhile to read new impacts but be so so careful

24. 1AR Mindset • Important to ask yourself three questions • A Where am I in the debate with my aff? • B Can I win a few untrue arguments by teching out? • C Can I win the truer arguments in the time I will have on the politics DA?

25. 1AR strategy • As Always- A few well developed arguments beats a multitude of bad arguments. • Decide to dig in and answer cards that are read on their arguments • Always answer turns case arguments • Almost always read impact defense to new impacts read

26. Extending Uniqueness • The 1AR should reference every argument the Block has made for why it will pass • If you contest uniqueness in the 1AR you should almost always read some new cards

27. Uniqueness overwhelms the link • This argument can be difficult to win but is definitely possible • If you go for this you should reference every card made for why it will pass • You should also contest every reason the internal link is key- you must contest this

28. Political Capital not key to issue • Argument can be best when tagged in with uniqueness overwhelms the link • You have to reference all of their evidence for why it’s key and indict those cards by cite in the 1AR if going for this.

29. Political capital is a lie • Should be very deep on a few authors and ready to spring: Hirsh, Dickinson, Edwards • Write blocks to common answers people make to these cards • Use these authors to answer the spin offs people make for capital key: Example: Gets agenda space

30. Winners win Should read the Hirsh card in the 2AC Again block common arguments: Capital finite, Wins take too long, Obama believes it is finite Usually not the best argument if debated well by both sides

31. 2NR • Consider framing issues on parts of the debate- Why are you ahead on uniqueness? • In close debates frame is the link or uniqueness more important for determining the disadvantage. • Be ready to read new cards if the block is weak on a subject the 1AR has read cards on. • Answer every new card specifically

32. 2AR • Be willing radically condense • New 2NR impact calculus justifies new 2AR impact calculus • Like the 2NR, the 2AR must frame parts of the debate: We are ahead on uniqueness or behind on uniqueness

33. Theory • Logical Policymaker could do both- Intrinsicness • Fiat takes out the link- two variations • Vote no • Politics DA’s are bad

34. Answering theory • Give as much respect to theory arguments as the 2AC justified giving them. • Have blocks written to all of the theory arguments on the previous page.

35. What Politics DA should I choose? • Start with something that seems likely to pass and is high on the agenda or if reading Obama bad something high on the agenda unlikely to pass. • Needs to have terminal impacts though- example: Gun Control • Can I win an internal link scenario

36. Researching for the neg • Need to be familiar with all of the common arguments you will hear • Write blocks to every argument for parts you will hear • Have answers to all the thumpers that are in the news • IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE LITERATURE- Good Cites- Realclearpolitics, Politico, CQ Weekly, the Hill, First Thoughts, Roll Call, Wonk Blog, fivethirtyeight, The Corner, Kevin Drum

37. Researching for the aff • If you are not your team’s politics person you should make an attempt to become familiar with the uniqueness for the major Disad you will hear that week. • Have thumpers ready • Have blocks to all the likely Politics Link Scenarios • Have impact defense to common scenarios

38. Debating K teams when neg • Have cards ready that justify the Politics DA • Be ready to explain why it’s a valuable test • Read an impact less likely to be kritiked • If you know the K team has done zero policy research, read a scenario that has a very K friendly impact.

39. Reading Politics with a CP • Have links that are as specific as possible to the plan • Frame- Why should something that might link slightly less be preferred?

40. I’m Aff and I have no answers to their Politics DA • Thump it • Impact defense • Add ons • You can also impact turn but again be careful

41. I’m neg and can’t make my disad link • Have links ready at generic to increasingly specific levels • Have links ready to the President, Congress and agencies.