Politics

1. Politics

2. What Is The Politics DA? • Let’s consult our friend – The Internet!! http://sdiencyclopedia.wikispaces.com/Politics

3. Politics DA’s This Season • Until November – the Midterms Elections DA is probably the ONLY viable Politics strategy. • Some people will attempt to run an Agenda/Political Capital DA, BUT Congress ain’t going to do much until the smokes clears from the Midterms.

4. Midterms DA • X party will win both houses of Congress • Plan cause Y Party (who is not winning now), to win • Y Party winning is bad, X party winning is good • All about the Senate; the GOP is going to win seats, the question is how many --Demographics --History

5. Midterms Examples • GOP wins both houses now • Plan increase Dems base turnout b/c it is popular with certain groups – Dem wins instead • Dems winning bad = GOP will pass CIR OR GOP cements the Asia Pivot OR Dems are weak on Iran/GOP would strike them • Dems hold the Senate • Plan makes GOP win the Senate • GOP winning bad --GW and EPA Regs --Other Things

6. Why/When Run Politics or Midterms? • It’s A Generic – You can make it link to anything and everything (even if you’re creative with the linkage). • Best, quantifiable, and most predictable UQ/Brink of ALL of the DA’s. • Timeframe usually jacks the AFF & the impact is HUGE – esp. if they have near-term Advantages • Technical – it’s a good argument to learn fundamental line-by-line skills and better flowing/argument techniques. • It questions the opportunity costs associated with FIAT. This means that sure you can FIAT that the plan exists, but we get to explain and paint the picture of what that process would be like AND what consequences could ensue. • This makes ZERO sense to Community/Parent/Old School/Lay Judges, so DON’T RUN IT!– YOU ARE BETTER OFF RUNNING A SPENDING DA (which we will discuss at a later time).

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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

11. 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

12. 2nc/1nr 1.3 Handling Theory Arguments • - Have blocks that are short and to the point – do not waste time. • - be prepared to debate “politics disads good” • - intrinsicness– • - Vote no • - bottom of the docket • - magic wand

13. 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 (depending on the impact) 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.

14. 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

15. 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 Plan

16. 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?

17. 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 psychophrenic • 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.

18. 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

19. 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

20. 2ac 1.1 Strategic 2ac inclusions • -winners-win link turn – always • - multiple link turns specific to the aff • -link uniqueness • -thumpers

21. 2ac 1.2 Other strategic inclusions • -impact turns to the bill • -theory arguments. • -prez not involved • Capital doesn’t trade-off

22. 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.

23. Researching Politics 1. Search the week before – Obama congress – to create a list of disads 2. 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 3. 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 4. 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”

24. 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 • i. think tanks discuss proposed bills in congress • 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