Presidential Election 2004:
Debating the Debaters

by Alan Shapiro

To the Teacher:

The three presidential debates are scheduled for September 30 (foreign policy), October 8 (foreign policy and domestic policy), and October 13 (domestic policy). The one vice presidential debate (on foreign and domestic policy) is scheduled for October 5.

Below are a number of questions that students might be asked to consider as they watch any of the debates. The questions pay no attention to style, rhetorical skill, or image but rather aim to have students think about which candidate would make the better president and why.

Assign each student one or two of the questions below and ask them to take detailed notes addressing the question during the debate.

In class afterwards, discuss students' observations using one of the techniques below.

Pairs Discussion:

• Have students break into pairs. Give each pair five minutes to discuss their responses to the questions they were assigned.
• Invite each pair to report their agreements and disagreements to the class.
  
  

Small-Group Discussion:

• Divide the class into groups of four. Give each group ten minutes to discuss their responses to the questions.
• Then ask each group to select one student to summarize their agreements and disagreements for the class.
  
  

Fishbowl Discussion:

• Invite students to participate in a "fishbowl" discussion of their choice of candidate and the reasons for their choice.
• Have five to seven students begin the conversation. Ask them to make a circle with their chairs in the middle of the room. Try to ensure that the group reflects diverse points of view.
• Ask everyone else to make a circle of chairs around the fishbowl (so that you will have a smaller circle within a larger circle). Only people in the fish bowl can speak; thus the process aims to facilitate sustained, focused listening.
• Each student in the fishbowl speaks to the issue without being interrupted. Then the teacher can designate a specific amount of time for clarifying questions and further comments.
• After 15 minutes or so, invite students from the larger circle to participate in the fishbowl conversation by tapping a fishbowl student on the shoulder and moving into that student's seat.

Questions for the presidential debates

1. The chief foreign policy issue is clearly Iraq and the U.S.'s role there, past, present, and future. Is either of the two candidates more convincing to you on this issue? If so, why? If not, why not?

2. Major domestic issues are health care and the economy. Choose one of the two. Is either of the two candidates more convincing to you on this issue? If so, why? If not, why not?

3. Generalizations often come easily to political candidates. What are one or two generalizations you heard from a candidate for which he did not provide specific support?

4. What are one or two generalizations you heard from a candidate for which he did provide specific support? How effective do you judge that support to have been? Why?

5. What do you regard as the most important point made by either candidate? Why?

6. Did either candidate make any incorrect factual statements? If so, what did he
say in each case? What should he have said? How do you know?

7. What statements or arguments made by a candidate lead you to believe that he would govern the U.S. more effectively than the other candidate? What is there about each statement that you find especially convincing?

8. What statements or arguments made by a candidate lead you to believe that he would govern the U.S. less effectively than the other candidate? What is there about each statement that you find especially unconvincing?

9. If you were to base your decision solely on this debate, which candidate do you think would make the better president? On the basis of what specific statements or arguments?

Question for the vice-presidential debate:

• If you were to base your decision solely on this debate, which of the two candidates do you think would advise the president most effectively and, in an emergency, make the better president? Why?

This essay was written for TeachableMoment.Org, a project of Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility. We welcome your comments. Please email them to: lmcclure@morningsidecenter.org.

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