The Unforgettable Presidential Debate Speech: An Unmatched Masterpiece
The fourth Republican presidential debate witnessed a stellar performance by Chris Christie, earning him an A+ Nikki Haley also delivered commendably with an A, while Ron DeSantis received a C However, Vivek Ramaswamy's speech fell short, resulting in an F
Todd Graham, a debate professor at Southern Illinois University, has an impressive record with five national championships and has been recognized with several top honors in his field. You can follow him on his website, Facebook, and Twitter. The views expressed in this commentary are his own and you can find more of his opinions at CNN.
Having watched over 8,000 debates, Wednesday night's fourth Republican presidential debate at the University of Alabama had me feeling energized and engaged.
If you were lucky enough to watch, you were treated to the finest speech ever given in a presidential debate. Lets get right to itheres how the four candidates scored:
Chris Christie: A+
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Title: "Crafting a Memorable Debate Argument"
Effective debate arguments require three key elements. Firstly, the topic of debate must be relevant and impactful. Secondly, it is essential to back up your position with compelling examples and evidence. Finally, the delivery of your argument is of utmost importance. However, simply incorporating these elements is not sufficient. To truly stand out in a debate, your argument must encompass all three elements and present a perspective that is original and unheard of by the audience.
Chris Christie's Retribution Speech met all the necessary criteria. The topic was undeniably significant, and the former governor of New Jersey was fully aware of its importance. When questioned about his thoughts on former President Donald Trump's recent comments, Christie responded with a portion of his answer, addressing Trump's claims of potentially becoming a dictator if reelected.
"Completely predictable," Christie remarked. "This is an angry, bitter man who is seeking the presidency in order to seek revenge on those who have opposed him and attempted to hold him accountable for his actions. Do I believe he was joking when he declared himself as a dictator? All one needs to do is examine history."
Additionally, Christie's argument was well-founded, and his analysis of Trump's popularity was astute during the debate. Despite Trump's significantly higher poll numbers compared to Christie, he adeptly redirected the focus to his debate opponents and their acceptance of Trump's behavior. "Wondering why his poll numbers are so high? It's because individuals like the ones on this stage make his behavior appear acceptable."
The Republican presidential primary debate, hosted by NewsNation on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, at the Moody Music Hall at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala, featured former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy as the candidates.
Gerald Herbert/AP
Opinion: Who won the Republican debate
Third: It is essential to watch Christie's delivery if possible. His 2-minute speech is truly magnificent. Pay attention to Christie's nonverbal movements and cadence, as well as the emphasis he places on certain phrases. One line that stands out is when Christie quoted Trump's phrase "I am your retribution," which was quite chilling.
Christie may have just delivered the most important speech in the history of presidential debates, and it was certainly exceptional.
Additional notable moments from Christie include his confrontation with fellow debater Vivek Ramaswamy, where he defended Nikki Haley and criticized Ramaswamy's insulting behavior. He also called out Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and other politicians for dodging questions, effectively representing the audience's frustration with political evasion.
When discussing transgender care, Christie highlighted the hypocrisy of vilifying transgender kids and their parents. He emphasized the Republican belief in less government, questioning the desire to take parental rights away. While expressing his personal preference against gender-affirming care, Christie emphasized the importance of parents making decisions with their children rather than allowing "jokers" in congress to override those decisions.
Nikki Haley: A
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
This week, the former United Nations ambassador and South Carolina governor gained some new donors. In addition, Haley's increasing poll numbers were overshadowed by a barrage of attacks from DeSantis and Ramaswamy, making the news a mixed bag.
Haley faced criticism, including accusations of a double standard on China and taking too much money from big corporation leaders, making her indebted to them. However, the attacks were scattered and lacked specificity, with Christie even defending her. As a result, the criticisms didn't stick, and Haley may have gained more support from a sympathetic audience due to the excessively nasty and rude vitriol from her opponent, Ramaswamy.
However, it should be noted that given the opportunity, Haley is capable of addressing most criticisms. She adeptly defended her corporate relations, including Boeing, and once again demonstrated her strong policy focus. She presented a compelling argument for prioritizing supply issues in the challenging market and inflation, and also emphasized that deficits and inflation are not exclusive to Democrats, as Trump's presidency exacerbated the situation. Above all, I appreciated Haley's demeanor during the debate.
In this debate, I most appreciated Haley's composure. In the past, I have been critical of her tendency to eagerly engage in unnecessary arguments. However, this time, Haley was more strategic and reserved in choosing when to respond.
Haley's composure in handling DeSantis and Ramaswamy's tag-teaming was impressive. Most people would have lost their temper, but Haley remained cool and calm, refusing to let it affect her debating. Despite being called a fascist by Ramaswamy, she simply smiled and thanked them for the attention. When asked if she wanted to respond to his insults, she replied with a smile, "No. It's not worth my time to respond to him." Pure confidence.
Ron DeSantis: C
Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Some things stay the same. Florida's governor continues to struggle with his nonverbal communication, particularly his pained facial expressions. It's perplexing, and now I find myself unable to look away.
DeSantis excelled in discussing Florida's approach to China on foreign policy, but faltered when addressing the legality of his previous comments about killing fentanyl smugglers vigilante-style. He has a tendency to start with a story rather than answering the question directly, which can be forced and poorly timed. It is preferable for the presidential debates to focus on answering questions without the inclusion of stories, as they do not have the same impact in debates as they do on the campaign trail.
DeSantis' debating style lacks transitions as he seamlessly transitions between attacking, introducing new topics, and randomly sharing stories with no clear introduction or conclusion. He is considered a decent debater, not terrible but not exceptional - just Ron.
Vivek Ramaswamy: F
The biggest fear for a troll is being ignored, as they crave attention. For further information on Ramaswamy's behavior, you can find details about his various antics in other sources. It seems that with each debate, he attempts to surpass his past behavior, resulting in ridiculous and mean-spirited verbal attacks.
Imagine the frustration Ramaswamy must have felt when Haley disregarded his attacks and dismissed him as unworthy of her time. Ignoring him likely dealt a more significant blow to his ego than any verbal insult.
It's a sign of trouble when a presidential moderator, Elizabeth Vargas, directly questions the seriousness of one of your policy proposals. "Is this a serious policy proposal, and if it isn't, why do you keep repeating it?"
During the debate, Ramaswamy initially had a strong strategy but was unable to carry it out effectively. He aimed to draw attention to Haley's lack of knowledge about Ukraine by pointing out basic facts that she was unaware of. This tactic had the potential to be successful, as my own teams have employed similar strategies to expose our opponents' ignorance on various topics.
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Ramaswamy's attempt to catch Haley off guard fell flat when he asked her to name three provinces in Ukraine where she might send troops. The truth is, nobody cares. Haley's lack of knowledge about military strategy in Ukraine doesn't change anything. Ramaswamy's question added nothing to the conversation.
My grade is as Christie predicted when he called out Ramaswamy: "This is the fourth debate that you would be voted in the first 20 minutes as the most obnoxious blowhard in America."
