[driftless2]

Not having been a debater in high school or college, and only having seen either informal "debates" or examples of real debates from forty years ago, I was completely shocked at what college-level debate has turned into. Yes, the black students (both the "champion" and the second place team) debate arguments were complete gibberish. They deliberately broke the rules and basically shouted babbled incoherently. Chalk that up to cowardly college libs afraid to call something stupid when they see blacks do it.

But after delving into the what constitutes modern debate formulas, that kind of speed-talking is now common. Nobody outside the debate fraternity can understand anything anything modern college debaters say. There have been documentaries done about the speed talkers and articles written. Most outside views have been negative. But the modern debate coaches and teams defend the style saying the judges understand what the debaters are saying.

I find the whole thing a load of gibberish. It doesn't matter whether modern debate teams can compress far more facts in their arguments than old style debaters, it totally destroys the meaning of a real debate. It's not debate as most Americans know it, it's a sort of freak show. Some have described it as a parlor trick. The style can never be used outside college debate contests. This is what high level education has come down to...parlor tricks.

[caligatrux]

It's pure liberal elitist academia washing out a traditional and actually useful skill.

True debate is constructing a sound, reasonable and logical argument from the facts and circumstances, and then making a convincing presentation to sway others with reason and persuasion.

That is everything the left is not. So they turned it into a "poetry slam" contest, where they judge the effort on its artistic value rather than reasonableness or persuasiveness.

Its like if you took a football game and replaced the referees with judges from an ice skating competition who would assign points for style, composition and artistic impression rather than actually making touchdowns.

[Antioch]

If the title of their “debate” was “Why the remnant of normal American needs to start buying gold, silver and ammo immediately” I would also declare them the hands down winner.