here - College of Arts & Sciences - Bethel University

Reverse Voting Issues are for people who cannot debate.
I try not to intervene in rounds. I’m also a critic of argument. Those two concepts
conflict quite often. I wish I could tell you the bright line of which arguments are so
terrible that they don’t really need much of an answer, and which arguments, while
counterintuitive, still require solid counterarguments. My suggestions: First, try to make
good arguments that have solid foundations. Then you won’t have to worry. Second,
don’t count on me to debate for you. In most cases, I will not intervene. But I think
parliamentary debate should not encourage judges to be 100% tabula rasa. I find debaters
just make stuff up way too often, both about world events and about debate theory. So,
while I try to give the debaters the benefit of the doubt, it is possible that I could
intervene based on false facts or just bad arguments. Perhaps you will be able to tell by
my nonverbal and verbal communication if your argument won’t be getting my ballot.
Granger, Marcus
Carroll College
Background of the critic:
Name: Marcus Granger
Parli coach at Carroll College
Years competing: 8
Last year competed: 2007
Years judging: 1
Background of the critic:
4 Years Parli/IEs at Carroll College. High school LD x 4 and Congress x 3.
Approach of the critic to decision-making (for example, adherence to the trichotomy,
stock-issues, policymaker, tabula rasa, etc.):
I try to be tab, but I’ll admit that I rarely find myself voting for performance or K. I’m
open to either of these, but I have yet to see performance run well in a round I’ve judged.
I wouldn’t punish you for running these arguments, but do so knowing I have a higher
than average threshold. I think you’d prefer that I be honest about this rather than claim
to be fully tab. I’ve routinely voted for poorly run Ks than went dropped by the other
team, and there’s nothing wrong with a good K. Again, the flow takes precedence and
intervention might be the worst of all debate sins.
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