A Matter of Debate
After the presidential debate last week, I happened to wake up early the next morning and took the time to listen to a replay. After it was over, I hastened to shut off the youtube site before the commentary began. I wanted to think my own thoughts--not hear right away what some commentator thought.
Oh yeah, people usually declare a winner for these things. So who do I think was the winner?
Well, they both gave some pretty solid-sounding facts. But both of them had the facts countered fairly convincingly by the other side. . . . There was way too much interrupting and refusal to shut up when the moderator was talking--par for the course, I've noticed, in other kinds of debates also. I think it was probably a tie . . .
Silly me. I had spent all that time thinking about what was said (except for taking note of some bad manners) and had failed to note that the president was performing miserably and the challenger was performing stellarly. Frankly I had not expected perfection or epic failure from either one. That's how I thought it had turned out.
I read the article on the debate in our local paper--a very balanced piece that pointed out many things that resonated with what I had observed. The paper also elaborated on some of the fudged facts that both participants had put forth. The current issue of Time further expands on that theme in their cover story.
At least four of my students were happy to inform me about the winner/loser situation. When I inquired about where the information came from, it was either "Dad" or CNN. Except for one, the students were all enthusiastic Romney supporters early in the "Elections" study we did at school--before we had made sufficiently clear that we were requesting a non-partisan approach to the study. During the project they had honored the request, at least in my hearing.
That evening I did read CNN's take on the debate--a decent analysis, in my opinion. I've also read that many others saw Romney as the clear winner.
"How do you determine the winner in a debate?" I asked my typing students during break, when we often talk about current events. They didn't seem to have a clue. Then I asked them to imagine that Brenda and Alisha (two students in the class) had each given a speech on the same subject, with differing viewpoints. "If you had to declare one or the other as the winner, how would you decide who it should be?"
"Whichever one was the most convincing."
"Whichever one said what agreed best with the Bible."
"You'd probably choose the one you agreed with the most."
In a flash of self-awareness, everyone seemed to know that the last one probably usually carries the day for most people.
I wish everyone in the world were as insightful as my freshmen typing students.
********************
We had a very good member's meeting at church on the night of the presidential debate. I noted some absences and wondered if those people had stayed home to listen to the debate.
********************
I do understand that some Obama fans felt that Romney outperformed him on the night of the debate.
********************
Our principal, who probably wouldn't say this publicly, said rather cynically, "I don't know why anyone bothers listening to those debates. There's never anything new. People find support for whatever they already think."
********************
My two oldest brothers have picked up again a debate that started near the end of August. It's on our private family email group, and makes for some pretty interesting reading. Right now there's a lot of discussion about whether Anabaptists have traditionally favored a limited government. One says yea and the other says nay. I'm keeping my ears open and my mouth shut so far on this question. With advanced degrees in related fields, my brothers both have a far more extensive knowledge of history and Anabaptist theology than I do, so I'm happy to listen in.
*******************
Do you know what scintillating means? Today in comp class I read a haiku that I had written for a poetry writing class in college:
A tired icicle
Scintillating, plunges down,
Knifing soggy snow.
Immediately several students wanted to know what scintillating means.
"Suave" was another word that needed defining for some students.
In typing class, during break, someone asked what haiku is.
High school is a wonderful place for learning words like this, but any other place will do as well.
*******************
Shane and Dorcas and the baby are headed east tonight to Virginia with Joe and Marilyn. The main event is Mark and Mary's wedding--Dad to Dorcas and Joe and Rachel from here. The long trip is not a pleasure for Tristan, and the event will surely be bittersweet for many who will find it easy to be happy for Mark and Mary and hard because of missing Esther, who was an important part of all of their lives, and who would so have loved to see all these people together.
Oh yeah, people usually declare a winner for these things. So who do I think was the winner?
Well, they both gave some pretty solid-sounding facts. But both of them had the facts countered fairly convincingly by the other side. . . . There was way too much interrupting and refusal to shut up when the moderator was talking--par for the course, I've noticed, in other kinds of debates also. I think it was probably a tie . . .
Silly me. I had spent all that time thinking about what was said (except for taking note of some bad manners) and had failed to note that the president was performing miserably and the challenger was performing stellarly. Frankly I had not expected perfection or epic failure from either one. That's how I thought it had turned out.
I read the article on the debate in our local paper--a very balanced piece that pointed out many things that resonated with what I had observed. The paper also elaborated on some of the fudged facts that both participants had put forth. The current issue of Time further expands on that theme in their cover story.
At least four of my students were happy to inform me about the winner/loser situation. When I inquired about where the information came from, it was either "Dad" or CNN. Except for one, the students were all enthusiastic Romney supporters early in the "Elections" study we did at school--before we had made sufficiently clear that we were requesting a non-partisan approach to the study. During the project they had honored the request, at least in my hearing.
That evening I did read CNN's take on the debate--a decent analysis, in my opinion. I've also read that many others saw Romney as the clear winner.
"How do you determine the winner in a debate?" I asked my typing students during break, when we often talk about current events. They didn't seem to have a clue. Then I asked them to imagine that Brenda and Alisha (two students in the class) had each given a speech on the same subject, with differing viewpoints. "If you had to declare one or the other as the winner, how would you decide who it should be?"
"Whichever one was the most convincing."
"Whichever one said what agreed best with the Bible."
"You'd probably choose the one you agreed with the most."
In a flash of self-awareness, everyone seemed to know that the last one probably usually carries the day for most people.
I wish everyone in the world were as insightful as my freshmen typing students.
********************
We had a very good member's meeting at church on the night of the presidential debate. I noted some absences and wondered if those people had stayed home to listen to the debate.
********************
I do understand that some Obama fans felt that Romney outperformed him on the night of the debate.
********************
Our principal, who probably wouldn't say this publicly, said rather cynically, "I don't know why anyone bothers listening to those debates. There's never anything new. People find support for whatever they already think."
********************
My two oldest brothers have picked up again a debate that started near the end of August. It's on our private family email group, and makes for some pretty interesting reading. Right now there's a lot of discussion about whether Anabaptists have traditionally favored a limited government. One says yea and the other says nay. I'm keeping my ears open and my mouth shut so far on this question. With advanced degrees in related fields, my brothers both have a far more extensive knowledge of history and Anabaptist theology than I do, so I'm happy to listen in.
*******************
Do you know what scintillating means? Today in comp class I read a haiku that I had written for a poetry writing class in college:
A tired icicle
Scintillating, plunges down,
Knifing soggy snow.
Immediately several students wanted to know what scintillating means.
"Suave" was another word that needed defining for some students.
In typing class, during break, someone asked what haiku is.
High school is a wonderful place for learning words like this, but any other place will do as well.
*******************
Shane and Dorcas and the baby are headed east tonight to Virginia with Joe and Marilyn. The main event is Mark and Mary's wedding--Dad to Dorcas and Joe and Rachel from here. The long trip is not a pleasure for Tristan, and the event will surely be bittersweet for many who will find it easy to be happy for Mark and Mary and hard because of missing Esther, who was an important part of all of their lives, and who would so have loved to see all these people together.
posted by Mrs. I (Miriam Iwashige) at
8:00 PM
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