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The Art of Political Debate: Persuading the Audience With Zero Substance
Or… Why You Choose Someone With False Facts
Political debates are supposed to provide a forum for leaders and candidates to present their policies, values and fitness for office. Yet, when conducted in public before an audience, they function very differently from the ideal.
Debate in political life is less about establishing factual and logical grounds for policy and more about performance and persuasion. It’s entirely removed from any real debate values.
I struggle to call it a debate at all. It’s more akin to a calculated Advertising Commercial expertly drafted by a Marketing team.
The Role of the Audience in Political Debates
For example, when a politician is involved in political sparring, his goal is to out-emote, rather than out-argument, his counterpart in the eyes of the voters. The politician who resonates with the audience on an emotional level will triumph over his rivals. This explains why it hardly matters if a politician’s assertions do not hold up to scrutiny. What matters is how the voters respond to hearing such assertions.
