“1) do not look at Obama - look at the camera
2) smile rarely, if at all
3) do not take bait of any sort from the venemous “moderator”
4) be deadly specific in cataloging the lies, the wrong policies, the corruption of Obama - no generalities please
5) do not compliment Obama in any way
6) act as if this is just you speaking with the American people
7) be deadly serious - removal of this cancer is deadly serious - act, think, speak as if our very nation depends on you performance (it just might)
8) DO NOT LET THE VENEMOUS MODERATOR USE YOU - YOU MUST USE HIM - TELL THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHAT THEY NEED TO HEAR ABOUT THE STATE OF OUR REPUBLIC, AND HOW IT IS BEING DESTROYED - THEN TELL THEM HOW, WHY YOU WILL BEGIN TO MEND IT”
Good points - in other words don’t come across as a pansy. And definitely wipe that stupid looking smirk/smile off your face when your opponent is telling a whopper. You are deadly serious but “above it all” and able to tell it like it is in a calm, measured but forceful manner. I like the advice to avoid looking at Obama at all.
Watch the primary debates and your practice debates so you can practice internalizing and making the advice you’re getting happen. Lots and lots of practice on demeanor, expression, mannerisms.
They said Nixon won on the radio but lost on tv against Kennedy - that could happen to you if you are not able to effectively control your facial expressions i.e. smirks. Relax your face but maintain your calm intensity. Be in control. Be relaxed. Don’t blink too much. Slow your speech and modulate it downward. Practice not looking nervous and like a deer caught in the headlights, because that seems to happen to you quite often.
No $10,000 dollar bets, please.
Got all that? Good luck. Stay tuned for what you need to say.
Oh and one other thing - when McCain debated Obama, he allowed Obama to always get the last word in on every topic. YOU CANNOT ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN. Frequently Obama would use the first 10 or 15 seconds of the next question response to get the last word in. You have to make sure he doesn’t get away with it. Yes, that could be tricky and it would be important to use discretion.
Ok this is really the last thing, at least for this thread.
If you practice the above and get it down, I think you will be better off. But if you haven’t practiced and internalized it definitely don’t try to think about doing all the things your handlers are telling you to do while the debate is happening. You’ll end up making big mistakes. Kind of like playing a sport or any other type of performance - your swing in tennis or golf has to be second nature - if you think about it too much while playing you are screwed. So on the big night let your muscle memory be your guide and be yourself.
(But please get rid of the smirk)