0. Developed by Jenny Alme, The Harker School
CASE VERSUS
DISADVANTAGES
Pam have other suggestions for this?
Developed by Jenny Alme, The Harker School

1. BASICS OF BEING AFFIRMATIVE
If you can convince the judge that passing your affirmative plan is a good idea, you will win the debate. You need to prove that the affirmative is better than the status quo (current system).
To do this, you need to prove that the advantages of the aff plan are larger than the disadvantages.
Language from Pam and Joe
Why slide – overall goal

2. How to Prepare for the 2AC
The good news is that aff team can expect most of what the negative will argue. You know your aff well, you can look at the disadvantages (DAs) they can run against you, and you can look at the case arguments they can run against you.
The bad news is that you must cover every single negative argument. This means that both partners must carefully flow the 1NC. If you miss a negative argument, you will not respond to it and they will automatically win that point.
Only jot down arguments that you plan to make on your flow. NEVER write out arguments long hand. It will set you up for poor flowing that will cost you the debate if the other team is any good.
Language from Pam and Joe
Why slide – overall goal

3. How to Prepare for the 2AC
Look over all of the DAs that they could run against you. Prepare a list of 6+ answers that you plan to make against those DAs.
Variety and offense will be the keys to winning.
Integrate both evidence and analytical arguments into your prepared answers.
Language from Pam and Joe
Why slide – overall goal

4. How to Prepare for the 2AC
Common types of aff answers to DAs (pick and chose what looks good based on the situation) :
No link (the plan does not cause the DA)
The link is non-unique (other things should have caused the link)
The impact is non-unique (other things should have already caused the impact)
No internal link (the DA makes a logical leap that does not make sense)
Link turn (the opposite of the link is true—the affirmative prevents the DA from happening)
Impact turn (their impact is actually a good thing—FYI do not impact and link turn in the same debate)
No impact (they exaggerate the impact)
Aff case solves the impact (our proposal is key to preventing the DA impact)
Language from Pam and Joe
Why slide – overall goal

5. How to Prepare for the 2AC
You should also prepare answers against case arguments that they can read against you.
Be smart about spending more time on better arguments and try to quickly get through arguments that are nit-picky/unimportant.
If two similar arguments are made in a row, you can say “group the __ and __ arguments” and then respond to both at once.
If two similar arguments are made that are not next to each other, answer them the first time and then say “Cross-apply my answers to the number ___” the second time.
Read new cards if you need to but you should first consider if you have a card in the 1AC that answers the argument. If so, say “extend the ___ evidence from the 1AC. It argues that… .”
Language from Pam and Joe
Why slide – overall goal

6. How to Prepare for the 1AR
Rebuttals are NOT a time for summarizing. They are an opportunity to win key arguments. Focus on substantive issues.
Both partners need to carefully flow the negative block.
All 1AR arguments need to be written down on your flow, not pre-written or written long hand.
Language from Pam and Joe
Why slide – overall goal

7. How to Prepare for the 1AR What makes the 1AR different from the 2AC?
The 1AR can no longer make new arguments (unless they are in response to NEW arguments made in the block).
Your goal is to build on the 2AC arguments.
Choose 2AC arguments that you are ahead on. You do not have to extend every 2AC point but you must have arguments that can win the debate on every negative position.
You ARE allowed to read cards in the 1AR but ONLY if they build on 2AC arguments or if they are in response to NEW block arguments.
Language from Pam and Joe
Why slide – overall goal

8. How to Prepare for the 2AR
Both partners must carefully flow the 2NR. The 2AR cannot be prepared ahead of time. The focus of your speech is to RESPOND to SPECIFIC arguments made by the 2NR. This makes a good flow of the 2NR essential.
Remember that your overall mission is to prove that the advantages of the affirmative case are larger than any disadvantages. This involves simple logic. For example, if the affirmative proposal is expensive but saves the world from eco- system collapse due to global warming, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
Language from Pam and Joe
Why slide – overall goal

9. How to Prepare for the 2AR
The 2AR should begin with the following line… “The advantages of the affirmative proposal outweigh the disadvantages because… .” Then give the judge a brief overview of why you win. :30 is a good maximum length.
Then, move on to focusing on specific arguments made by the 2NR.
Language from Pam and Joe
Why slide – overall goal

10. NEGATIVE BASICS
If you can convince the judge that passing the affirmative plan is a bad idea, you will win the debate. Essentially, you need to prove that the status quo is better than the affirmative plan.
To do this, you need to prove that the disadvantages of the aff plan are larger than the advantages.
Language from Pam and Joe
Why slide – overall goal

11. How to Prepare for the 1NC
Against each case, you need to think about a winning strategy:
At least one DA that links to the affirmative
Defense on the case that is adequate to reduce the aff case to a small enough size that the DA is able to outweigh—you should look at cards in the packet and also brainstorm logical arguments.
Language from Pam and Joe
Why slide – overall goal

12. How to Prepare for the 1NC How do you pick which DAs to read?
Make sure that it links
Think about whether it turns the case (always a bonus)
Think about whether the impact is large enough to outweigh the case
Language from Pam and Joe
Why slide – overall goal

13. How to Prepare for the 1NC
Also, think of logical arguments that you might use to attack the case. A few questions that might help you think of common arguments:
Is the solvency substantial enough to overcome the harms outlined in the 1AC?
Would there be any obstacles in getting from the plan to the solvency?
Are the harms exaggerated?
Is any of the evidence outdated, unqualified, or mis-tagged?
Advanced: do any of the cards in the 1AC help you to set up one of your DAs?
Language from Pam and Joe
Why slide – overall goal

14. How to Prepare for the 1NC
You should also think about how quickly the 1N can speak. Keep in mind that you need a minimum of one DA + case. If the 1N is faster, you might add more case defense or a second DA.
Practice 1NCs and figure out how to pack in as many arguments as possible without running out of time. Practice with a timer!
The 2N should also practice reading the 1NCs so that they learn about the strategy and to work on fluency.
Make sure that you are not mispronouncing any words (that hurts your credibility).
Language from Pam and Joe
Why slide – overall goal

15. How to Prepare for the 2NC / 1NR
The goal of the 2NC/1NR (negative block) is to win arguments that you began in the 1NC.
You should NOT read new positions in the block. It is not cheating but you are simply more likely to win if you have more deeply developed positions.
Both partners need to carefully flow the 2AC. It is essential that you get down every 2AC argument because if you miss an argument, the aff team automatically wins that point.
Language from Pam and Joe
Why slide – overall goal

16. How to Prepare for the 2NC / 1NR
The 2NC and the 1NR should go point by point through the 2AC and respond to EACH point. Use both evidence and analysis. If the 2AC made a really good argument, focus on it more. If they made a nit-picky or irrelevant argument, say why it does not matter and move on.
The 2NC and 1NR should NOT cover the same positions. You can switch this up depending on the specific situation but a good basic division is:
2NC builds on the DAs
1NR builds on case arguments
Language from Pam and Joe
Why slide – overall goal

17. How to Prepare for the 2NC / 1NR
The person extending the DA needs to keep in mind that the ultimate goal is to argue that the risk of the DA outweighs the risk of the case impact. Risk = magnitude x probability.
To further this goal, you should begin your coverage of the DA with an overview that gives the judge reasons why the DA outweighs the case.
It is also very helpful if you can make arguments about why the DA turns the case in the overview as well.
Language from Pam and Joe
Why slide – overall goal

18. How to Prepare for the 2NR
The 2NR needs to begin with the following line, “The risk of the DA outweighs the risk of the case because… .”
Then, proceed to cover every point made by the 1AR on the arguments that you plan to extend.
You do not need to advance every argument that you started in the 1NC. Your goal is to create a winning package (win all of a DA and win enough defense on the case that the risk of the DA outweighs the case).
Language from Pam and Joe
Why slide – overall goal

19. Pam have other suggestions for this?