Last night in S. Carolina, the sixth GOP debate took place. Hosted by Fox Business News, there were again two debates. A Not Ready for Prime Time debate between the three lowest polling candidates and a Ready for Prime Time Debate between the top seven polling candidates.
6 Awards from this debate. It is each reader’s challenge to figure what to replicate or not replicate from each candidate:
1. Didn’t Want to Take the Hit Award
According to their polling, host Fox Business News relegated two candidates to the 6 pm debate for those “not ready for prime time.” The candidates were Carly Fiorina and Rand Paul. Rand refused to appear at the early debate. He chose to campaign in three other states. Ms. Fiorina participated in the debate. With his refusal to take the debate hit, the attendance at his rallies immediately went up. Goes to show that under any and all circumstances, we still have choices. Two candidates implemented two different strategies.
2. Little-Big Award
Ted Cruz was asked about his “birther” issue. He basically spanked the moderators for bringing up an unimportant issue. Trump said it was important because if Cruz could not be seated as a VP or president, it becomes a big issue. In communication, there really are no such things as little things. All things can become big things.
3. Sarcasm Award Sarcasm was flowing during both debates. Sarcasm worked to a degree for Cruz and Rubio. Sarcasm did not work as well for Trump or Fiorina. It is not a simple idea to emulate or not emulate what we see. Each person has to figure out what works for them.
4. Stream is Not a Dream
I don’t know why this debate was on Fox Business channel. This was not Fox, this was Fox Business. Which means I had to stream the debate on my laptop. Sometimes an image would be repeated and sometimes it would hesitate and be choppy. During commercials I just had silence. Streaming was not dreaming.
5. Enough is Enough Award
I love politics and I love connecting lessons from public politics to our everyday lives. I am almost at the point that I am tired of the debates.
6. Another NA NA NA Award
Carly Fiorina received my first NA NA NA Award. Marco Rubio receives my second NA NA NA NA Award. He went after Ted Cruz with a well-rehearsed-well-delivered attack on Ted Cruz. Vote after vote came rolling of Rubio’s tongue. I don’t know what he was right about, but he certainly wins the NA NA NA NA I’m the smartest in the room award.
