The presidential candidate debate is full of tricks from linguists for viewers

The debate scandal (debategate) in America on October 28, 1980 between presidential candidates Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, is proof that debates do not always reflect the quality of ideas and personalities of potential leaders.

Some analysts agree that Reagan's victory in the US presidential election at that time was the result of his success in winning the debate in October.

In that debate, Reagan was judged to appear more communicative. He is considered able to explain the program in a more grounded and emotional language. Even though he has more control over the substance of the problem, his opponent, Carter, is considered to lack stage charm because he uses more technical terms that are less evocative. qqcitybet

However, author Laurence Barrett in his book Gambling With History: Reagan in the White House reveals that Reagan actually cheated by pocketing Carter's notes before the debate began. The leaks let Reagan know the tactics Carter will use and know how to deal with them.

The case proves, leaders with good qualities do not always excel in debate and vice versa. In presidential debates, the law of the stage applies where the person who is skilled at spreading charm is the one who has the chance to win. Whoever can get around the laws of the stage, he has a better chance of winning.

Language is key

The stage law that applies to the presidential debate makes language skills an important asset to win the debate. In fact, the skill of playing with words can be completely irrelevant to the ability to solve the nation's problems.

In the book The Qualities of Effective Presidents, political professor Freed Greenstein from Princeton University reveals there are six qualities that a president should possess. The six qualities are public communication, organizational capacity, political ability, vision, cognitive style, and emotional intelligence.

Based on the list, it can be concluded that the communication skills of the presidential candidates are one of the keys to winning the debate. Although more important, the other five qualities are less accommodated on stage.

Presidential candidate tactics in debate

Stage logic encourages candidates to appear perfect. To achieve that goal, candidates utilize various strategies.

Based on observations from the 2014 Indonesian presidential debates and 2016 American presidential debates, there are several language tactics that candidates usually use to win presidential debates.