Did you tune in to the presidential debate Friday night? As I was watching, I found myself analyzing the style of the two speakers rather than the content. I was reminded of the first televised presidential debate between Kennedy and Nixon. Those who listened to the debate on the radio believed, hands down, that Nixon won. Those who saw the televised program believed, hands down, that Kennedy won. Why the difference? The answer could be summed up with the word “style” or “perception.”
Kennedy was a tanned, vibrant young man who was relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera. Nixon, by 8:30 p.m., had a dark 5 o’clock shadow which made him look sinister. The sheen on his head indicated how nervous he was, and his eyes darted furtively around the room as he spoke, but his words or content, were fine. He just didn’t convey the visual impression he wanted. He didn’t make viewers “feel” comfortable.
As you read this note, keep two things in mind--”Perception is reality” and Maya Angelou’s words, "People may not remember what you did or what you said but they will always remember how you made them feel."
Little mannerisms or gestures by the speakers can affect how the audience perceives them. For example, Gore lost points because of rolling his eyes in response to Bush’s comments. George H.W. Bush made the fatal mistake of checking the time on his wrist watch which gave the impression that he was bored. Tiny movements, probably not specifically detected visually but felt viscerally by those watching can make a difference.
If you are someone who is involved with or interested in speaking and presenting seminars, you too may watch the presidential debates from a different perspective than the average person in another field. Friday night’s debate between the Senators McCain and Obama highlighted significantly different speaking styles, which will definitely influence the decisions made by those who are as yet undecided.
One very successful tactic that McCain used was beginning many of his rebuttal comments with, “He just doesn’t understand” or “He just doesn’t get it” in order to reinforce his campaign strategy of painting Obama as too inexperienced for the job. How many observers were consciously aware of that? Subtle insinuation works when used repeatedly.
Another effective speaking technique was McCain’s use of stories, whether in the form of a history lesson, e.g., Eisenhower before the D-Day invasion or Reagan’s decision in the l980’s to keep troops in Lebanon, which conveys a sense of history and relationship to revered leaders of the past.
Everyone loves a story, especially when it is delivered with emotion and a feeling of conviction. His story about a mother approaching him and asking if he would wear the bracelet with his son’s name on it was very touching. Obama’s counter comment, “I have one too,” lacked the impact of the actual story and showed his impatience at his opponent for not directly addressing the question.
Like Reagan’s famous line while debating Mondale, “I won’t hold your youth and inexperience against you,” which disarmed his opponent who no doubt would have brought up his age, McCain also poked fun at his age when he said “I’ve been around a little while.” Good tactic.
Obama, an excellent orator, responded to questions in a very professorial way, enumerating his points and being very specific. The directness may have made some listeners feel uncomfortable because not everyone relates to an intellectual. They may have been reminded of their school days when they didn’t know the answers.
Obama was energetic but didn’t use drama in his responses nor did he recall past history which his opponent did on numerous times, adding to the perception of McCain’s abilities to be a better-qualified president.
I had the feeling that we had the professor teaching us, and we had the grandfather chastising the professor, impressing us with stories from the past, and evoking fear in response to some of Obama’s ideas.
One thing I will be more aware of in the next debate is eye contact. The morning newspapers captured the two men shaking hands at the end. If you have a copy, check out the body language and the eye contact. Interesting.
What is important about this debate to those of us in the speaking business is how listeners perceived the two men--not what they said, but how they were perceived and how they made listeners feel. You cannot ignore the value of perception, especially when, long-range, one of these men will be conveying this perception to world leaders. Comfortable folksiness with history vs. energetic brilliance without history. So many people have asked, “Which would you rather share a beer with?” Are people still asking that question?
I can’t wait to see the vice presidential debate this week.
An excellent book on speaking, one which I referenced frequently in the preparation of You Cannot NOT Communicate is Roger Ailes’ You Are the Message. Ailes is president of Fox News Channel and chairman of the Fox Television stations group, known as “the amusingly ferocious Republican media genius” and a “pit-bull Republican media strategist turned TV tycoon.” He was political media advisor for numerous U.S. senators and presidents. The book, written in 1988, is still available on amazon.com for only $.79.
I've known and watched Roger Ailes and his attack dog behavior for years. I'm not sure I'd want to take the advice of a "pitbull" if I was running for president. I want a calm leader who can lead under pressure, who can look his opponent in the eye when debating, who thinks of the good of the country before his own political agenda during times of financial crisis, who lives on main st and doesn't have so many houses he forgets how many, and most important someone who has the judgement to choose a running mate with an iq higher than a moose for vice president, a position who is a heartbeat away from the presidency....none of which Senator McCaine demonstrated over the past week, throughout the campaign, or during the debate. If you want to talk about inuendo...saying "he just doesn't understand" is condescending and shows how little he understands. During the debate, McCain's body language and facial expressions were angry on the offense...Haven't we made enough preemptive mistakes?
Posted by: someone who knows ailes | September 27, 2008 at 04:56 PM