According to many top national debate coaches, John McCain needs to start making improvements in his debate capability. The coaches seem to believe that McCain is just not debating as well as Democratic presidential nominee, Barack Obama. This is according to reaction polls which say that respondents in general and undecided voters in particular are favoring Obama. Many seem to point to McCain’s age, saying that they don’t believe “the old dog is willing to learn any new tricks.”
Even though it seems McCain is not receiving any coaching, this is not the case. He is actually being coached by one of the best debate coaches in the nation, former Liberty University debate coach Brett O’Donnell. But this hasn’t kept McCain from “meanders through the substance of his arguments and “getting lost and having to revert back to simple themes”. Obama, already the well known better speaker of the two, is believed to be looking much better then McCain even though Obama seemed very wobbly during his primary debates. Even when Obama is being attacked it is said he is smiling and nodding making him “more agreeable…and more reasonable”
All this discussion leads me to ponder the question, how important are the debates? From a personal stand point, I flat out do not find them very important at all. It is painfully obvious that Obama is the better speaker, but I can’t believe that being a great speaker makes you a great leader. I am not saying that I don’t think Obama could be a good leader by any means. I am just saying that being does not undeniably make you the other. I think they are completely different from each other. Being able to verbally give your ideas can help you get them across, but it doesn’t make you any better at implementing these ideas.
I know that the debates will have a sway on voters in who they decide to vote for the next president of the United States, but it shouldn’t. Too many people look at the candidates based on personal image rather than leadership ability.
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I believe that a good leader must also be able to present him/herself effectively. It is a reflection of their style as a leader. I wouldn't want the brightest mind in science to be a professor if he/she cannot convey their thoughts and teach me. Even though the qualifications are present, being able to relate to Americans and translate policies is essential.
Communication skills are not a personal image; they are skills that are a part of leadership ability. I believe having those skills are absolutely important when trying to implement your own ideas. How do you get people to agree with your point of view if you cannot effectively communicate what you are thinking? Especially at this time in our nation, it is imperative that our leader can represent us in a positive fashion to the rest of the world, and that will most definitely involve good communication skills.
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