How to Watch a Presidential Debate

Political debates are one of the cornerstones of the democratic process. They allow voters to watch the candidates explain their policy in detail, but they also allow criticisms from the other side. At the end of a good debate, both candidates are more clearly defined, and viewers have the chance to think about who best fits their own views. But many debates turn into yelling matches, or the information seems contradictory and difficult to understand. With a little practice, however, you can watch presidential debates like a pro.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Preparing for the Debate

1
Know how to watch the debate when it starts. Since debates are almost always broadcast to everyone in the country, this should be easy.^{[1]XResearch source} Almost all debates are on basic cable channels like ABC, CNN, Fox, etc, and start around 8-9 EST. If you don't have cable, you can stream the debates for free online. Many bars and restaurants will also have "watch parties," depending on how close or exciting the election is. Be sure to tune in a week or so in advance to make sure you can watch it.
- Since the 2016 election, all debates have been posted in full on YouTube the next day, if you miss one.
2
Ask yourself what issues are most important to you, and which ones you want covered. What do you want to learn from the debate? Maybe you feel comfortable with foreign policy, but are confused about tax proposals. Maybe you feel like the candidates haven't talked about education policy enough, and you are curious for more. Think about your own preferences first, before the debate, and then see who is more convincing or matches your views more.
- Are there issues you want to do a bit more research in to feel comfortable?
- It is okay to not have a stance yet! You watch debates to learn and choose a side, so go in with an open mind for now if you're confused.
- Once you know what issues are important, you can think about how you'd like a politician to approach the same issue.
3
Do a little advanced research into the candidates, learning their broad ideas and stances. Debates often turn into discussions over finer points, as each candidate already knows their larger differences. But this can be confusing if you're just tuning in for the first time. To get up to speed, check out each candidate's website. What do they prioritize? What sorts of images and ideas take center stage? If you click on "Issues" or "Stances," what issues come up first?
- No president can accomplish everything, even if they win a second term. Knowing what issues each candidate wants to tackle first, therefore, is important when voting.
- Remember that these sites are advertisements paid for by the campaigns. While they tell you the candidates' priorities and differences, they are not great sources of "news."
4
Follow current events in the week leading up to the debate to stay up-to-date on questions. A good example comes from the 2016 Republican debate after the terrorist attacks in Paris. Suddenly, the most important questions became how to prevent more attacks, responding to ISIL, and fighting "radical Islam." Knowing the actual facts of the events (who planned the attack, security measures in place, etc.) will make it much, much easier to sort through the candidate's positions on it.
- In political season, nothing is off limits. That said, the major news events of the week will almost always come up.
- You don't have to spend hours on the news. Once or twice a day, check out three or four websites like the New York Times, Washington Post, Democracy Now, Google News, etc. to get filled in on major events.
5
Consider submitting your own questions to the debate. The internet age has ushered in new methods of citizen democracy. Each network has a different system -- some want emails, others Tweets during the event, and others require you show up to the debate itself -- but almost all of them take a small percentage of viewer questions. Check into the debate a few days before if you have a burning question you want lobbed at the candidates.
- Good questions can usually be answered by multiple candidates, and avoid attacking or taking a side. Open minded, broad questions usually have the best chance of getting in.
- Twitter is one of the most common platforms for questions. Hashtags like #CNNDebate often take off before the debate to field questions.^{[2]XResearch source}
6
Understand the difference between a "classic" debate and a town hall debate. Growing in popularity, town hall debates take place with just one (very occasionally, two) candidate at a time, a moderator, and audience questions. Instead of responding to each other, the candidate is basically interviewed by the audience through the moderator, who asks follow-up questions and pushes on difficult points. While they don't let candidates directly respond to attacks, they do allow the audience to get longer, fuller, and more substantial answers from each candidate.
- To be truly politically astute, you should try and watch at least one town hall and one debate for each candidate. You see them both under pressure and giving detailed answers.^{[3]XResearch source}
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Watching the Debate Intelligently

1
Look for the positives in both candidates, such as places you agree and ideas you enjoy, to avoid getting lost in attacks and smears. This is not to say that a spirited, argumentative debate is not important. However, many news outlets focus elusively on the "exciting" moments of attack and counter-attack. But the true "meat" of a debate is what the candidates actually commit to doing, not what they say their opponent is doing.
- Try to view debates not as "why shouldn't I vote for that one," and more as "why should I vote for this one."
2
Take attacks with a grain of salt until they can be fact checked. In a perfect world, you could take both candidates' words at face value. But we don't live in a perfect world. Today, political attacks and smears often take nuanced, difficult issues and make them black and white, leading to lines that may not be lies, but certainly don't tell the whole truth. The substance of a debate comes from the proposals to change or fix things, not from uselessly yelling at your opponents. That said, the attacks are entertaining, and make "good TV," so they aren't going away anytime soon.
- Hypothetically, a candidate may vote "no" on a bill that says "women deserve equal pay" not because they disagree, but because that same bill also says "all illegal immigrants must be deported." While it is true that a candidate "voted against equal pay for women," it doesn't exactly tell the whole story thanks to bizarre congressional rules and deals.
- Attacks and negative comments have value -- but they should be well vetted before being accepted as fact. After all, Trump once said Ted Cruz's father helped kill JFK -- a totally untrue fact that 7% of his supporters believe.^{[4]XResearch source}
3
Look for concrete proposals, not vague promises, to see a candidate's true skills. Anyone can say "we're going to lower taxes and raise jobs." But great, worthwhile candidates will say how they're doing it, and how they're going to make it work. Put more bluntly -- you can actually debate a program with specifics, and you can actually pass a program. You get very little useful information from buzzwords and promises. Real proposals:
- Have timelines -- an estimated window when the candidate can accomplish something.
- Address specific problems with specific numbers -- making new jobs is not a plan. Bringing jobs to West Virginia by cutting regulations on coal plant emissions by 10% is a plan.
- Acknowledge challenges -- great candidates have thought of the negatives and found a way to address them.
4
Remind yourself of the actual questions as you listen to the answers. Watch for candidates who repeatedly skip or ignore questions. It is a political skill to turn any question into a talking point, but that doesn't mean you want this person as president. More often than not, the candidate tries to take a tough question, or one with an unpopular answer, and make it about something popular. This isn't bad on its own, as some questions are designed to trap candidates. But, done repeatedly, you need to ask yourself if there is some viewpoint being hidden away that is worth listening to.
- Good moderators will often follow up, looking to pull someone back to the question. How candidates respond (twist the question again or actually answer) says a lot about their communication skills and trustworthiness.
5
Consider the difference between political "posturing" and political policies. Debates are tricky beasts because candidates must fight simultaneously for both viewer's minds and hearts. Think of the primary debates, where like-minded democrats fight each other while like-minded republicans duke it out. Here, the fighting and arguing is less about "who is right" and more about "look at me, give me some TV time instead of that guy." While the arguments in these debates are still important, you need to recognize what is actually a proposal or policy and what is a marketing ploy.
- This is especially important when reading post-debate coverage. There will be a lot of headlines like "So and So opens fire on Such and Such," that may make similar candidates look like bitter enemies.
- Remember to stick to concrete proposals and positions, not vague attacks and promises, to learn about the candidates.
6
Flag any large, suspicious, or outlandish claims and arguments for later study. At what points do candidates start yelling over each other, get boo'd/cheered, or make claims that seem just a bit too big to be true? Debates aren't always known for their nuance, but keen viewers will note that these moments are often the most important, lasting moments in the campaign. When things get really heated, you might not get a lot of information. But you know that this issue will only become more important, and it is a key difference between the two candidates arguing.
- That said, even candidates are people, and they can blow things out of proportion like anyone else. Ask yourself if they are arguing because they really disagree, or if they just want to score some political points.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Sense After the Debate

1
Watch post-debate coverage to see the candidates elaborate on important points. After most debates, every news organization grabs a candidate and pushes a little further on key issues that may have been missed. This is also a good place to see some basic fact-checking, as many networks have been looking into suspicious claims all debate.
- What highlights do you see in debate coverage? Do they do a good job representing the actual debate, or are the edited to make some other argument or point?
- When watching the post-debate coverage, check into a few different networks. Expanding your news sources is the best way to combat bias.^{[5]XResearch source}
2
Explore 2-3 fact checking websites the next morning to help fill in holes. Even the most honest politician might misquote a fact or bill. Some dabble in outright lies. The only way you'll know is to look, and this is one of the most important things you can do to keep politics open and honest. Most major news organizations run fact-checks the next morning, but there are also independent sources of information. Try out:
- Politifact
- FactCheck.org
- Snopes^{[6]XResearch source}
3
Re-evaluate your positions on the candidates and issues. If you've made you mind up before the debate, and tell yourself you're not changing it, why even watch? A key element of political participation is an open mind, where you take in all the information available before making a decision. Ask yourself several questions after the debate, such as:
- "Do I still support the same candidate?"
- "Did the candidates I do not support say anything that I agreed with?"
- "Are there any issues that I felt poorly informed about?"
- "Are there any important questions that weren't asked or touched on?"
The political season can be long and arduous -- even for voters. But you don't have to study every day and check all the polls to be politically conscience. Follow up with issues that matter to you, and keep tabs on the candidates you found inspiring. And, come election day, don't forget to vote!
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Tips

Keep a healthy dose of skepticism when watching the debates. It will help you separate fact from fiction, and point to places you might research.
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Warnings

Debates change based on the candidates in them. The more in-touch you are with current events, the better you'll be able to watch intelligently.
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