Name ______Class______Date ______
AP Government and Politics
Presidential Debate Score Card
You must watch at least 1 presidential debate. Circle the date of the debate you selected.
October 3. 2012: Domestic policy focus debate at the University of Denver, Denver, Colorado
October 16, 2012: Domestic and foreign policy debate at Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York
October 22, 2012: Foreign policy focus debate at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida
Select 4 issues that are important to you and take notes.
President Barack Obama / Governor Mitt RomneyIssue #1
Issue #2
Issue #3
Issue #4
Scoring the CandidatesEACH CANDIDATE BEGINS WITH 50 POINTS....
Part A -- Add Points: Add 10 points if the candidate was perfect, 8 or 9 if near perfect, 6 or 7 if excellent, 4 or 5 if very well, and 2 or 3 if fairly well. Obama Romney
50 Points 50 Points
1. Did candidate meet or exceed expectations?
If YES, add 1 to 10 points +______+______
2. Did candidate accomplish what he/she needed to do?
If YES, add 1 to 10 points +______+______
3. Did candidate control agenda and remain on the offense?
If YES, add 1 to 10 points +______+______
4. Did candidate get the better of the opposition in key exchanges or confrontations?
If YES, add 1 to 10 points +______+______
5. Did the candidate answer questions effectively?
If YES, add 1 to 10 points +______+______
SUBTOTAL (include 50 starting points plus added points) =______=______
Part B: Deduct PointsDeduct points in any area that is a problem for a candidate; do NOT deduct any points if it's not a problem. If it's a 5 point category, deduct 1 or 2 points if it's a minor problem, 3 or 4 points if it's a somewhat serious problem, and 5 points if it's a very serious problem; in the 10 point category, double the numbers as needed.
Candidate Appearance (May deduct up to 5 points for each)
Obama Romney Obama Romney
- _____ - _____ Hair & Grooming
- _____ - _____ Tired & worn
- _____ - _____ Clothing inappropriate or sloppy
- _____ - _____ Make-up not well done
- _____ - _____ Poor posture
- _____ - _____ Unpleasant, distracting facial expressions
Tone (May deduct up to 5 points for each)
Obama Romney Obama Romney
- _____ - _____ Too negative, nasty
- _____ - _____ Weak, uncertain
- _____ - _____ Humorless, too intense
- _____ - _____ Obnoxious, arrogant, or ornery
Speaking Style (May deduct up to 5 points for each)
Obama Romney Obama Romney
- _____ - _____ Garbled, confused expressions
- _____ - _____ Incomplete, fragmented statements
- _____ - _____ Inability to stay within time limit
- _____ - _____ Poor eye contact
- _____ - _____ Speaking too fast or too slow
- _____ - _____ Too automated, canned
- _____ - _____ Too loud, too low
- _____ - _____ Lack of animation
- _____ - _____ Low energy level
- _____ - _____ Monotonous, no inflection
General Matters (May deduct up to 5 points each)
Obama Romney Obama Romney
- _____ - _____ Unprepared, lack of knowledge displayed
- _____ - _____ Nervousness
- _____ - _____ Ineffective opening
- _____ - _____ Ineffective closing
- _____ - _____ Lack of alertness
- _____ - _____ Inexpressive
- _____ - _____ Disorganized presentation
- _____ - _____ Other (______)
Major Blunders (May deduct up to 10 points each)
Obama Romney
- _____ - _____ Serious gaffe, embarrassing misstatement, or erroneous declaration
- _____ - _____ Loss of cool, unpleasant display of anger or irritation
- _____ - _____ Poor handling of an exchange with opponent or questioner
ObamaRomney
TOTAL POINT DEDUCTIONS (Part B) -______-______
Subtract Part B from Part A = FINAL SCORE ______