Opinion: Candidates Who Are Actually Funny Usually Win Debates
There’s been a lot of chatter about how two very old men will be sufficiently jacked-up before Thursday’s presidential debate. But as an expert on debates—having successfully advised candidates including Scott Walker (in his recall election), Carly Fiorina (in her Senate race), and multiple British politicians on debate tricks and tactics—I’d like to suggest a different form of debate prep.
Both Donald Trump and Joe Biden should get a legitimately funny professional comedian in the room with them, and do it now.
While much debate prep focuses on ensuring a candidate can fluently discuss his or her policy—and a little bit on delivering zingers that take down the other guy—the moments that tend to stick in viewers’ memories for days, weeks, months, and years after a debate are the ones where someone made a great point by being, well, funny.