Obama Romney Debate Offers Important Lessons to All

The presidential debate last Wednesday gave some vital lessons for everyone on how to properly communicate when engaging someone with a different point of view in a public setting. President Obama and Romney have to carry themselves with executive presence and likability that could impact the voters’ perceptions of them.

Making human connection is important whether it is in person or through TV. If President Obama wants to good in the next two debates, he should consider non-verbal and verbal communication issues from the previous one.

President Obama didn’t want to look at Romney while Romney was speaking. Most of the time, Obama was jotting something on a notepad with his head bowing down. This could be interpreted as lack of respect for his opponent. In the next two debates, President Obama must acknowledge the presence of Romney by making direct eye contact. Leaders should be courteous even if they don’t agree with each other.

Neither President Obama nor Romney was concise during the debate Wednesday. Both of them came into the debate with a large amount of statistics that they would use whether they are needed or not. Both presidential candidates went over the time limits because they say the same thing over and over again. They could have answered some particular questions straight to the point instead of just beating around the bush.

Both President Obama and Romney talked about the middle class as a group of people and how some tax policies affected them. But they forgot to make it personal in order to connect to the subject better. Romney managed to make it personal but for just a bit. During the next debate, they must connect with the audience on a more personal level instead of just dumping data all throughout the debate.

President Obama and Romney have strong executive presence. They carry themselves as leaders. But the president looked a bit disinterested and disengaged while Romney was alive and delivered the good better.