Thursday’s leaders’ debate was nowhere near as smooth as we might have expected. At the outset, each of the speakers appeared nervous. Non-verbally, I found the interaction between Nick Clegg and David Cameron most interesting. Given greater pressure, I wonder how civil they can remain? Tactically, I’d like to see the LibDems test it.
At 13’50”, Clegg’s visibly relaxed & moves to face Cameron’s question. He’ll repeat this throughout, it shows him as unafraid and respectful of the other two’s words for example at 1:07’50” and 1:15’57”. Contrast the effect it leaves you with to Cameron staying clear of Clegg at 1:18’00”.
Cameron laughs to introduce scorn when putting his question at 14’11”, he repeats this at 33’22” to no greater effect. Clegg’s echo of the initial laugh is forced, he’s leaking disdain. He turns back to the audience and camera to give his answer, cut the others out and build rapport and relationship. Cameron almost scowls at 14’19” when he realises that he’s lost the point and that Clegg won’t be easy to belittle. This is repeated at 54′.
At 1:15” Clegg surprises Cameron with his attack. Cameron’s eye movements suggest he’s processing and trying to imagine a response but instead he attacks Brown.
Clegg picks the wrong competition at 1:20′, bidding against Cameron in an auction to win the cheezefest. It’s a wonder that they don’t start referring to the “Great British Public” save that this would reduce the number of times they can say “care” whilst looking doey eyed into the camera. Both increase the speed and tone of their voices to a similar rate. Notably, at 1:22’04”, Brown contrasts this and sounds poised and authoritative. 1:25’05” is the most interesting point in the debate for me. Clegg can’t acknowledge Cameron by name and contrasts other points in the debate in that he starts a speech following Cameron turned away from him. It’s not only a tactic of not agreeing verbally with your opponent that all the speakers will have been briefed on from watching Kennedy v. Nixon. Clegg chokes slightly rather than acknowledge Cameron. Has he conceded the point that he’s been out schmaltzed or does he find the man loathsome?
In fairness, Cameron had a ton of pressure on him, as the front runner. Clegg had no pressure on him whatsoever.
Of course Clegg was relaxed in that situation, and he could be more open and attack because he needn’t worry about making a mistake.
Cameron was carrying a huge weight of expectation and he performed pretty well with that in mind. He kept his cool throughout, ignored the repeated interruptions of Brown and Clegg and got his message over pretty well. His mistake was to stay so polite and gentlemanly throughout. As soon as Clegg started the pious preaching, Cameron should have gone after him.