Scalise was asked 8 times in the conversation. Scalise dodged 8 times never saying "yes" or "no".
I wish that more interviewers would play hardball more often.
Like, I get it they can't get a reputation for being hostile or nobody will give them interviews, but just as often the subjects want to be interviewed because they want to get their own message/promotion/plug out there.
In those cases, I feel like the interviewer is entirely within their rights to say something like, "I've asked 5 times now and every time you've been evasive. So here that question comes again. We're not moving past it until you answer it. So here it is, yes or no, and if the next word out of your mouth isn't either yes or no, the interview will be over."
In my opinion, answering the questions is part of doing your job. These people are elected to represent us. How can they represent us if they dodge yes or no questions?
ABC showed a clip of Rep. Ken Buck, a Republican from Colorado.
REP. KEN BUCK (R-CO): Our nation is on a collision course with reality. And a steadfast commitment to truth, even uncomfortable truths, is the only way forward. Too many Republican leaders are lying to America, claiming that the 2020 election was stolen.
After that:
STEPHANOPOULOS: He said that you're one of those leaders who has been unequivocal in saying it was a clean election, that Joe Biden did not steal the election.
Your response?
SCALISE: Well, Ken, I’ve worked with, on a number of issues, including getting spending under control, getting our economy back on track. He's talked about that 2020 election as well.
-- It goes on with no direct response.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Can you say unequivocally the 2020 election was not stolen?
SCALISE: What I’ve told you, there are states that didn’t follow their laws. That is what the state constitution – the U.S. Constitution requires. You know, I've seen in my own state where we had to send our elections commissioner to jail years ago for fraud and corruption. And we cleaned up our act in our state. Every state ought to follow the laws that are on their books. That’s what the U.S. Constitution says.
STEPHANOPOULOS: That’s not what I asked. I said, can you say unequivocally that the 2020 election was not stolen?
SCALISE: Look, Joe Biden’s president. I know you and others want to talk about 2020. We’re focused on the future.
-- Again, it goes on with no direct response. There are several rounds of this.
STEPHANOPOULOS: I know that every single – I know that every court that looked at whether the election was stolen said it wasn't, rejected those claims. And I asked you a very, very simple question. Now I've asked it, I think, the fifth time that you can't appear to answer. Can you say unequivocally that the 2020 election was not stolen?
SCALISE: I told you – I told you there were a handful – there were a handful of – there were a handful of states that didn't follow their laws.
-- Scalise continues for a while, still without a direct answer.
There was one more round of this before the end of the segment and Scalise never said "yes" or "no". Per Ken Buck's lead-in, Scalise showed himself to be one of the problem people in Buck's party, and if he can't be truthful on this, how can we trust anything he says?
Scalise was asked 8 times in the conversation. Scalise dodged 8 times never saying "yes" or "no".
I wish that more interviewers would play hardball more often.
Like, I get it they can't get a reputation for being hostile or nobody will give them interviews, but just as often the subjects want to be interviewed because they want to get their own message/promotion/plug out there.
In those cases, I feel like the interviewer is entirely within their rights to say something like, "I've asked 5 times now and every time you've been evasive. So here that question comes again. We're not moving past it until you answer it. So here it is, yes or no, and if the next word out of your mouth isn't either yes or no, the interview will be over."
In my opinion, answering the questions is part of doing your job. These people are elected to represent us. How can they represent us if they dodge yes or no questions?
Italics highlight cuts for brevity. Full transcript at: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/week-transcript-11-5-23-white-house-deputy/story?id=104633936
ABC showed a clip of Rep. Ken Buck, a Republican from Colorado.
After that:
-- It goes on with no direct response.
-- Again, it goes on with no direct response. There are several rounds of this.
-- Scalise continues for a while, still without a direct answer.
There was one more round of this before the end of the segment and Scalise never said "yes" or "no". Per Ken Buck's lead-in, Scalise showed himself to be one of the problem people in Buck's party, and if he can't be truthful on this, how can we trust anything he says?