Good morning, class. Professor Brancaccio is back again. Thanks so much for signing up for “How to Answer the Difficult Questions if You’re a Politician.”
Cooper, your thoughts?
“Well, how about just being honest?”
Terrific. It’s a great technique. Honesty is the best policy. It has always been a way to live. For all of us. Who else? Hannah?
“How about the facts? Oftentimes the facts or statistics can prove your point.”
Good one. It’s difficult to argue against the facts or numbers. So if you have the facts or numbers on your side, just using them is a great idea. Anyone else? Jimmy?
“Logic. I love logic. Once this technique is deployed it’s difficult to go wrong.”
Indeed, Jimmy. As you all know, logic is reasoning conducted or assessed according to strict principles of validity.
Honesty, facts and logic are three great examples of ways to answer a question.
And I have to say I have seen many politicians use the above techniques. But can anyone come up with not-so-good ways politicians use?
Fernando? Thoughts?
“Professor, it appears that you, this class and the rest of us are either living in a dream world or are delusional.”
Why do you say that, Fernando?
“When politicians get their hands caught in the cookie jar, how often do they come clean and just admit it?”
So, what do they do, Fernando?
“Well, this class should be called ‘The Art of Dodging tough questions: Divert, Divert, Divert.'”
Continue, Fernando.
“Professor, you’ve had a number of classes on how government workers are better off than private workers. You’ve laid out a compelling case as to why that is.
“But what you mostly get in response are folks who say, ‘Enough already, you’ve ridden that horse into the ground.’
“That’s not an answer. That’s a diversion.
“Recently The Columbian had some commentary about why it was inappropriate to have legislators charge taxpayers for their dry cleaning.
“Government supporters railed against it. And what did they say? They said doing a story and an opinion column on it was too much when the state was facing a huge deficit.
“That’s not an answer. That’s a diversion.”
Fair enough, Fernando. And class, it is true that the art of diversion is one of the oldest tricks in the book. Some of our conservative website commenters also use this technique beautifully.
If someone they like gets taken to the woodshed for something he did wrong, rather than argue the facts, they argue that maybe some liberals did the same thing wrong and why didn’t the media go after them.
As noted by Fernando, that’s not a defense, that’s a diversion.
Any other techniques that politicians deploy? Danni?
“When diversion isn’t used, lying low isn’t a bad choice. How many times have we seen politicians just shutting their pie hole?”
Another excellent point. So diversion and silence are two key things to look at when politicians are in a tough spot.
Well, how do politicians continue to get away with all of this? Jake?
“The public doesn’t put enough pressure on them.”
Curious. Very curious. Class dismissed.
Lou Brancaccio is The Columbian’s editor. Reach him at 360-735-4505, http://twitter.com/lounews or lou.brancaccio@columbian.com.
