Hypocritical Jansing Derides Gotcha Journalism Before Playing Gotcha with Christine O'Donnell Remark
Chris Jansing's cognitive dissonance must be excruciating.
On today's "Jansing and Co.," the MSNBC anchor initially rejected the practice of gotcha journalism in political campaign coverage, but proceeded to play gotcha with a comment made yesterday by Delaware Republican Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell.
"I'm not a big fan of trying to do a gotcha," prefaced Jansing, directing the remark at retired Army General Wesley Clark. "I've said that before on this program. But does it bother you at all when someone can't name a current member of the Senate on the Democratic side?"
Clark, who ran for president in 2004 as a Democrat, refuted Jansing's gotcha question: "Well, first of all I think that's a little bit of a stretch in this case. She wasn't asked to name a current member, she was asked to name someone she'd like to work with. So I think that's a little bit of a stretch."
In last night's debate, the moderator asked O'Donnell to name a Democratic Senator she would "feel comfortable working with," to which the Republican nominee named former Senator Hillary Clinton. O'Donnell acknowledged that Clinton is "not a senator anymore," but that she has used "her name a lot on the campaign trail."
Chris Coons, the Democratic nominee, split hairs over O'Donnell's response: "One of the real risks as we go forward is that if we elect someone who literally cannot name a single currently serving senator in my party with whom she would work, we're advancing someone who has no experience crossing the bipartisan divide."
Jansing's attempt to parrot Coons's talking points was rejected even by Clark, who soberly observed, "It's normal that people who have been outside of government want to get into it, they probably don't know the people on the inside. But on the other hand, that doesn't mean that they couldn't learn them and couldn't do a good job."
"The issue here is the level of experience and competence," contended Clark. "The voters have to judge this. Is this a problem that she doesn't seem to be very familiar with the workings of government? On the other hand, some people think she's very likeable and trustworthy. Those have always been the issues at play in American democracy."
It is unclear whether or not MSNBC, in booking Clark for the segment, expected him to spurn Jansing's loaded question. Perhaps the network underestimated the value of integrity instilled in the West Point valedictorian.
A transcript of the relevant portions of the segment can be found below:
MSNBC
Jansing and Co.
October 21, 2010
11:07 A.M. EDT
CHRIS JANSING: A gotcha moment for Delaware Republican Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell, but the moderator at last night's debate didn't exactly sound like he was trying to trick her.
MODERATOR: Give me a name, Christine, of someone in the US Senate – across the aisle – that you're comfortable working with.
CHRISTINE O'DONNELL, Republican Senate candidate: Well, she's not a senator anymore, but I would definitely have to say Hillary Clinton. I use her name a lot on the campaign trail.
CHRIS COONS, Democratic Senate candidate: One of the real risks as we go forward is that if we elect someone who literally cannot name a single currently serving senator in my party with whom she would work –
O'DONNELL: Senator Lieberman
COONS: – we're advancing someone who has no experience crossing the bipartisan divide.
JANSING: Let's bring back in Alicia Menendez and General Clark. General, I was on the campaign trail a little bit with you when you were running for president. You must have given 20 million interviews, you were constantly being asked questions. I'm not a big fan of trying to do a gotcha. I've said that before on this program. But does it bother you at all when someone can't name a current member of the Senate on the Democratic side?
WESLEY CLARK, former Democratic presidential candidate: Well, first of all I think that's a little bit of a stretch in this case. She wasn't asked to name a current member, she was asked to name someone she'd like to work with. So I think that's a little bit of a stretch, but I think in general as Democrats we have to respect the issues that are coming out of the electorate right now. There's a lot of anger out there, people are looking at new faces and it's normal that people who have been outside of government want to get into it, they probably don't know the people on the inside. But on the other hand, that doesn't mean that they couldn't learn them and couldn't do a good job. The issue here is the level of experience and competence. And this is the kind of issue that can only be resolved by the electorate and the kind of dialogue and communications that you showed on this. The voters have to judge this. Is this a problem that she doesn't seem to be very familiar with the workings of government? On the other hand, some people think she's very likeable and trustworthy. Those have always been the issues at play in American democracy.
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Comments
Geez!!! You can ask any NBer
Submitted by Guttermouth's Return on Thu, 10/21/2010 - 5:17pm.
Geez!!! You can ask any NBer to name a Democrat senator and each and every one will come up with 20 names.
If anything, O'Donnell is weak when it comes to answering on the spot, which makes complete sense of her refusal to speak with any news outlet that isn't GOP-approved.
It's Just Gotcha Politics at its Worst
Submitted by libBuster on Thu, 10/21/2010 - 5:29pm.
It is just gotcha politics at its worst. O'Donnell doesn't know these Senators and neither does Coons.
Ted Kennedy. He's the gold
Submitted by Jack Bauer on Thu, 10/21/2010 - 6:28pm.
Ted Kennedy. He's the gold standard.
I think all Republicans should vow, swear and take a pledge to work with Democrat Senators, Starting with Kennedy.
And to all those who say what the eff is THAT asinine question doing in any debate, well kung phoey to you.
All of the above Mr Obama? --- How about ALL OF THE BELOW, instead.
What does Ted Kennedy have to
Submitted by Guttermouth's Return on Thu, 10/21/2010 - 6:34pm.
What does Ted Kennedy have to do with this?
More than your asinine posts.
Submitted by Jack Bauer on Thu, 10/21/2010 - 6:45pm.
More than your asinine posts.
All of the above Mr Obama? --- How about ALL OF THE BELOW, instead.
She doesn't know the names of
Submitted by Guttermouth's Return on Thu, 10/21/2010 - 5:36pm.
She doesn't know the names of the 2 current Delaware senators? They're both Dems.
Maybe she does
Submitted by Model850 on Thu, 10/21/2010 - 6:01pm.
Maybe she does know their names but they're just not folks she'd want to work with. That was the question, after all, right?
; ^ D
Senate Minority Whip
Submitted by libBuster on Thu, 10/21/2010 - 7:34pm.
I wonder if Coons knows the name of the Republican State Senate Minority whip in New Mexico? There are any number of Gotcha questions.
This is just a cynical attempt to portray O'Donnell as something she clearly is not --- a moron. Meanwhile the old media deliberately ignores the big foot in mouth statements of Biden, Reid and Pelosi. Or Obama's corpse man.
O'Donnell will not be elected to work with Democrats.
Correct, Model850
Submitted by Jer on Thu, 10/21/2010 - 7:58pm.
Correct, Model850...
O'Donnell has been unfairly criticized for her response to the question--whereby she was asked to name senators or a senator she would want to work with if elected. [Who is she suppose to name: Boxer?] It was a loaded question to begin with and, even worse, misstated afterward to make her look unknowledgeable and ill-prepared. Cheap shot.
Jer
The mocking afterward was
Submitted by Guttermouth's Return on Thu, 10/21/2010 - 8:19pm.
The mocking afterward was unnecessary, but it's no more a "gotcha" question than it was asking Palin which magazines she reads. The position of US senator is an extremely important one, and any applicant should have some sort of idea as to who they'll be working with. Even the US naturalization exam asks who your state's senators are.
O'Donnell couldn't name one Democrat senator who she'd like to work with? How about Tom Carper...the other Delaware Senator?
I'm just not a very big fan
Submitted by Jer on Thu, 10/21/2010 - 8:32pm.
I'm just not a very big fan of the pop quiz type questions. Who's the ambassador to Belgium...What's the biggest river in Idaho...Name a US President whose last name has more than three syllables...Who is buried in Grant's Tomb...
It's high school crap.
Jer
Those questions are only
Submitted by Guttermouth's Return on Thu, 10/21/2010 - 9:21pm.
Those questions are only useful for the opponent's slag campaign.
But back to this specific question, let's think about this if she had answered it. It's a rather silly question as a standalone inquiry, which makes me wonder why it would have been asked in the first place during a serious debate. So, let's take it a step further assuming she gave an answer. Don't you think the moderator would have asked her to elaborate? And don't you think it would have been extremely awkward had she answered simply with a name without even explaining why?
This is why I don't think it was a gotcha question, because the follow up question depended on an answer. And personally, I'd like to hear my senators answer that question, especially if he or she was as inexperienced as O'Donnell. What does she intend to do as a United States senator? Falling in lockstep with the rest of the party is counter-productive at best, as we've clearly seen as of late.
I don't think it would have been a stretch for her to name the other senator from the state of Delaware.
Realy ADK?
Submitted by Boudin on Thu, 10/21/2010 - 9:20pm.
O'Donnell couldn't name one Democrat senator who she'd like to work with?
Makes me like her even more. I have to admit, I am damn disappointed by some of the Repub leadership suggesting they would be willing to work with the dimwits. Apparently, they haven't received the memo that we are tapped out, broke, bankrupt!
The unfunded mandates alone are going to make our currency worth squat sooner then they think.
They're supposed to work
Submitted by Guttermouth's Return on Thu, 10/21/2010 - 9:23pm.
They're supposed to work together to represent we the people, not against each other in a game of "who gets to rule the world now?"
Name a single spending bill that
Submitted by Boudin on Thu, 10/21/2010 - 10:16pm.
the dimwits have passed that has had the support of the American people? Who wants anyone to work with those corrupt, arrogant elitist. As far as thats concerned you can include most of the Repubs as well.
Fact is dude, we aint going to make it if they continue to use tax dollars to buy votes. We are already broke, hard times are coming. We better nip it to lessen the blow. We are loosing our production to the greenies, the techno field to the Chicoms and other Asians, our energy production to Gov bureaucracy and our work force is diluted with illegals. Yet we continue to create new agencies and increase spending like there in no tomorrow. This cant continue, in-fact it's already to late, the bills are piling up, and the fed is starting to print money.
No biggie, no
Submitted by Guttermouth's Return on Thu, 10/21/2010 - 7:39pm.
No biggie, no biggie.
Except for anyone who wishes for American citizenship. USCIS exam asks the question for the applicant to name their state's senators.
What would be the point?
Submitted by Injest on Fri, 10/22/2010 - 4:04am.
"But does it bother you at all when someone can't name a current member of the Senate on the Democratic side?""
Who cares? What’s the point? They won’t have a job on Nov. 3.
After the Nov. 2 election Dems will be irrelevant.
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