On Thursday, Joe Biden sat down for an interview with Barbara West, anchor for Florida’s WFTV. What followed is nearly beyond description. Conservatives have been quick to proclaim that it shows Joe Biden “angry” as a result of being asked “tough questions.” Several conservative blogs have identical postings referring to it as a “hissy fit…”
Here’s the clip…you be the judge of both Biden’s behavior and the questions that are being asked:
I have to say that I was surprised by the clip AND the response from the right:
1) I do not see Biden as “angry.” Biden is obviously shocked at the phrasing of the questions, and I wouldn’t doubt that he was a bit disgusted that a journalist would behave so unprofessionally…but I thought he actually did a remarkable job of keeping composed. I might not have been so accommodating. I’d try to avoid offering little more than my opinion or impressions on this matter, but when remarking on how a “person seems” in a clip, I’m not left with much choice.
2) These are not “tough questions.” They are “loaded questions” and there’s a lot of “loaded vocabulary.” There’s a difference.
A QUICK PRIMER:
The question West asked: “Aren’t you embarrassed by the blatant attempts to register phony voters by ACORN, an organization that Barack Obama has been tied to in the past.
How a professional would have asked it: He or she would have avoided terms that insinuate pre-judgment …”How do you respond to the current allegations that ACORN workers filed fraudulent voter registrations, and what are Obama’s ties to ACORN, if any?”
The question West asked: “Sen. Obama famously told Joe the Plumber that he wanted to spread his wealth around. Gallup polls show 84% of Americans prefer government focus on improving financial conditions and creating more jobs in the U.S. as opposed to taking steps to distributing wealth. Isn’t Sen. Obama’s statement a potentially crushing political blunder?”
How a professional would have asked it: Again, he or she would use exaggerated language that implies that he or she has feelings on the matter such as “famously” or “blunder.” They might ask: “Some have criticized Obama’s statement to Joe the plumber regarding “sharing the wealth.” What are your thoughts regarding Senator Obama’s comment?”
The question West asked: “You may recognize this famous quote. “From each according to his abilities to each according to his needs.” That’s from Karl Marx. How is Sen. Obama not being a Marxist if he intends to spread the wealth around?”
How a professional would have asked it: There is no professional way to ask this question. Without any statements of explanation and fact…just based on a comment about “sharing the wealth” she overtly accuses Obama of being a Marxist. For those without a background in Political Science or Philosophy…here’s a quick study on Marxism: http://www.answers.com/topic/marxism…essentially there’s no private property anymore…none…everything is shared…no private businesses either. That is certainly not a reasonable goal to attribute to Barack Obama, the complete abolishment of free enterprise and property, but the real purpose behind a comparison to Marxism is to link the individual to Communism, a term which has a VERY negative connotation in the United States. Either way, it is an extremely incendiary and unreasonable claim, and one would not expect it to be made by a member of the objective press.
The question West asked: “Now you recently said “Mark my words. It won’t be six months before the world tests Barack Obama.” But what worries many people is your caveat asking them to stand with him because it won’t be apparent that he got it right. Are you forewarning the American people that something might not get done and that America’s days as the world’s leader might be over?”
How a professional would have asked it: He or she would avoid putting words in the interviewee’s mouth…they’d ask, “You recently stated “Mark my words. It won’t be six months before the world tests Barack Obama.” In what ways will he be tested, and what should the American people reasonably expect from Obama’s responses to these tests?”
Still not clear…? Here are some similar questions, violating the same codes of professional reporting…but aimed at McCain. Would you see these questions as “tough” or “biased?”
-”Senator McCain, you were heavily involved in the now infamous Keating Five Scandal. Aren’t you embarrassed at your choice of supporting a campaign donor and friend at the expense of thousands of peoples life savings?”
-”Senator, Governor Palin’s husband was a member of an flagrantly unpatriotic group calling for Alaska’s secession from the United States…doesn’t it bother you having someone on your ticket who is obviously un-American?”
-”Senator McCain: your party has consistently opposed abortions even under the most reasonable of circumstances…what would you say to women who ask why you care so little for their health…and what first made you a sexist?”
I’m hoping that once seen from both sides it is clear that questions such as these have no place in a professional newsroom…no matter which side they are coming from.
As if to further display her bias, Barbara West threw some real softballs when she interviewed McCain. Here’s that clip:
West not only doesn’t ask him the same sort of questions…she actually SETS UP OPPORTUNITIES for him to criticize Obama and use campaign talking points. I’ll just say “shameful” and leave it at that.
UPDATE: 9:26 AM, 10.28 – Turns out…West’s husband is a GOP strategist. Who would have guessed? Again, shameful.