Anatomy of an Answer
Posted By Senator McCoy Feb 19 2008 02:48PM
The media is definitely back on the job. Last night, CBC took both the Conservatives and the Liberals to task over projected spending plans. In an interview with Industry Minister Jim Prentice, for example, his allegations that Liberals are spendthrift got short shrift from Susan Bonner.
What is most interesting is the set pattern Conservatives have developed in responding to astute questioning. Whether in QP, committees or interviews, they follow a simple enough rubric:
(1) Briefly acknowledge whatever question is asked.
(2) Roll out the rhetoric (effectively ignoring the question).
(3) Praise the Conservatives.
(4) Attack the Liberals.
(5) Repeat steps 2 to 4 as often as time allows.
(6) Throughout, never budge or concede your position, and always keep a firm authoritative tone.
The more adept practitioners of this practice often manage to reduce questioners to a sort of flustered incoherence. Mr. Prentice's performance last night was classic. The tape could well be used as a training video for aspiring cabinet ministers.
To watch the interview on CBC, click here and select the Monday night episode
Posted On Feb 19 11:20PM
| Shamrock |
You know, it's kind of useful to have the pattern spelled out so clearly. I'll start to listen for it now. So often it's hard to know what to believe, but this will help signal the times when they're just blowing smoke.
Posted On Feb 19 11:14PM
| selim |
I suppose this is what's called "staying on message". The trick for us voters is figuring out how much of it is spin or half-truths or pure fantasy. One thing you can count on from the Cons, though, and that is their dedication to repetition. No doubt it works to their advantage at least in the short term. When folks hear something over and over again, they tend to believe it. I'm not so sure about the long term. The Prime Minister and his team are getting a reputation for aggressive distortions. Much as they'd like to forget that episode two elections ago (when they accused Paul Martin of pornography or whatever it was), people still remember it and the media bring it up from time to time just to remind us.
Posted On Feb 19 06:50PM
| Seebe |
Interesting really. I think it its getting to the point that they will just start defining their own terms and come up with their own dictionary.
Granola mom wanting to make the world a better place for her children.
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