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| Responding To Ambush Questions: Get Tough Dems |
| Saturday, October 07, 2006 |
One question that may be asked is: How can Democratic candidates and incumbents use all media outlets, particularly live television interviews, to demonstrate strength and mental fortitude? By utilizing a consistent strategy in responding to ambush questions. Hostile interviewers can then be approached with a certain level of delight.
The primary weapon of an interviewer is the question itself. The key for candidates is to capture and own the questions and, in doing so, control the flow of the subsequent rhetoric. Similar to effective sales strategy, it is a matter of obtaining and maintaining control during the process of exchange and subtly directing the final outcome of that exchange. Democratic candidates and incumbents can benefit from savvy approaches to rhetoric and constant training in strategies of verbal and written exchange.
Here is one recipe for responding to an attack or ambush question. With adequate preparation ambush questions are opportunities to convey message and to reorder the facts without becoming defensive. A defensive response is a weak response, when ambushed it is important to attack, particularly, if verifiable evidence is in the favor of the ambushed individual. When an interviewer presents and ambush question, lick your chops because they are lobbing you a home run ball all you have to do is hit it. Remember an ambush question is a tactic and tactics of the opposition can be neutralized and converted into assets.
Consider the following method or response to a hostile questioner:
Accept (as opposed to deflect) the question(s). Deflection is the defensive tactic and critical viewers may view it as a weasel-like.
Control the question and, therefore, interviewer. Ask the interviewer: "Are you certain you want me to answer this question? or "Is this the question you want me to answer?" Elicit a "Yes" or "No" response. The interviewer must respond "yes" to affirm its desire to have the question answered and now is partially disarmed. If response is "No", eagerly request another question and return to the default neutral position. If the response is "Yes", own the question.
Own the question. (This is the stage where control and containment occurs.) Repeat the question verbatim. Answer the question willingly and get excited. There is no reason to appear dead from the neck up, emotions are viable and valuable tools of human expression. You might as well appear convicted and committed to the response, because once a response is made your statements will be the tools by which you are convicted and committed or condemned. If the interviewer interrupts, verify with them: "Did you want me to answer your question?"
Finish answering the question and comment on how "clever", "shrewd", or "sharp" the interviewer is. Be certain that your delivery has a degree of sarcasm with a touch of contempt; however, remain composed, as this is still part of the control phase. Basically, try to avoid calling the interviewer a "punk", unless you see a direct short-and long-term advantage in close quarters mudslinging. This rarely exists.
If the interviewer becomes hostile, remain amiable.
Additionally, when answering hostile questions, proceed in an orderly manner. Present, the response in the same way one would read a bulleted list. Numbered bullets imply even more strength and control of the facts at hand.
If someone is going to go out there and represent me, it is important to know that they have enough heat inside them to strike back when struck by a backhand blow. Because it is hard for me to see how someone can defend me against a serious threat, if they are incapable of defending themselves against a question. |
posted by Domesticated Dog @ 11:15 AM   |
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