FEMA Fakes Press Conference.

[Balta1701]

That's true. Maybe she needs more time.

It took what, 4 years in office before we discovered that the guy lobbing softball planted Q's at the President was actually a homosexual male prostitute. I'd say she's ahead of the curve, already planting the questions.

[mr_genius]

homosexual male prostitute.

 

I think you need to deal with your homophobic issues.

[southsider2k5]

I wonder if the staffers for Hillary that planted her softball questions will get any percentage of the scrutiny as the FEMA folks?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,310417,00.html

 

So not only was the question a plant, but they have a systematic approach to doing it... Also they mention that she wasn't the only plant, but never mention any other people/info. Can we get some details?

 

http://www.drudgereport.com/flash.htm

 

Clinton's planted student speaks out, says she just wants honesty

Tue Nov 13 2007 08:17:37 ET

 

The college student who says she was told what question to ask at one of Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign events--and whose story in her campus newspaper has now made its way around the world--said Monday that "voters have a right to know what happened, adding that she "wasn't the only one at the event who was a plant."

 

In an exclusive taped interview with CNN, Muriel Gallo-Chasanoff, a sophomore at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, said that giving anyone specific questions to ask is "dishonest," and the whole incident has given her a negative outlook on politics.

 

Gallo-Chasanoff, an undecided voter, said what happened was really pretty simple: she says a senior Clinton staffer asked if she'd like to ask the senator a question after an energy speech she gave in Newton, Iowa, on November 6.

 

"I sort of thought about it, and I said 'Yeah, can I ask how her energy plan compares to the other candidates' energy plans?'" Gallo-Chasanoff said.

 

"'I don't think that’s a good idea," the staffer said, according to Gallo-Chasanoff, "because I don’t know how familiar she is with their plans."

 

He then opened a binder to a page that, according to Gallo-Chasanoff, had about eight questions on it.

 

Developing...

 

[Rex Kickass]

Kerry did it in 04, as did Bush. I guarantee you that Romney, Guiliani, McCain, Obama, Richardson and Edwards all do it too. Maybe Thompson too, but I think his audience gets too sleepy to know for sure.

 

There was even an episode of That '70s show focused around it. This is a time honored tradition. At rallies and town halls, everything is generally scripted. That's why when a candidate gets heckled - or someone asks an honest question, it makes news.

 

I don't know why people are so shocked at this.

 

 

[NorthSideSox72]

Kerry did it in 04, as did Bush. I guarantee you that Romney, Guiliani, McCain, Obama, Richardson and Edwards all do it too. Maybe Thompson too, but I think his audience gets too sleepy to know for sure.

 

There was even an episode of That '70s show focused around it. This is a time honored tradition. At rallies and town halls, everything is generally scripted. That's why when a candidate gets heckled - or someone asks an honest question, it makes news.

 

I don't know why people are so shocked at this.

I'd bet candidates do it to variable extents. Clinton seems to run a heavily strategized campaign - doesn't surprise me she does it a lot. Someone like Obama, Huckabee or McCain, who are just naturally better off the cuff, probably do it less directly or less so. Marginal guys like Kucinich probably don't do it at all.

 

[southsider2k5]

I guess my question to you would be why would any accept this? We should all be pissed off about this, not dismissing it. Jesus its bad enough the dollars that are put into these campaigns, and yet we can even get a real question asked at these events? Maybe if we actually did this right, we could get best candidate on the ballot, instead of the person with the staff most effective at throwing lob questions to their own people. I don't care if everyone does this, it doesn't make it right.

[NorthSideSox72]

I guess my question to you would be why would any accept this? We should all be pissed off about this, not dismissing it. Jesus its bad enough the dollars that are put into these campaigns, and yet we can even get a real question asked at these events? Maybe if we actually did this right, we could get best candidate on the ballot, instead of the person with the staff most effective at throwing lob questions to their own people. I don't care if everyone does this, it doesn't make it right.

Agreed.

 

When I was in UK for a while in, I think, 2000, I watched a "town hall" meeting that Tony Blair was hosting during his election cycle. Now, I don't want to get into how good or bad Blair was as a PM, but I was very impressed by this get-together. It was painfully clear that there was no prompting of questions or topics, and in fact, there was a lot less organization in general. People bombarded him with tough, and sometimes confusing or leading questions, and people in the audience sometimes chimed in randomly. It was, *gasp*, like an actual town hall meeting. Blair looked a little flustered a couple times, but mostly maintained his composure and looked pretty good doing it.

 

And guess what? That charismatic, patient, open-minded demeanor was said in the press there to be one of the big reasons he won huge in that election. Maybe our own candidates could take a page from that book.

 

[Rex Kickass]

I guess my question to you would be why would any accept this? We should all be pissed off about this, not dismissing it. Jesus its bad enough the dollars that are put into these campaigns, and yet we can even get a real question asked at these events? Maybe if we actually did this right, we could get best candidate on the ballot, instead of the person with the staff most effective at throwing lob questions to their own people. I don't care if everyone does this, it doesn't make it right.

 

True, but then again, if you hold a forum where you can ask the questions - people just don't show up. Our participatory democracy has become about as participatory as American Idol. They want to be entertained, then they vote on Election Day. If issues mattered as much as they should, people like Bill Richardson would be the front runner - despite the fact that they can't make a good appearance to save their lives.