Posted on 06/26/2011 10:26:04 AM PDT by mandaladon
One might expect to hear the term flake bandied about in a private conservation when talking about another person not present, but it is not a term that often comes up on Sunday morning public affairs talk shows — especially so directly.
However, on “Fox News Sunday,” it was a description moderator Chris Wallace asked 2012 Republican presidential candidate Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, who Wallace said has a reputation in Washington of making “questionable statements,” to respond to.
“Finally, let’s talk about Michele Bachmann because — and you say — it’s interesting,” Wallace said. “You say that people saw in the debate, saw you as a serious person. I don’t have to tell you that you have — that the rap on you in Washington is you have a history of questionable statements, some would say gaffes ranging from — talking about anti-America members of Congress, to on this show a couple of months ago when you suggested that NATO airstrikes killed up to 30,000 civilians. Are you a flake?”
Bachmann called the description “insulting” and explained why that wasn’t a fair term to use to describe her.
“Well, I think that would be insulting to say something like that because I’m a serious person,” Bachmann said. “[W]hat I would say is that I am 55 years old. I’ve been married 33 years. I’m not only a lawyer, I have a post-doctorate degree in federal tax law from William and Mary. I’ve worked in serious scholarship and in have worked in the Unites States federal tax court. My husband and I have raised five kids and 23 foster children. We’ve applied ourselves to education reform. We started a charter school for at-risk kids.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailycaller.com ...
Obama: '10,000 People Died' in Kansas TornadoRICHMOND, Va. — Barack Obama, caught up in the fervor of a campaign speech Tuesday, drastically overstated the Kansas tornadoes death toll, saying 10,000 had died.
The death toll was 12.
"In case you missed it, this week, there was a tragedy in Kansas. Ten thousand people died — an entire town destroyed," the Democratic presidential candidate said in a speech to 500 people packed into a sweltering Richmond art studio for a fundraiser.
0bama is a flake.
“Bachmann could have responded better by not using her seemingly canned statement about who she is, IMO.”
Yes, but .... I think this is a planned, rehearsed, tactic when caught off guard by a question. Resort to “boilerplate” that you can spiel off without thinking. That way you don’t sit there with your mouth wide open and then say something stupid. This gives you time, thinking about your options, while delivering the boilerplate that you don’t even have to think about.
Then probably, unless you think of something “brilliant” to say, you should just let it drop.
So, in this case, she took the easy way out. Smart, not BOLD. Not what, I assure you, Chris Christie would have done. He would have told Chris Wallace it was “none of your business”. The old Palin would have done a Bachmann, but I’m not so sure about the new Palin. I think she would do a Christie.
And Christie stands firm about his answer.
“Christie: I Was ‘Damn Right’ in Reaction to Question About Kids’ Schooling”
“You’ll get her tone and her demeanor in that question ...”
“I’m not abrasive at all. Listen. I’m honest. I wish we had more of it in politics. You know what people are tired of in politics? They are tired of blow dried tested answers that are given by political consultants, the politicians and everybody sounds the same — everybody sounds the same.”
Christie is a “natural” when it comes to this. Palin, seems to have learned it. It’s about being comfortable in your own skin. It’s about being able to think ahead and talk at the same time. It’s a skill. Not everyone is good at it.
Not everyone can learn to play the piano. Even fewer can play it well. Christie is a virtuoso, it remains to be seen if Palin is. I hope so. It is a winning attribute.
Bachman is taking piano lessons, she isn’t ready for her first recital. She may never be.
“She should have quoted some of Obama’s flakiest comments back at him and asked if he would question the president the same way.”
The best post!
Chris Wallace or Chris Matthews? What is wrong with this guy? Clearly being the son of Mike Wallace means he has some bad genes but isn’t somebody reviewing this stuff before getting on the air?
Bachman has appeared on these shows many times. Yet, there she is still trucking on. Matthews has insulted her many times to her face, yet Michele keeps going.
She is a pepperpot if nothing else.
By the way, Chrissy knows she is a formidable opponent from the right.
“..Seems to me this criticism is just Palin fans bitter that Michele Bachmann threw her hat in the ring. There wasn’t the hatred of her around here before she started thinking about running for president..”
Once Bachmann threw her hat in the ring, a higher standard of handling interviews came into play. We Palin supporters are not bitter that she is running but realistically she has mishandled a number of interviews and Rollins dissing of Palin.
Bachmann is a second, third, or fourth choice behind Palin for most of her (Palin’s) supporters. In that respect there remains a strong concern about her ability to avoid embarrassment at the hands of flamer interviewers. Her record in that regard is not stellar. Lack of improvement would have a serious impact on her ability to persuade swing voters in the general election, should she become the nominee. She needs to avoid overuse of the boilerplate resume and the sometimes appearance of canned answers.
Overall, I like Bachmann, but as another poster noted, she is not ready for the recital yet. Neither is Cain (even farther away); Perry is TBD. Of course Palin is the virtuoso, but her concert is not scheduled yet.
Fire this bum! OBAMA IS THE FLAKE!!!!!
Primetime my friend, is when you take on your opponent to their face. That is primetime. If you cannot do that and hold your own, you are not ready.
Bachmann has no problem doing that. You have to fight outside of FOX News.
She's beginning to sound like John F'n (I was in Vietnam) Kerry with that constant reminder.
I feel like I just described Jethro Bodine from an episode of the Beverly Hillbillies. 0bama is one sophisticated flake!
Oh? Aren't you the one whining that Free Republic is like DU because people are 'attacking' Bachmann?
Good apology and I agree, Ms. Bachmann gave a solid answer to a possibly incendiary question. I did NOT like her rambling answer to the gay marriage question. I would have preferred her to just say she’s against it and while the states may vote how they will, the people of the United States may have the last say.
Chris Wallace was channeling for Chris Matthews. The interview had a goal to make her sound like she was a liar, double-talker, and stupid. I’m glad she stood up to everything and maintained exceptional composure. I realize she’s going to get tough interviews, but I don’t hear him take the same aggressive line with the men he interviews.
It was a ‘gotcha’ question that I wish she would have handled a little better and more direct, specifically going after Wallace. Glad Wallace apologized, but the reality is, this is only the beginning for Bachmann and the LSM tango.
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