Posted on 06/11/2014 10:48:29 PM PDT by chessplayer
And while tea party groups and talk radio hosts are celebrating the downfall of a Republican member of Congress who came to symbolize the “establishment,” there are indications that this enthusiasm is misplaced.
In the wake of his victory, Brat joined MSNBC host Chuck Todd on Wednesday where he received a gentle grilling and was asked for his position on a variety of policy matters. Brat seemed entirely unprepared to have to speak on issues of substance. In fact, he suggested – perhaps (hopefully) jokingly – that he thought Todd invited him on the program merely to celebrate his victory.
“Where are you on the minimum wage?” Todd began, starting off with a question right in this economics expert’s wheelhouse.
Brat railed against unspecific distorting effects on the market before he was prompted to say whether or not he thought a minimum wage should even exist? “I don’t have a well-crafted response on that one,” Brat replied.
…Okay. So, how about foreign policy?
“Would you be in favor of arming the Syrian rebels?” Todd asked.
“Hey, Chuck, I thought we were just going to chat today about the celebratory aspect,” Brat replied. “I’d love to go through all this, but my mind is just, uh, I didn’t get much sleep.”
“I love the policy questions, I’m happy to do more, but I just wanted to talk about the victory here,” he continued.
Sure, sleep deprivation will dull anyone’s wit. But any competent Republican campaigner should be able to endure the rendition tactics depicted in Zero Dark Thirty and emerge aware of the fact that MSNBC is not the place insurgent tea partiers go for softballs.
Maybe Brat was, as he said, merely exhausted from a long night following his primary victory. However, as The Washington Examiner’s Ashe Schow noted, “he’s going to have to get it together real quick now that he’s been thrust into the national spotlight.”
Agree... Don’ t react... Relax and move to your own agenda....Reagan did this and they loved to brand him as stupid because he didn’t take the bait.
Your guy lost. Brat won. Deal with it.
Neither of them was “my guy.” Deal with that.
Strikes me as odd that he can’t answer some basic economics questions on minimum wage. He’s a professor of economics, so he should be able to answer these in his sleep.
“Those weren’t complex questions and he didn’t have a clue how to answer them.”
Definitely concerning, especially the one on minimum wage. You would think an economics prof would be able to answer that one in his sleep.
He better wake up very quickly, or they’ll “Palinize” him.
He didn’t even seem to know that MSNBC is enemy territory!
“When will conservatives learn? He should have never NEVER gone on MSNBC.”
I don’t think he even KNEW that MSNBC is enemy territory!
Let’s hope he doesn’t end up being another embarrassment.
Brat’s not a seasoned politician or public figure at that level. What may seem like easy questions to you isn’t exactly the issue. It’s not so much about the questions at this moment. It’s about what Brat has been working toward for the last few months leading up to this victory, the significance of that win, sleep deprivation coupled with public and media appearances.
And you can apply all those things to obama. Did it mean he suddenly became a competent leader just because he won? I don’t think so.
That said, it was a minor incident, probably caused by post campaign fatigue. Hopefully he learned from it, and won't be caught off guard again.
Everyone running against an establishment candidate should pay attention to how he was able to win, in spite of having very little money and support from the GOP or the Tea Party.
As an example, I like how he phrases his positions on issues using simple terms and declaring them to be about free markets and the Constitution, not right vs left.
At least no one watches MSNBC, so no damage done. However, he needs to learn pretty quick the art of how to give non-answers.
I take back my previews posts here after reading the transcript. He actually answered the questions rather well.
Thanks ansel for posting the full interview. The excerpt that chessplayer posted is very misleading and does a disservice to Brat and us freepers.
Take a look at my post #49. I take back my previous criticism after reading the FULL transcript.
I recommend you read it too to get a true picture of what he said.
All 17 of MSNBC’s viewers saw the interview.
Ha! Not so. Reading the transcript up-thread Mr. Brat gave detailed answers.
Be cautious of any allegation aimed at a Conservative even from friendlies.
I guess he won't expect a fair shake next time.
I happened to see that interview... For MSNBC, it was actually pretty good. Todd attempted to nail him down on the hard-hitting issues (Syria, etc), and the reference to celebrating the moment was apparently in jest. Brat suggested to Todd they schedule an in-depth interview and he’ll be happy to discuss those issues in depth.
Exactly! Make outrageous charges against liberals! Nobody cares about the truth. Perception is reality. By the time the liberal figures out how to even respond to the charges, the news cycle has moved on.
But the charge remains. People will remember, "Wasn't that guy accused of _______________ last year?"
That's how Republicans have been labeled as racists so effectively. Democrats have been making the charge for decades, and it's stuck. What's the typical Republican response? "I'm not racist!" That doesn't effing work! It's being on the DEFENSIVE!
Accuse THEM of some monstrous activity, over and over. Eventually it'll stick.
Enough with "I challenge you to a debate", enough "Open Letter to _______," enough pointing out their hypocrisy without a damned counterattack, enough with trying to make them like us.
Literally none that that stuff has worked. NONE of it.
Time to attack and destroy these bastards. One at a time if necessary.
Did you not read the transcript? He had a very good answer the first time he was asked but when it wasn’t sound bite or gotcha friendly Todd asked him again to say yes or no.
Oh, he answered that minimum wage question correctly, just not in the way Todd wanted him to. He gave a very, very good answer.
He should have simply declined an MSNBC interview at this time, but, at least almost nobody saw it.
Good to see he’s not Slick Willy.
Perhaps he should have started crying,like Boehner.
I don’t agree and am wondering why you posted this article.
Sniff, sniff.
If you read the actual interview he gave very good answers and deflected when the scumbag tried to trap him. As to whether he should have gone on msnbc that’s debatable. Frankly I don’t think it was a bad choice. He is running for a seat in a central VA. He is part of that culture which puts more credence on honor and courage than on glib responses to ambush interview questions. Actually he probably scored a few points back home WHERE IT MATTERS for having the cajones to go on msnbc. Part of why the weasel got roasted was he was just a little too slick and glib for the district he allegedly represented.
Sigh. Some of us kinda figured this was going to happen.
Political novice gets pulled into an obvious ambush, speaks off the cuff with little time to prepare and because he’s tired gives ill-thought out responses that will be used against him all the way up to the general election.
It’s just a matter of time before they force him to declare on national tv that he’s not a “witch” too, which at that point you’ve already lost.
Somebody better get him a better press guy and scheduler, STAT.
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