Mark Jacob: How Republicans dodge questions and get away with it

[Nevilledog]

https://www.stopthepresses.news/p/how-republicans-dodge-questions-and

Republicans love doing interviews. But they hate answering questions.

That was evident last week when Donald Trump appeared before Black journalists and was asked about his past racist behavior. His response: “I don’t think I’ve ever been asked a question in such a horrible manner.”

That’s a common Trump trick – shifting the focus when he gets a tough question. ABC’s Rachel Scott attempted to press the issue, but Trump often talked over her. At least she tried, which is more than CNN’s anchors did during the Trump-Biden debate in June. Asked what he’d do to make child care more affordable, Trump discussed his former chief of staff John Kelly, the FBI, Afghanistan and the border – but nothing about child care. Rather than pushing for a real answer, CNN host Jake Tapper responded, “Thank you, President Trump.”

Way too often right-wing politicians dodge questions and get away with it. Here’s my list of a dozen ways Republicans respond when they don't want to address what’s asked:

1. That’s not my focus.

Ousted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was asked last December whether he’d support a primary challenge against Matt Gaetz and other Republicans who had turned on him. His non-answer: “I'm not focused on that.” You’d think some journalist might say, “Well, get focused on it because that’s what we’re asking you about.” But no.

2. I don’t want to talk about the past.

When Republicans don’t want to talk about ticklish subjects like Trump’s criminal cases, they use some version of what Rep. Darin LaHood said last year: “Politics is about the future, not about the past.” This is a particularly popular GOP sidestep. Former Vice President Mike Pence likes to dismiss the value of “relitigating the past.”

*snip*

[displacedvermoter]

1. President Obama upon his election said that

we "had to look forward and not backwards" when talking about investigating Bush/Cheney crimes and corruption, just like Congressman LaHood.

Apparently Republicans aren't the only ones who have let The GOP off the hook.

[Oopsie Daisy]

2. Ah, yes... that's totally the same thing. 🤣😂🤪

Please.

[GPV]

3. It wasn't a good thing in the minds of many. Just saying.

[displacedvermoter]

4. Yeah, it is the same thing, actually

and the little funny faces don't change the reality.

Not investigating, publicizing, and then where appropriate prosecuting the worst offenders of that sordid era (the theft of Florida's EVs, the failure to prevent 911, the war crimes that took place in our names, Hurricane Katrina, etc) helped the GOP to survive what could have been a colossal devastation. This hampered Obama's presidency, empowered McConnell to seize the Judicial Branch, and paved the way for Trump in 2016.

[Oopsie Daisy]

5. LOL! No, it's not the "same thing" that the GOP does when evading questions.

Obama made a decision that you disagree with. But that's irrelevant. The "both sides" comparison is not correct. What Obama decided as a matter of his policy and his priorities is not the same as GOP question-evasion tactics as Mark Jacob describes.

The mocking of my "little funny faces" doesn't change THAT reality.

[displacedvermoter]

6. The GOP have made it a matter of policy as well

to overlook events from the past, as did Obama. The results of them evading hard truths now, and Obama's sweeping things under the rug back then, covers up failures and crimes.

Our media is happy to go along with it now, and was more than happy to switch rapidly to attacking Obama when it was made clear that there would be no televised Bush-Cheney hearings. Obama thought he was being the bigger man, but that notion failed him, and the rest of us.

You would sound like less of a cheerleader without the faces and LOL.

[Oopsie Daisy]

7. Oh, please.

>> You would sound like less of a cheerleader without the faces and LOL.
LOL! Thanks for the insult disguised as unsolicited "advice" -- but this isn't about me, is it?

[displacedvermoter]

8. Yes it is

[Oopsie Daisy]

9. No it isn't. 😂🤣😂🤣 ... 🙄

Bye for now. Have fun.