Stick To The Point
Over at Instapundit, Glenn Reynolds has this to say about Bill Donohoe:
He and I probably disagree on, well, most of the issues he cares about, but way back in 1991 when I was on Larry King, he was on in the segment before me and he gave me some good TV sound-bite advice in the green room: Figure out the idea you really want to get across — one sentence, maybe two — and then, at some point, just say it whether it fits where the host is trying to go or not. That sentence is your payment for going along with the host the rest of the time.
This is precisely what I dislike most about TV talking heads. They insist on getting their soundbite in rather than contributing to the discussion. As far as I'm concerned, if they do this regularly, shows should stop inviting them.
PS I see Donohoe is up to his old tricks, demanding Penn and Teller be fired because he doesn't like what they're saying.
posted by LAGuy @ 12:27 AM
4 Comments:
This is precisely what I dislike most about TV talking heads. They insist on getting their soundbite in rather than contributing to the discussion. As far as I'm concerned, if they do this regularly, shows should stop inviting them.
Please tell us how you felt about Sarah Palin saying at the vice-presidential debate, "I may not answer the questions that either the moderator or you want to hear, but I'm going to talk straight to the American people and let them know my track record also."
I don't like anyone avoiding the question. Doesn't matter who. (Is there an implication here that I like Sarah Palin, by the way?) If you feel the question is stupid, or misses the point, you can say so--I don't like false-premise questions either--but just ignoring it to give your canned sound bite is annoying.
As for that Veep debate, I'd have to go over the transcript to see who answered the questions put to them. Perhaps Palin is simply trying to score easy points here, saying that the answers she gives may not be pleasing to a certain elite, but she'll tell it like it is.
Is there an implication here that I like Sarah Palin, by the way?
Not particularly.
I linked to the transcript. Read the preceding q&a and it is clear (to me) she was being blunt about the conduct you dislike in pundits. I was wondering whether you had watched the debate, and if so whether you had disliked it from her the way you dislike it from pundits.
I make it a practice not to watch political debates, partly because the practice I describe here is so widespread. (If anyone says anything important (rare) or novel (rarer), I can read about it afterwards.)
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