Comments on: This Week in the World ~ contests and challenges

By: amy

amy — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 13:51:03 +0000

Since when is calm, factual analysis called mudslinging? We know Edwards’ analysis was on point, because now Clinton is using “change” as often as she used to use “experience”.

By the way, I like to study her answers to questions as great examples of evasive technique. I notice that she almost never answers the question that was asked of her. And when called on this, she evades that question as well.

By: merylrunion

merylrunion — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 14:51:13 +0000

Great point, Paul. The same dynamics that happen on the national level happen at home. I’d suggest that they are used deliberately more often on the national level, but they have the same nullifying affect.

There’s an implied assumption in the phase comment - that phases are things you ignore and dismiss. In my mind, even if you were “going through a phase,” your concerns are likely things you could have used support for.

By: Paul Radde

Paul Radde — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 01:36:59 +0000

Regarding Hillary’s seeming evasion — the administration has dealt for years now by responding to or attributing a process to the opposition — a way to nullify or sidetrack…without providing any content in rebuttal. It reminds me of being told
I was “going through a phase” when I was a child, totally nullifying what I was concerned about, asking for, or the
content of my comment.

By: Lisa Bergthold

Lisa Bergthold — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 06:29:11 +0000

I agree with your interpretation that Hillary Clinton was avoiding the question. Edwards was not mudslinging. To me it appears that Clinton was using the Republican tactic of attacking the questioner while she was pointing the finger and virtually accusing the questioner of employing the Republican tactic of mudslinging. In other words, Clinton was doing what she was accusing Edwards of doing.

By: John Moorman

John Moorman — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 20:39:43 +0000

You have managed to describe the Clinton strategy in part. That is, to avoid answering by characterizing the question as “mudslinging”. The companion strategy is to attack the credibility of anyone who questions her or him.

By: Nik Nikkel

Nik Nikkel — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:41:12 +0000

I certainly heard evasion in Sen Clinton’s reply. I always hear this type of evasion as being an admission that the comments are true and there is no qay to argue with them.

Nik