# Presidential candidates who try to punish the media for asking questions. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 4, 2008, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-candidates-who-try-to-punish-the-media-for-asking-questions/461923 "2008-09-04T02:02:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-candidates-who-try-to-punish-the-media-for-asking-questions/461923/1 "2008-09-04T02:02:19Z")
[John McCain canceled on Larry King as punishment for another reporter’s questioning of Palin’s foreign policy expertise.](http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/09/john-mccain-cha.html) It hasn’t got much play, but is this Presidential behavior? Is it appropriate to try to pressure a network to prevent its reporters from asking certain lines of questioning (or even style of questioning) by holding access to the individual hostage? Didn’t Bush try this? ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-candidates-who-try-to-punish-the-media-for-asking-questions/461923/2 "2008-09-05T20:36:49Z")
It doesn’t surprise me coming from Bush or McCain, but yes, this is very unpresidential behavior. This is something you’d expect from a movie star, not someone supposedly accountable to every citizen of the country. ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-candidates-who-try-to-punish-the-media-for-asking-questions/461923/3 "2008-09-05T20:56:42Z")
Obviously the trick is to not let them ask questions at all, like they’re doing with Sarah Palin: > **[TIME | Current & Breaking News | National & World Updates](https://time.com/)** > > Breaking news and analysis from time.com. Politics, world news, photos, video, tech reviews, health, science, and entertainment news. [http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/04/mccain-adviser-lies-says-palin-told-people-how-theyre-gonna-save-their-homes-last-night/](http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/04/mccain-adviser-lies-says-palin-told-people-how-theyre-gonna-save-their-homes-last-night/) > [@](#): > > According to Nicole Wallace of the McCain campaign, the American people don’t care whether Sarah Palin can answer specific questions about foreign and domestic policy. According to Wallace – in an appearance I did with her this morning on Joe Scarborough’s show – the American people will learn all they need to know (and all they deserve to know) from Palin’s scripted speeches and choreographed appearances on the campaign trail and in campaign ads. Looks like we can look forward to another 4 years of open and honest communication from a McCain administration like we’ve enjoy from Bush. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-candidates-who-try-to-punish-the-media-for-asking-questions/461923/4 "2008-09-05T21:02:37Z")
Lots of people here seemed just fine with the idea that presidential candidates of their party should boycott a debate sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus, just because it was to be carried on Fox News. Whatever Fox is, it is undeniably “the media”, isn’t it? Certainly few people watch MSNBC, mentioned above, for anything other than their opinion shows. ---
**Author:** ![Lili\_Von\_Shtupp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@Lili\_Von\_Shtupp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lili_Von_Shtupp)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-candidates-who-try-to-punish-the-media-for-asking-questions/461923/5 "2008-09-05T21:02:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Looks like we can look forward to another 4 years of open and honest communication from a McCain administration like we’ve enjoy from Bush. No, because Obama will win. I wouldn’t worry about McSame and his pet pitbull. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-candidates-who-try-to-punish-the-media-for-asking-questions/461923/6 "2008-09-05T21:06:27Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > Certainly few people watch MSNBC, mentioned above, for anything other than their opinion shows. No, that is not certain. Nor likely. Unlike WRT Fox News. ---
**Author:** ![spazattak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e8cbc/32.png) [@spazattak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spazattak)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-candidates-who-try-to-punish-the-media-for-asking-questions/461923/7 "2008-09-05T21:07:34Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > Lots of people here seemed just fine with the idea that presidential candidates of their party should boycott a debate sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus, just because it was to be carried on Fox News. > > Whatever Fox is, it is undeniably “the media”, isn’t it? Certainly few people watch MSNBC, mentioned above, for anything other than their opinion shows. Canceling an interview as retribution after a reporter calls you out for refusing to answer a question (after being given 3 chances) is quite a bit different from boycotting a network that spreads rumors about you and displays a blatant ideological bias. edit - What would the reaction have been if Obama refused to answer a question from Chris Wallace when pressed, and then canceled his O’rielly factor appearance following it? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-candidates-who-try-to-punish-the-media-for-asking-questions/461923/8 "2008-09-05T21:42:59Z")
Is it appropriate? No. Does it happen? Absolutely, with administrations of both parties. On the flip side, administrations also try to curry favor/reward favorable stories by giving select reporters advance notice, leaks, exclusive stories, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-candidates-who-try-to-punish-the-media-for-asking-questions/461923/9 "2008-09-05T21:45:57Z")
It’s ultimately stupid and self destructive for the candidate to do that, because the candidate needs the media a lot more than the media needs the candidate. If you’re a news show, there are always other stories you can run, and other guests you can have on, but if you’re a candidate, you need all the free publicity you can get. ---
**Author:** ![Airblairxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Airblairxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airblairxxx)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-candidates-who-try-to-punish-the-media-for-asking-questions/461923/10 "2008-09-05T23:36:58Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > Lots of people here seemed just fine with the idea that presidential candidates of their party should boycott a debate sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus, just because it was to be carried on Fox News. > > Whatever Fox is, it is undeniably “the media”, isn’t it? Couple of big differences here. First, Fox isn’t “the media”, it’s just a segment of the media whose bias is so apparent it has long since become a national joke. Boycotting a debate because it’s on Fox is simply a big “Fuck You” to one network. And it’s hard to see how the public loses out if there’s one less debate during primary season; weren’t there more than 20 before it ended in June? Boycotting the entire media, however, is another matter entirely, especially for such an empty book of a candidate as Palin. The public is now deciding whether she should hold the second-highest office in the country; doesn’t the public have a right to know as much as possible about her? It’s a moronic decision by the McCain campaign to shield her, if they truly want to use her to woo the undecideds. It makes her look incompetent–what, the “pit bull with lipstick” can’t answer some questions from some reporters?–and it makes the campaign look contemptuous of the public. Which is why it’s dangerous. There’s only two ways the public can hold politicians accountable: through the press or through the ballot box. The McCain campaign is trying to take one of those ways away. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2008, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-candidates-who-try-to-punish-the-media-for-asking-questions/461923/11 "2008-09-06T00:27:49Z")
“Blame the media” is a ploy that nearly always works, because trust for the news media is very low (and that’s largely justified). So candidates use the media bias card, or crap like “I was misquoted,” to manipulate the press to try to give them the coverage that they want. It’s frequently idiotic and almost always nothing more than a distraction. But it works, often because people who are wrapped up in the campaign - usually the target audience - are quick to intuit bias. It’s not just against networks. Remember, Presidential Debates used to be organized by the Daughters of the American Revolution, but the two major parties decided they would get softer coverage if they cut them out. Then they set rules designed to keep any future Perots out of the debates. Another tactic is giving particular networks or media favors for more favorable coverage, which is intended to get the other networks to fall into line. Like the current administration giving more and better guests to Fox (and on the flip side, the Democrats avoiding it). ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2008, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-candidates-who-try-to-punish-the-media-for-asking-questions/461923/12 "2008-09-06T01:21:04Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > It’s not just against networks. Remember, Presidential Debates used to be organized by the Daughters of the American Revolution, but the two major parties decided they would get softer coverage if they cut them out. Then they set rules designed to keep any future Perots out of the debates. League of Women Voters, actually. Otherwise spot on. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2008, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-candidates-who-try-to-punish-the-media-for-asking-questions/461923/13 "2008-09-06T01:28:21Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > League of Women Voters, actually. Otherwise spot on. Right, thanks. Point is that a fair and independent news media is not in the best interest of politicians. It can be a threat. So they play games to encourage the press to do what they want, which is to pass on their bullshit and pretend its’ ice cream. The press all too often complies because they need access and material to feed the beast every day.