# The growing pervasiveness of Rumsfeld style self-question-answering **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 27, 2007, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-pervasiveness-of-rumsfeld-style-self-question-answering/393879 "2007-02-27T15:59:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2007, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-pervasiveness-of-rumsfeld-style-self-question-answering/393879/1 "2007-02-27T15:59:52Z")
Have I ever heard people ask themselves a question and answer it in the very next sentence? Sure. Is it something I heard before I ever even knew who Rumsfeld was? You bet! Is it a way of speaking which has had a rise in popularity, or anyway, frequency of usage, since Rumsfeld came to power? I think so. Does it annoy me to no end? Absolutely. But am I sure its really increased in popularity, and I’m not just noticing it more? Of course not. Why don’t you tell me? Has anyone else noticed what I think I’ve noticed? \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2007, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-pervasiveness-of-rumsfeld-style-self-question-answering/393879/2 "2007-02-27T16:13:36Z")
I have not noticed an increase in this happening. I never thought of it as a Rumsfeld style. I occasionally use it myself. I have never found it annoying. I think you might just be more aware of it. Similar to how after Bob Dole’s election campaign, I was more sensitive to people that spoke about themselves in the third person. Of course Ricky Henderson was already notably doing that for years before. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2007, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-pervasiveness-of-rumsfeld-style-self-question-answering/393879/3 "2007-02-27T17:00:47Z")
Have I noticed it? Only in the OP so far. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2007, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-pervasiveness-of-rumsfeld-style-self-question-answering/393879/4 "2007-02-27T17:07:14Z")
Have I noticed it more? Yes Have I heard it more on talk radio than elsewhere? Of course Does it annoy the shit out of me? You betcha ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2007, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-pervasiveness-of-rumsfeld-style-self-question-answering/393879/5 "2007-02-27T22:09:50Z")
Have we done this before, in a very memorable Pit thread? Yes we have. Does a search for “sasking” (short for self-asking) turn anything up? No, it doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2007, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-pervasiveness-of-rumsfeld-style-self-question-answering/393879/6 "2007-02-27T22:26:31Z")
I’ve noticed it a lot in the past three or four years – it aggravates me to no end. I’ve especially noted its use by coaches and general managers of professional athletic teams (“Do we regret signing a 45-year-old pitcher to an eight-year contract? Yes.”) ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2007, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-pervasiveness-of-rumsfeld-style-self-question-answering/393879/7 "2007-02-27T22:41:01Z")
Have I noticed it until the OP? No. Does it bother me now? Yeah, a bit. Why? I find it incredibly suspicious. It seems to be a way of setting up the inquiry or argument in a leading way that conveniently closes off other avenues of thought. ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2007, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-pervasiveness-of-rumsfeld-style-self-question-answering/393879/8 "2007-02-27T22:47:27Z")
Condi has been using the tactic, not as much as Rumsfeld, but she still does it. Cheney uses it also. It’s a method of taking control from reporters, they try to do a follow up and the speakers just reply that they’ve already addressed that question. It’s a power play, it’s a way for the speaker to maintain control. They ask **and** answer the questions. It drives me batty. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-pervasiveness-of-rumsfeld-style-self-question-answering/393879/9 "2007-02-28T04:13:16Z")
Do I think asking yourself questions at a press conference is only Phase One of the plan? Yes, in Phase Two they won’t even allow reporters in the room. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-pervasiveness-of-rumsfeld-style-self-question-answering/393879/10 "2007-02-28T05:23:03Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] Do I think asking yourself questions at a press conference is only Phase One of the plan? Yes, in Phase Two they won’t even allow reporters in the room. [/QUOTE] And is Phase Three “Profit?” Yes… Do I have the slightest idea how we get from Phase One to Phase Three? No, nobody does… ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-pervasiveness-of-rumsfeld-style-self-question-answering/393879/11 "2007-02-28T05:25:49Z")
Do you have a better idea? Didn’t think so. ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-pervasiveness-of-rumsfeld-style-self-question-answering/393879/12 "2007-02-28T05:28:45Z")
I’ve got a vague recollection that Bush senior may have used (overused) this rhetorical shtick. ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-growing-pervasiveness-of-rumsfeld-style-self-question-answering/393879/13 "2007-02-28T05:38:59Z")
I hadn’t really noticed it before Rummy got made fun of for it. I’ve noticed it more on talk radio and in the world of professional athletics. Football coaches can talk forever without saying a word and this is one of the tactics I see a lot.