# Where are the President's balls? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 18, 2010, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-presidents-balls/532891 "2010-03-18T15:11:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-presidents-balls/532891/41 "2010-03-19T15:41:52Z")
Perhaps, if Obama appeared to be avoiding the question again. How Baier knew that “Bret, I…” was a prelude to another dastardly evasion tactic is beyond me, though. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-presidents-balls/532891/42 "2010-03-19T15:48:42Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Perhaps, if Obama appeared to be avoiding the question again. How Baier knew that “Bret, I…” was a prelude to another dastardly evasion tactic is beyond me, though. Good point. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-presidents-balls/532891/43 "2010-03-19T15:49:42Z")
I think he had balls to do the interview to begin with. But as for the actual interview, bad interviewer, and Obama seemed to be trying to make a speech rather than answer the (loaded) questions. Sort of a no-win for both sides. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-presidents-balls/532891/44 "2010-03-19T15:52:33Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > I think he had balls to do the interview to begin with. > > But as for the actual interview, bad interviewer, and Obama seemed to be trying to make a speech rather than answer the (loaded) questions. > > Sort of a no-win for both sides. But…but…did Obama have a teleprompter? I hear he can’t order dinner at Applebee’s without a teleprompter. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-presidents-balls/532891/45 "2010-03-19T15:59:56Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > But…but…did Obama have a teleprompter? I hear he can’t order dinner at Applebee’s without a teleprompter. > > -Joe At least he’s gone hi-tech. The other side is still writing notes on their hands. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-presidents-balls/532891/46 "2010-03-19T16:02:19Z")
Well here’s the link to FOX basically doing the same thing to Bush… ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-presidents-balls/532891/47 "2010-03-19T16:04:21Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > At least he’s gone hi-tech. The other side is still writing notes on their hands. Look, man, Jesus didn’t have a teleprompter. All he had was some ink and a hand. Who else used ink and a hand? Exactly\*. -Joe Arnold J. Rimmer. Who did you think I meant? ---
**Author:** ![Clu-Me-In](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clu-Me-In](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clu-Me-In)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-presidents-balls/532891/48 "2010-03-19T16:13:23Z")
> [@Plan\_B](#): > > Politicians should accept that this is hard ball or find an easier profession. Watch Sunday Am news any time and you’ll see lots of interruptions. Obama avoided the questions, which is something he’s excellent at. He was confronted. What’s the big deal? > > I have to wonder about the motivation of the OP. **Would you prefer some sort of monarchy where the leaders aren’t challenged?** No… I would prefer a bit of civility and decorum when addressing the President of this country. It does not take much but civil control of ones tongue and patience. Baier waits for the President to finish his answer, then if he did not get a satisfactory answer, restate it in a manner that forces the President to answer it. Constantly interrupting the President or anyone for that matter in an interview is very rude and impolite. ---
**Author:** ![Clu-Me-In](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clu-Me-In](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clu-Me-In)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-presidents-balls/532891/49 "2010-03-19T16:18:46Z")
Thank you very much Sir… That indeed is what I was referring to. I was very much interested in hearing his answers to Baier’s questions, but Mr. Baier kept changing the question in the middle of the Presidents answers. Not once, or twice, but enough times such that Baier himself recognized his own rudeness at the end. Such rudeness and uncivilized behavior should not be tolerated especially by the President. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-presidents-balls/532891/50 "2010-03-19T16:21:47Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > … Do presidents usually get treated in this manner? … Who else remembers the shit-storm of “How dare he?” this caused? > [@](#): > > … Sam Donaldson was always the first and loudest to yell questions when President Reagan would walk out of the White House to board Marine One. Reagan would treat the matter as a little game, always cupping his ear as if he couldn’t quite hear what was being asked. Sometimes the helicopter engines were turned on, seemingly just to drown out Sam Donaldson. Mainly, one suspects, President Reagan just turned down his hearing aid until Marine One had safely lifted off and delivered him from the press pack. …[RIGHT][CITE](http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1516651/sam_donaldson_to_retire.html?cat=9)[/RIGHT] CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-presidents-balls/532891/51 "2010-03-19T16:34:13Z")
One thing to note; this was to be a 15 minute interview. If Bret was going to get anything besides bloviating and dissembling from Obama he had to interrupt. ---
**Author:** ![Page\_Fault](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ad7895/32.png) [@Page\_Fault](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Page_Fault)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-presidents-balls/532891/52 "2010-03-19T16:42:25Z")
> [@Diver](#): > > One thing to note; this was to be a 15 minute interview. If Bret was going to get anything besides bloviating and dissembling from Obama he had to interrupt. Really? Really really? Are you sure you want to defend Bret with that argument? So the proper way to conduct an interview when you “know” the interviewee is going to be dishonest is to interrupt constantly and change the question before they have a chance to answer? ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-presidents-balls/532891/53 "2010-03-19T17:51:02Z")
> [@Page\_Fault](#): > > Really? > > Really really? > > Are you sure you want to defend Bret with that argument? > > So the proper way to conduct an interview when you “know” the interviewee is going to be dishonest is to interrupt constantly and change the question before they have a chance to answer? Yes really. Note that I did I did not say Obama was being dishonest, I said he was avoiding answering the questions. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-presidents-balls/532891/54 "2010-03-19T17:52:49Z")
> [@Diver](#): > > Note that I did I did not say Obama was being dishonest, I said he was avoiding answering the questions. Do you know what _dissembling_ means? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-presidents-balls/532891.md?page=2)