Don't Get Hooked!

Candidates often get the impression that they are fish and reporters are fishermen. Reporters ask some questions to bait candidates into saying things they really don't want to say. A recent example came from a small press briefing where President Bush had a few reporters in to do an interview. An op-ed article from the Washington Post wrote,

He doesn't bite on Roe v. Wade, doesn't bite on Rove. But the reporters scored a headline when the president endorsed the teaching of both Evolution and Intelligent Design in schools. Much debate has ensued as a result. But if you read the transcript . . . (h)e doesn't even say "Intelligent Design" or "evolution." [Peter Baker and Peter Slevin in The Post today note that Bush teased the reporter for asking an "interesting" question -- meaning, you got me to bite on something I didn't want anything to do with.]

Later on, the President was able to recognize and evade a hook in the disguise of a NASA question on ending the space shuttle program:

The NASA decision on the shuttle will be made by the experts there. I read very carefully their comments. Andy Card has been in touch with the administrator, who believes that -- the comments tell me, and the administrator says that -- that is, the comments in the press -- that they can clear this problem up. But that decision will be made by the experts at NASA as to whether or not the shuttle will be retired prior to 2010.

This good answer delegated responsibility and postponed a decision. The job of any candidate is to dive into the weeds when he sees questions trying to hook him. As long as it's not overused, an answer of, "Can I get back to you?" is perfectly acceptable so you have time to formulate an informed answer.