• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Was It Fair For Chris Wallace To Ask Michele Backmann If She Was ‘Flake?’

Was it fair for Chris Wallace to ask Michele Backmann if she was ‘flake?’


  • Total voters
    10

pbrauer

DP Veteran
Joined
Jun 6, 2010
Messages
25,394
Reaction score
7,208
Location
Oregon
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Liberal
On Fox News Sunday Chris Wallace interviewed Michele Backmann and during the interview he mentioned some of the crazy things she has said. Then he asked her: "Are you a Flake?"

Was that fair?

Yes
No
Other
 
Poll en route?
 
On Fox News Sunday Chris Wallace interviewed Michele Backmann and during the interview he mentioned some of the crazy things she has said. Then he asked her: "Are you a Flake?"

Was that fair?

Yes
No
Other

I do not watch Criss Wallce. So I can't really say a definite yes or no. If he asks all those he interviews if they are a flake then sure it would be fair to ask Backmann if she is a flake. If this is the first time or one of the few times during his whole career if he asked someone if they were a flake or some other name then it would not be fair to ask her if she is a flake.
 
That would be a fair question to Palin or Trump, but not to Bachmann. I am unaware of any instances where she quit or gave up. I dislike her for a number of reasons, but flakeyness is not one of them.
 
Sure it's fair. She's a public figure and one of the criticisms against her is that she is ditzy, a flake.
But there are other adjectives which it is not, eg professional, fitting, useful, etc.
 
I don't connect his name with someone in particular - I'd have to google, too lazy.

But 'are you a flake?' - since when is that interview material? What meaty facts and discussion was suppose to come from whatever her answer was going to be when he decided to say that?

My new - HUGE - complaint is that when people get on air in an interview it's a waste of time - my time, their time, everyone's time - because the interviewer is full of self stroking tripe and isn't actually wanting to engage the other person - instead - they're wanting to ask stupid 5th grade questions such as 'what's your favorite color' and 'what magazines do you read?'

I've really stopped following and relying on the media - full spectrum - because there's no substance, no seriousness, it's just ridiculous drama that leads no where.

So - did he ask anything else? Did anything remotely revealing or insightful come from his opportunity to interview her or is it all a waste?
 
Last edited:
I don't connect his name with someone in particular - I'd have to google, too lazy.

But 'are you a flake?' - since when is that interview material? What meaty facts and discussion was suppose to come from whatever her answer was going to be when he decided to say that?

My new - HUGE - complaint is that when people get on air in an interview it's a waste of time - my time, their time, everyone's time - because the interviewer is full of self stroking tripe and isn't actually wanting to engage the other person - instead - they're wanting to ask stupid 5th grade questions such as 'what's your favorite color' and 'what magazines do you read?'

I've really stopped following and relying on the media - full spectrum - because there's no substance, no seriousness, it's just ridiculous drama that leads no where.

So - did he ask anything else? Did anything remotely revealing or insightful come from his opportunity to interview her or is it all a waste?

People think she is a flake. Its a valid question. And she answed just peachy. Its a gutsy question.
 
Would his dad have asked the question? Doubtful.
 
People think she is a flake. Its a valid question. And she answed just peachy. Its a gutsy question.

It's not a gutsy question - it was hollow and thoughtless. . .define 'flake' - wha tI think of as "a flake" isn't the same as what others thing of as "a flake" apparently - just ridiculous . . .not reporting *at all*

Asking someone anything negative "are you a ___" or "a ____" and of course they'll say 'no' . . . did he really think she'd say "yes" ???

See why it was stupid?
 
Whos dad? Did I miss something? I think I did.
Either way it WAS a good question. It threw her off BUT she managed quite well. I give a thumbs up.

Chris Wallace's father is Mike Wallace, of 60 Minutes.


To the matter at hand; she's a total flake. However, I still think it's a dubious question.
First; because there is a fundamental irrationality in asking an unreliable person whether or not they are reliable, the premise of the question necessitates the answer will be meaningless.
Second; It's a blunt, and clumsy sort of question. It would have been much more illuminating, not to mention, classier, to confront her with some of the various crazy statements that she has made and say; 'Well, what did you mean by that?' and simply allow her to hang herself. That's perfectly fair, and it's substantive criticism, as opposed to just calling someone names.
 
Last edited:
I wish more people would be this direct.
 
On Fox News Sunday Chris Wallace interviewed Michele Backmann and during the interview he mentioned some of the crazy things she has said. Then he asked her: "Are you a Flake?"

Was that fair?

Yes
No
Other

In the bigger picture, it wasn't a bad move on FOX's part, as they can point to this moment as a reference when they ask questions in a similar tone and vein of anyone... especially Obama and his policies... should he win his party's nomination. No questions should be off the table... we the public need maximum information, not protection of candidates.

Too bad we didn't have this line of questioning for Obama in 2008. Of course... it most likely would have been seen as racist back then.

Journalist: Senator Obama, you avoided votes on tough issues in the IL State Senate, you were barely present in the US Senate, you have no private sector experience to speak of, you're an ACORN/Alinksy community organizer mentored by a race baiter for 20-years... Senator Obama, don't you think it's a flaky idea to run for president when you have little record and qualification?

.
 
Last edited:
It's something she's been accused of. Asking her the question gave her the opportunity to answer that accusation and use it to spin a positive narrative. She declined.

It's totally fair. Asking the question was more fair than not asking it.
 
I don't connect his name with someone in particular - I'd have to google, too lazy.

But 'are you a flake?' - since when is that interview material? What meaty facts and discussion was suppose to come from whatever her answer was going to be when he decided to say that?

My new - HUGE - complaint is that when people get on air in an interview it's a waste of time - my time, their time, everyone's time - because the interviewer is full of self stroking tripe and isn't actually wanting to engage the other person - instead - they're wanting to ask stupid 5th grade questions such as 'what's your favorite color' and 'what magazines do you read?'

I've really stopped following and relying on the media - full spectrum - because there's no substance, no seriousness, it's just ridiculous drama that leads no where.

So - did he ask anything else? Did anything remotely revealing or insightful come from his opportunity to interview her or is it all a waste?

Here's the full interview. All in all, pretty good. Just that one question - which may have been fair - but was inartfully put and came off rude.
 
It's something she's been accused of. Asking her the question gave her the opportunity to answer that accusation and use it to spin a positive narrative. She declined.

evidently you didn't watch the interview?
 
I do not watch Criss Wallce. So I can't really say a definite yes or no. If he asks all those he interviews if they are a flake then sure it would be fair to ask Backmann if she is a flake. If this is the first time or one of the few times during his whole career if he asked someone if they were a flake or some other name then it would not be fair to ask her if she is a flake.

He prefaced the question by saying you've had some big gaffs, then asked if she was a flake.

I think he could have asked in a less insulting way. It really is a stupid question. I mean did he expect her to say yes? It would have been better to ask her to explain some of the crazy things she's said. Of course, that would take up the entire interview.
 
Last edited:
It was "fair" in that reporters can ask what they want. However, it was extremely rude, unprofessional, and offensive for him to do that.
 
He's on Fox. According to Palin, Fox is Fairy and Balancedy.

How's that working out for her?
 

Yes, by all measn.... let's us the Urban Dictionary instead of a real one like I did.

The FAIL, is entirely yours.


Definition of 'urban dictionary' from URBANDICTIONARY.COM
A place formerly used to find out about slang, and now a place that teens with no life use as a burn book to whine about celebrities, their friends, etc., let out their sexual frustrations, show off their racist/sexist/homophobic/anti-(insert religion here) opinions, troll, and babble about things they know nothing about.
A site where users attempt to mock and explain everyone and thing in life, under the guise of cynical quasi-intellectualism.

It should be both noted and ignored, embraced and dismissed, laughed at and revered.

I rest my case.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom