Michelle Malkin » Hillary’s control freak campaign: The politics of planting questions

Hillary’s control freak campaign: The politics of planting questions

By Michelle Malkin • November 10, 2007 10:20 AM

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Looks like FEMA crapweasels aren’t the only ones faking questions for the public.

Remember when Hillary launched her presidential campaign by touting her folksy bid to start a “conversation–with you, with America?” We knew it was phony baloney, but not this phony baloney:

The Iowa caucuses are known for their “living-room chats” where ordinary Iowans can meet candidates face-to-face and talk about what interests voters. When candidates have larger events or make major policy speeches, the crowds are bigger, but there is often still an opportunity for questions. But under the pressures of major media coverage, with polls narrowing in Iowa, campaigns can potentially control questions and coverage by planning questions ahead of time.

While no campaigns admit to this practice, at a recent Hillary Clinton campaign event in Newton, Iowa, some of the questions posed to the New York Senator were planned in advance, planting some audience members in the crowd.

On Tuesday Nov. 6, the Clinton campaign stopped at a biodiesel plant in Newton as part of a weeklong series of events to introduce her new energy plan. The event was clearly intended to be as much about the press as the Iowa voters in attendance, as a large press core helped fill the small venue. Reporters from many major national news outlets came to the small Iowa town, from such media giants as The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, the Associated Press, and CNN.

After her speech, Clinton accepted questions. But according to Grinnell College student Muriel Gallo-Chasanoff ’10, some of the questions from the audience were planned in advance. “They were canned,” she said. Before the event began, a Clinton staff member approached Gallo-Chasanoff to ask a specific question after Clinton’s speech. “One of the senior staffers told me what [to ask],” she said.

Major Garrett at FNC zeroes in on the scripted query:

The tape of the event shows that the question and answer went as follows:

Question: “As a young person, I’m worried about the long-term effects of global warming How does your plan combat climate change?

Clinton: “Well, you should be worried. You know, I find as I travel around Iowa that it’s usually young people that ask me about global warming.”

The campaign’s admission that it planted the question may be another blow to the New York senator’s image as a trustworthy politician.

Clinton’s critics have accused her of being a double-talker who refuses to answer tough questions specifically. Now her campaign has acknowledged planting at least one question.

The Democrat-on-Democrat pile-on continues. Grab your popcorn for a ringside seat:

“In light of a weak debate performance, not to mention a persistent inability to answer the tough questions, it appears the Clinton campaign has adopted a new strategy of planting questions,” John Edwards’ Communications Director Chris Kofinis said.

“It’s what the Clinton campaign calls the politics of planting.”

And more:

The practice of planting audience members to ask specific questions does not appear to be a common practice, or at least not a politically acceptable one. “Our campaign does not plant questions,” said Lauren Rose, Communications Director for Governor Bill Richardson’s campaign. When asked what she would think of other campaigns who did plant audience members, Rose said, “I think campaigns should give Iowa caucus-goers the chance to ask the questions they want.”

Schadenfreude. It’s what’s for breakfast.

***

Video: More pile-on.

Posted in: Hillary Clinton

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#101

On November 10th, 2007 at 7:49 pm, atxcowgirl said:

On November 10th, 2007 at 7:42 pm, shooter said:
I cut and paste your info to the comment area, then highlite and click on quote.
For anything in quote box, highlite what you wrote, then click on ‘quote button’ above …
Use the same for BOLD, emphasis, etc.

DUH! I sometimes wonder about myself.
#102

On November 10th, 2007 at 7:53 pm, shooter said:

way to go texas!
#103

On November 10th, 2007 at 8:23 pm, TXRose said:

Do we really believe that good ole boy yellow dog “dims” will vote for Hitlery, even with Bubba living
somewhere in the White House with her?
A good friend of ours daughter was an intern in the
first Bush White House. He got a call two weeks into
the Clinton years to send her a ticket home to TX
because she could not work in the atmosphere that
was already developing in the W.H. He was pinching
bottoms and she was throwing things at him and
anyone else that crossed her, plus she could not
stand H’s language. Apparently it would have made
(and this will date me) Andrew Dice Clay blush! She
also alluded to “his friends” and “her friends.” I’m
not going any farther, but didn’t anyone wonder how the smartest woman in America, with at least
one clipping service working for her, plus all of the
staffers whose only job is to keep her apprised of
the news, did not know about Monica until he told
her about the mess he’d made? Just wondering.
#104

On November 10th, 2007 at 8:56 pm, gandolphxx said:

In a telephone interview with Fox, Geoffrey Mitchell, 32, says he was approached by an operative for the Clinton campaign to ask a planted question about standing up to President Bush on Iraq war funding. The encounter happened before an event on a farm outside Fort Madison, Iowa.

- Another Question Planted by Team Hillary? - no surprise.
#105

On November 10th, 2007 at 9:18 pm, Bruce said:

If Hillary was a monster alien from outer space and campaigned saying, “I am going to kill all of you and eat you, then destroy the entire earth,” she still would get 40% of the vote.

So, I say what Hillary says or does has very little effect on her support. As long as we continue without a strong candidate to aggressively oppose her, she’s got a free ride.
#106

On November 10th, 2007 at 9:39 pm, atxcowgirl said:

Fear of a dynasty denies Hillary Clinton votes

Maybe there is hope. At least a negative for Hillary.

Members of Barack-Stars, 17-year-old school pupils who are entitled to vote in the Iowa caucus if they turn 18 by November 4, 2008, election day.

“Andrew Lopez, 17, said: “I wasn’t even born when the first Bush became president. Bill Clinton is one of my all-time favourites, but there’s something about Hillary’s nature . . . As a kid, I don’t feel she gets me. She seems too uptight.”
#107

On November 10th, 2007 at 9:46 pm, ajmontana said:

ya gotta like a kid named Andrew.
#108

On November 10th, 2007 at 10:24 pm, RetFireman said:

Seriously though, who is surprised by this revelation? No one here I would imagine. As for any blind Libs that may be shocked to find out that she does this, all I can say is that it just shows how blinded by all the Liberal and Democrat lies over the years you have been. It is time to get out and actually look at the schysters you are supporting. See them for the lying, filth slingers that they truly are. They are worse than used car salesmen. They will say anything, promise you anything, blow rainbows and cotton candy up your balloon knots to get you to vote for them. When it comes right down to it, if you actually knew anything about this country and how it and it’s budget and courts operate, you would realize that there is no possible way that anything they are and have promised could possibly be delivered. It is just the politics of feelgood that they are using. Hillary is their master and she learned it all from her husband.

Her having plants is the audience is nothing that should surprise you. It is nothing that she hasn’t already been doing…she is just telling you what you want to hear. She is promising the moon to you but when it comes right down to it, the only person she is interested in and the only one that will benifit from her becoming elected President and leader of the Free World will be her and her “husband” Bill.
#109

On November 10th, 2007 at 10:56 pm, bear1909 said:

On November 10th, 2007 at 9:18 pm, Bruce said:
If Hillary was a monster alien from outer space and campaigned saying, “I am going to kill all of you and eat you, then destroy the entire earth,” she still would get 40% of the vote.

Now if i was a martian and landed here tellin people I ate Mexicans and peed gasoline, wouldja vote for me?
#110

On November 10th, 2007 at 11:10 pm, uhangtight said:

do you suppose the reason she was so angry at the guy that asked her the hardball questions and accused him of being a plant was because: she knew she was supposed to have ’scripted questions’ and when his wasn’t she went into attack mode immediately?

maybe my disgust for her and her husband makes me feel that their sliminess should be so obvious to others.. but i just don’t get how she could be the front runner.

you would think that barack would be further ahead. i hope he quits playing nicey nice and starts going on the offense. and really plays on the obvious, if shrillary can’t think on her feet, what makes you think it is really her behind the desk????
#111

On November 10th, 2007 at 11:10 pm, uhangtight said:

Now if i was a martian and landed here tellin people I ate Mexicans and peed gasoline, wouldja vote for me?

bear1909, yes in a heart beat
#112

On November 10th, 2007 at 11:28 pm, RetFireman said:

I really hate how she is being portrayed as such a strong woman for running for President, and all the people saying how they should vote for her because she is a woman.

Does no one remember Elizabeth Dole? Where were all these acolades for her? Where were all these feminists and such claiming they needed to vote for and encourage her because she was a woman?

Filthy bunch of hypocrites. E. Dole was by far a much better and far more qualified candidate than Hillary is and the Dem’s are just plain wrong.
#113

On November 10th, 2007 at 11:30 pm, bear1909 said:

you would think that barack would be further ahead.

I cannot believe that Obama has settled for such ditchwater political advisors for this campaign. his speechwriters sound like they are still in college.

This is where top people should be bought to run the campaign. what the hell is the money he raised being spent on, jet fuel.

“Platitudinous” is the word that comes to mind when I hear Obama’s name.
#114

On November 10th, 2007 at 11:54 pm, RetFireman said:

Well, you can only go so far on looks. Since no one still knows exactly what he brings to the table in order to be President other than the fact that the media declared him the Democrats new “Wonderboy” a few years ago, even the best handlers in the world can only do so much with nothing.

A less than one term Senator who has no experience in anything global or policy wise…what has he got?
#115

On November 11th, 2007 at 4:31 am, threeCents said:

Hillary: The buck stops…over there… with my staff!
#116

On November 11th, 2007 at 4:01 pm, brooklyn red said:

RetFireman, he’s got Soros $$$, be very afraid.
#117

On November 11th, 2007 at 4:39 pm, fretless said:

Hillary!: A conversation with American Sock Puppets?
#118

On November 12th, 2007 at 1:43 am, Jim C. said:

Hmm. If she wants a conversation with America, and the questions originate with her, is that “Les États-Unis, c’est moi”?

Or is it “I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together”?
#119

On November 12th, 2007 at 3:20 am, RetFireman said:

Jim…John is rolling over in his urn. Disgracing a Beatles song like that, using it for hillary is just plain blasphemy.

Next time, please use a McCartney piece of tripe. It is far more suited for her.