: Tough questions…
Part of good preparation of a presidential candidate for an interview or forum is anticipating off-topic questions, which I define as questions not about politics or governance. Anything personal is off-topic.
That’s not to say such questions are unimportant or without political utility. For example, you can tell a lot about a person by asking them this question: If you’re in a life-or-death situation, which Start Trek captain do you want in charge?
Yes, that’s very silly. And I do not suggest that reporters ask it. But candidates are asked such questions as: What is your favorite movie? And the candidate had better have an answer–one carefully considered and ready to justify.
John Kerry’s answer: The Blues Brothers and Animal House.
Hey, I like those movies, too. They are a part of baby boomer culture. Many of us can quote the lines of all the best scenes. That doesn’t make these good choices for answering such a question.
So, am I suggesting that candidates be less than truthful? Should they create a persona specifically for the race, complete with a culturally-approved history?
Yes and no. Candidates should not lie, but it’s naive to suppose that they don’t or shouldn’t create a persona. In other words, his staff should have prepped him long ago about such culture questions so that he could smoothly answer that his favorite movie is ________.
Here’s an interesting possiblity. Perhaps Kerry was lying. In order to seem connected to regular folks, someone like Kerry needs to appear to appreciate popular taste, whether he does or not (hence the Belushi double feature). It goes almost without saying that if he had answered that he likes Sergei Eisenstein’s “Potemkin” or Godard’s “Breathless,” he would have come across as an incredible snob/elitist.
Of course, it’s still not a good answer.
Chuck…Yes, it could have been a “lie” of the sort that I argue should be planned
And, yes, you’ve noted what other problems such a question poses.