• Read up, folks. • Terry Neal's column is pretty much a blog, even though the Post avoids calling it one. This particular dispatch is dated January 22, 2004, and stamped at 1:26 pm, though I don't know if that's Eastern time or adapted to Pacific. "Answering WYWA" (what you Wish You Were Asked) actually used to be a proactive, positive tool in comunicating important messages. People don't always know what questions to ask, and oftentimes if you answer what they actually ask you with their words, they will be disappointed. However, the Pundit Era changes the nature of WYWA by making it a defensive tool, and, as indicated by Neal's "big old meanie" reference, often something negative. And let's face it: A simple "yes" or "no" answer is going to be vague enough for the pundits to pick apart all day in order to create distracting issues. The General might wish to consider making it possible to add to his position statements, "Go see my website." Never know ... it just might work, General. But in answering WYWA, the candidate exercises an illusion of control, creating an opportunity to expound either proactively and positively, or else negatively, in their own context. WYWA creates a sense of control over the punditry, and excuse me, please, if I'm under the impression that the pundits are none too happy about this. And if a layer of allegory applicable to Sciforums isn't staring you in the face, look again. (That's the secondary comment, but a compelling issue nonetheless. Take notes, folks; Neal ain't telling us anything new.) • Neal, Terry. "Primary Dispatches." Washington Post, January 22, 2004. See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/politics/elections/2004/primarydispatches/
Clark is constantly avoiding questions, like the time he refused answer almost anything of substance on inside politics, it was disgusting to say the least. To me Clark is not a very good politician nor is he something I think understands it all, he lacks the gestalt perspective, which plagues GWB as well. The thing Clark should do is either be a VP candidate under Kerry, or Dean...
