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Jon Stewart is a unicorn among interviewers who skillfully strikes a balance between calm questions and insisting that interviewees provide answers. Not deviations. No hinges or side steps. Actual, direct answers to the questions he asks.
Anyone who has interviewed a politician knows how difficult it can be to strike that balance. Politicians are rhetorical magicians, uttering many words that appear to answer a question without actually answering at all. Sometimes their avoidance methods are obvious, but usually they know how to manipulate and control the conversation, deftly steering it in the direction they want it to go. If allowed, they will not only avoid answering a question directly, but will do the entire interview, filling the airtime with their own messages. Politely letting them talk allows them to perform all their favorite tricks.
As such, if you want to get a politician to actually answer a question, it’s unfortunately necessary to interrupt them. While interrupting can sometimes seem harsh when it’s done to bring a legislator back to a question they didn’t actually answer, or to point out a flaw in their argument before they move on to something else, it’s simply calling them on the phone
And few do this more effectively than Jon Stewart. One reason is that he is simply not bothered by politicians. He knows their game and watches them like a parent whose kid is obviously trying to pull off a quick play. Another reason is that he diligently does his homework before the interview and can predict how they will react, so he is able to catch them in their own web of illogic or hypocrisy in real time.
Such was the case in interview with Oklahoma Rep. Nathan Dahm on Stewart’s show, “The Problem with Jon Stewart.”
“State Sen. Nathan Dahm (R-OK) has written several bills to loosen gun restrictions, including the nation’s first anti-red flag law,” reads the caption of the clip on Twitter. “He thinks these bills protect the Second Amendment — and that they make us safer. We think it’s probably one or the other.”
The basic premise of Senator Dahm’s argument is “More guns make us safer.” Stewart challenges him to defend that point given the basic facts about gun violence statistics.
Stewart points out that “More guns make us safer” contradicts the claims of law enforcement. “When the police go to a house full of guns, why don’t they breathe a sigh of relief knowing that this Second Amendment, which shall not be infringed, is being applied so fruitfully in that home?” Stewart asks. Good question.
Stewart also shows Damm how his argument that people, not guns, are the problem doesn’t make sense given the fact that he rejects any attempts at regulations that would help ensure that these troubled people don’t have easy access to guns.
Finally, Stewart highlights the hypocrisy of using government regulation to protect children from all kinds of things except the leading cause of death for children, which is guns.
I’m watching:
“State Sen. Nathan Dahm (R-OK) has written several bills to loosen gun restrictions, including the nation’s first anti-red flag law. He believes these bills protect the Second Amendment — and that they make us safer. We think it’s probably one or the other. Watch it on @AppleTVPlus.”
Can we get Jon Stewart to interview all politicians on all issues please?
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