Why do many politicians drive us crazy when we watch their interviews? It’s simple. They often fail to answer or even acknowledge questions before delivering messages and talking points. It’s almost as if they didn’t hear the questions.
Case in point is a CNN interview with Maryland’s Democratic Governor Wes Moore. He was asked if he agreed with fellow Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom of California that their party’s brand is now “toxic right now.”
Moore should have answered or at least acknowledged the question. However, in his response, Moore talked about his parents’ life struggles without addressing Newsom’s statement. View the interview clip below.
Moore could have directly answered with a “yes” or “no” or “I wouldn’t characterize the Democratic Party that way.”
Or, Moore could have simply addressed the question without actually answering it by saying, “there are many opinions about our party. Let me outline my vision about the party’s future.” There were many other ways that Moore could have acknowledged the question before bridging to his message.
It’s a great idea to be armed with key messages you want to deliver during a media encounter. In the opinion of Moore’s supporters, his message was probably quite powerful. But don’t forget to address a question first before going to your messages. It will keep you from driving your audience crazy!