Early in the week, the Obama Administration announced an extension for Americans who are in the midst of the ACA enrollment process via an extension to April 15, 2014 (Vs the actual March 31, 2014 deadline).
The deadline extension was reported for people who for whatever reason are immersed in enrolling for the ACA. I have read the deadline change would predominately benefit people who had attempted to enroll in the ACA and may have a record of their efforts. It was reported as not an open extension for all. I frankly suspect however, some will take advantage of the deadline change and start the process. But, I ask, how should the Administration handle people who for various potential reasons failed to compete the sign-up process by this coming Monday?
Needless to say, right-wing media, conservatives and all who work for the vast Koch brothers network are seething about the deadline extension. Chris Hayes MSNBC, ALL IN, found out the level and scope of angst and ugliness as he invited a regional director from the Koch brothers Americans For Prosperity to sit in discussion. Discussion did not ensue.
Hayes sat with Jennifer Stefano and another guest (for the latter portion of the interview).
Ms. Stefano joined Hayes and seemed to be primed for a classic conservative go-off. She never answered the question related to why angst from the two week extension, she also failed to discuss any references to GOP refusal to enact Medicaid Expansion. Since we know MSNBC provides on-air topics to guest (or some form of brief) , we know Stefano was not surprised with Hayes’s questions. The real issue is, why not answer the questions. If she could not provide an answer her employers would find palatable, why not opt out of the interview? Yet, Stefano opted for a sports analogy we have all heard,“…a good offense if the best defense.”
Since I used a sports analogy above, allow me to say the following is the rightful domain and key responsibility of the show host. The host role: ask the initial question and monitor the segment for accomplishing the focus of the segment. So, let’s say Hayes fired-off the opening and initial “offense” and possibly placing the guest in a defensive posture. It is a basic dynamic of “challenge” TV reporting or questioning when the guest is known to hold opposing views. Unlike many Fox News host/guest interactions resulting from carefully chosen and strategically placed (validating) conservative guest.
Clip 1. The Question (39 seconds)
Read more after the break below
According to Yahoo News (and co-signed by Yahoo News), after the initial question Hayes interrupted Stefano several times. (The piece also includes a bit of fact-checking)
According to Yahoo News (and co-signed by Yahoo News), after the initial question Hayes interrupted Stefano several times. (The piece also includes a bit of fact-checking)
The Independent Journal Review and other conservative sites argued that Hayes got “schooled,” and “destroyed,” and noted — accurately! — that Hayes interrupted Stefano several times.
After 25 seconds of Stefano never once addressing the question, while issuing a diatribe about being a mother and her children, Hayes performed the first attempt to provide structure to his question and move his show forward. Stefano and Hayes both know the clock is not an ally of the host if the guest can “Gish Gallop” through pre-programmed minutes.
Clip 2. An attempt to shut-off the Gish Gallop with Host redirection
Clip 2. An attempt to shut-off the Gish Gallop with Host redirection
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Over the course of the interview, Stefano actually knocked herself “out.” The issue of “schooling” is a politically correct way of imparting the ridiculousness of Stefano’s performance and efforts to spew Koch brothers/Rovian talking points. Their was no schooling as Stefano’s misson was to appear and spew Koch talking points. She responded to Hayes’s effort to re-direct to the initial question with her next bag-of-tricks talking-point, “the president lied!”
From that point Stefano’s performance rivaled some segments of the old Jerry Springer show replete with head-bobbing, finger pointing and Stefano’s wide open oral cavity emanating various forms of “You don’t know me” or “How dare you.”
The day after the (figurative) “bout”, I posited, “Yes, Stefano we now know you and we know for whom you and we are not surprised.”
We wonder if Bill O’Reilly took offense to your deploying one of his patented “go-offs.” Another area of wonderment is why Stefano decided to deploy a “Gish Gallop” (a weak and out of bounds) debate technique. Since, we know guest on MSNBC are given a heads-up and possibly given briefs on the topics from the show host, we know that Stefano knew exactly what Hayes would ask. Why did she choose to completely avoid answering questions with a preference for attempting a strategy best called: ” the best defense is an offense?”
Stefano without personal shame avoided Hayes’s questions by providing feed for Breitbart News, The Daily Caller, Fox News and other LIV (Low Information Voters) high-emotion conservative media. Actually, her ill-fated performance was a live exhibition of what we see in AFP (Koch brothers) television advertisements without the Springer show yelling. Instead of airing real cases of people who have suffered under the provisions of the ACA, the Kochs and their ad agency professionals broadcast actors speaking from scripts or people speaking half-truths about their (alleged) predicament.
Yahoo News structured their screed around “who got schooled.” Let’s listen to Stefano roll-through a series of points she calls facts. Points that are not being supported as “facts.” Hayes attempts to (rightfully redirect). Why should The Independent Journal Review and Yahoo News expect Hayes to sit back and facilitate a Sean Hannity-like talking- point barrage when the guest was not answering questions about the recent extension?
Clip 3. Marsha Blackburn like rolling talking-points
Clip 3. Marsha Blackburn like rolling talking-points
At this point in the interview Stefano continues railing like a Jerry Springer prime seat guest, while Hayes attempted to redirect to an answer. Notice Stefano moved to the beginning of a “…..you don’t know me….” go-off. At one point, Hayes actually showed a bit of frustration via a clear eye-roll in response to a Stefano point and her increasing Bill O’Reilly like behavior. After a few more seconds of talking-points based on seemingly inaccurate information (I will not suggest she lied), Hayes managed to fulfill his role as facilitator via as follows.
Clip 4. Ah ..finally a quiet guest and a redirected effort to secure an answer.
Now, as Hayes and his guest move towards the end of their time together, notice the seeming pre-planned “offense is the best defense” from a guest who did not answer the question that precipitated her show booking.
Here we go…. Have you noticed this look on O’Reilly as discussion draws on an inner core of lack of confidence that when cornered generally manifest in anger?
Notice the Ugly and an effort to end the segment with….“You are a good guy otherwise.” A bit judgmental from a person who just finished showing the deepest level of anger, uncivilized on-air behavior and gauche. Some would say . she showed her ass.” A dynamic loved by Fox News viewers, but held in contempt and disdain by people who tune to current event of news related shows. How about the non-prospect that Hayes had responded, “..well you certainly have not shown signs of being a nice person?”
Clip 5
Clip 5
And, the interview ends on a civil and intellectual note.
Clip 6
If there was anything worthwhile from the interview other than a lesson in being prepared for GOP “Gush Gallop,” it could be an opportunity for fact-checking. And, fact checking is taking place. We will report on claims from Stefano as we find them across the web or on MSNBC.
Fact-checks from Fox News and CNN will probably not take place for obvious reason. Fox News has no interest in ACA data veracity Vs emotional rants, and CNN is 24/7 occupied with ratings garnering coverage of the Malaysian MH370 tragedy. We should add CNN is doing a good job of covering the recent mountain slide in Washington State.
As we consider Stefano and her conservative performance, we have to suspect her appearance was not only approved by the Kochs, we can assume she would only speak from the confines and pre-approval of a playbook. Do you think for one second Karl Rove and other operative were not are of her appearance well before she sat to ‘explode?’ It does not happen in the lock-step GOP and RNC.
As we consider Stefano and her conservative performance, we have to suspect her appearance was not only approved by the Kochs, we can assume she would only speak from the confines and pre-approval of a playbook. Do you think for one second Karl Rove and other operative were not are of her appearance well before she sat to ‘explode?’ It does not happen in the lock-step GOP and RNC.
The Pardu's Scroll 