Does This Mean Brad Watson Is Now Banned From The White House?

[DToTheJ]

Earlier this week, Brad Watson of Dallas' WFAA-TV conducted an interview with President Obama which produced video of a negative reaction, video of which has since gone viral.

More on this story from... NEWSFIX 39!
http://www.39online.com/entertainme...s-reporter-in-his-place-story,0,1966624.story

 

[arnoldevns]

Earlier this week, Brad Watson of Dallas' WFAA-TV conducted an interview with President Obama which produced video of a negative reaction, video of which has since gone viral.

More on this story from... NEWSFIX 39!
http://www.39online.com/entertainme...s-reporter-in-his-place-story,0,1966624.story

Watson did a far better job asking the president good questions in a professional way than any of the national news anchors. Obama would be wise to be better prepared next time he talks to Watson.

 

[KERCAlum]

Earlier this week, Brad Watson of Dallas' WFAA-TV conducted an interview with President Obama which produced video of a negative reaction, video of which has since gone viral.

More on this story from... NEWSFIX 39!
http://www.39online.com/entertainme...s-reporter-in-his-place-story,0,1966624.story

Watson did a far better job asking the president good questions in a professional way than any of the national news anchors. Obama would be wise to be better prepared next time he talks to Watson.

Yeah, I bet there won't be a next time. But you're right, Watson did the job he was supposed to do, and frankly did it better than Bret Baier (although I also admired Baier's interview).

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

I tracked down the full un-cut version of the interview, and then the "as broadcast" piece complete with edits and cut-aways. (The so-called un-cut version DID delete the full comments of the president as he took off the mic following the interview.)

I would suggest this interview is almost impossible for us to discuss without us simply getting into a Democrats vs Republicans brawl. let me tip-toe and see if I can offer some observations that do not raise the rhetoric to the boiling point.

I'm getting old. My standards for what is ethical journalism are probably a bit behind actual practice today. Maybe that is another discussion for another day.

We have somewhat jaded by local stations who tout the interviews where the junk-yard-dog consumer reporter tracks down some roofing contractor wanted on warrants in three counties for ripping people off. We sit there and say "sick-em" as the reporter carries on what can only be called "vicious reporting" including maybe the comments of the security officer who told them as they went out the door: "Don't ever bring your #@@%*?? cameras back on this property. Maybe that is another discussion for another day!

But to go in and interview anyone from the Mayor of Harlingen TX to the President of the United States in what is proclaimed to be an up-and-up journalism piece and then throw in what got recorded after the interview was officially over.... never in my lifetime will you convince me that is professional, ethical journalism. I don't care what party is involved. Civilization is "civilized" because we treat one another with respect.

When I did Talk Radio a number of years ago, there would be days when we had an in-studio guest for the hour, and maybe the next day would be an open-call day. During the open-call program, people would ask me to comment on the previous day's guest. Never, never, never on the worst day of my life would I share with the audience what the guest said to me in the lobby before or after the show. The most drastic thing I might respond with would be: "The guest and I talked about these issues privately after the show. I hope you get that opportunity sometime soon. You might be surprised by the guests open-ness." END OF REPORT. The mic was OFF when that conversation took place.

After listening to the interview, I am reminded of the pressures and ethics involved when play-by-play announcers work NOT for the station but for the TEAM. When are they to be cheerleaders and when are they to be professional commentators on how the game is being played. I have tried to figure out some way to make this observation without making myself appear starting a political fight... but there is no way. After watching both the uncut recording of the interview and the "as broadcast" package, I am left with this question in my mind: Is Brad Watson an employee of WFAA TV or is he an employee of the Republican Party of Texas?

 

[arnoldevns]

Goat, I couldn't disagree with you more. Edited or un-edited, this was a fine interview. I've seen Watson have much the same kind of interviews with Republicans too. (see his interview with Stephen Broden from last year's congressional election if you want a great example)

 

[Zootopia3000]

I don't see what the big deal is. I've followed politics closely since 1976. Very closely. Even before that I can recall the media and politics, like with Nixon. Nixon got hammered plenty of times by the press. So did Reagan. So did Bush W. So did Clinton. How is this interview somehow disrespectful of the POTUS? Sorry, I don't see it. And to imply somehow that Brad Watson may be an employee of the Republican Party is utterly ridiculous. Just another ideological attack with nothing to back it up that's so prevalent nowadays. Right out of the Huffington Post playbook. Brad Watson's just doing a job that the press oughta be doing.

Yes indeed, this is how interviews with politicians should be. If you don't like it, try being a politician in Britain. The British subjects demand tough questions of their politicians. Why should we be any different over here? Furthermore, who does Obama think he is to snap at the interviewer as to how an interview should go? He is an elected public servant. He has no right to dictate how an interview should go, otherwise, don't do interviews at all. If Obama had just kept his big mouth shut and just grinned and bared it and left silently instead of being patronizing afterwards, there wouldn't be an issue here now, would there? The day federal government politicians and officials start dictating how the press should behave and conduct interviews, is the day we start losing our freedoms. Sadly, that has already begun. The way I see it, this interview is just one small wake up call as to what is happening.

 

[flashback]

i only saw the edited interview and i saw no problem with the interviewer.

dan rather , if my recolection is right , called george bush sr. a whimp.right?i am not doing a" you didn`t complain aboit that but this is bad?" comment. i am saying the texas interviewer did not do something like that did he?to put the presidents feet in the fire by itself isn`t a bad thing .republican or democrat.if the president says something wrong,either by missinformation or intention, is it wrong to set the record straight in the interview?without personal insults of course.what is important is to inform the people not to please the man in power.

what the above poster said about the president not being the one who should tell an interviewer how to interview is right.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

if the president says something wrong,either by missinformation or intention, is it wrong to set the record straight in the interview?without personal insults of course.what is important is to inform the people not to please the man in power.

what the above poster said about the president not being the one who should tell an interviewer how to interview is right.

Your comment seems to say: We all know that all reporter are smarter than all presidents, thus if a reporter challenges a president, we know for a fact that the reporter is right and the president is wrong. I don't think you believe that, but that is about what you wrote.`

Whether you and I are having a morning coffee down on the town square, or if I am interviewing the mayor, or if I am making a sales presentation to the corporate advertising buyer, or if I am interviewing the president of the United States, if I ask a question, I have telegraphed a message: I want to hear your answer. Under any of those circumstances, it is rude to interrupt the answer. Try interrupting your wife's answer when you have asked a question and see how that works for you. ;D

In this case, since it appears he intended to take the tape home and edit it for the broadcast "package", why wouldn't you let the question be answered? The president might have gotten off-track and given an answer that would become THE NEWS STORY of the day.

If you and I are having coffee down on the town square and you interrup my answer to your question, I am likely to stop talking, look you in the eye, and proceed to say: "Look you dumb SOB. Don't ask if you don't want to hear the response!!!"

The president chose not to embarrass the newsman, not to chew him out in the middle of an interview. He waited until the interview was over and the tape was supposed to be stopped and if you will go back and play the tape on line, the president didn't shout, didn't use profanity, didn't question the legitimate birth status of the reporter but quietly said man to man: "next time you ask me a question, let me answer it."

I've had many a politician give me advice after the interview was over on how to improve my style. I've had many a politican give me a smile and a handshake for an interview style that not only allowed them to explain what was going on, but a style that drew it out of them. And I have had 'thank you comments' from listeners for steering interviews away from the tired talking points and into the fields where "Aha! moments" happen.

Going back to an earlier comment I made: I've slept on the couch a night or two in my lifetime.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

Let me eat a little bit of crow and cut Brad Watson a bit of slack.

I got out this afternoon and ran my errands and tonight took the time the review this whole subject, and listen to the "as aired" video, the un-cut video, and then I found the "alternate view" un-cut video. Then as suggested earlier in this thread, I located the Stephen Broden interview.

Then I listened to the whole bunch a second time.

Brad Watson has some speech patterns, some of which I would almost call a "nervous tick" type automated audible reaction and facial action that is distracting for those of us who do not watch him regularly. No matter what the answer, there will be something that comes across as "Reaaaaly???" or a repeat of the question that has the tone of "You are kidding me, Right?" (I'm exaggerating it, but listen carefully and it is there.) You guys that watch him all the time probably don't even notice it. You guys who are in Texas and are gung-ho conservatives may hear those twitches, those "mumbles", those repeats and mutter to yourself: "He needs to be tougher, The wimp!"

It was interesting to notice the difference in audio mix on the two un-cut versions. The Alternate View was a camera focused continually on Brad Watson, but the president's microphone was turned up and Mr. Watson's mic was barely audible in that version. Watching that one twice helped me put myself in the mind of some you guys who feel it was a fair interview, a professional interview.

I was born in Texas and spent my first 15 years there. I understand there is a percentage of the Texas population that wears their Texas Ego very prominently on their lapel or somewhere. There are times when it is cute and charming. There are times when it is obnoxious and disgusting. You folks who live there everyday and don't even notice the phenomena will have a hard time believing that many of us long removed from Texas found a little bit of Brad Watson's interview slightly infected with "The Texas Arrogance Factor". He may be viewed as a hometown hero in Dallas while being branded as something else by someone in Boston or Chicago or San Francisco.

By the way. To the person who said the Stephen Broden interview proved that Brad Watson was tough on Republicans also. You probably won't win a court case on that evidence. Where would you find a jury that would listen to that interview and convict Broden of being Republican! ;D

Sleep tight my friends. Tomorrow is a glorious day for those who cherish the Christian traditions. For everyone else, may it be a joyful day just for the sake of being a great Spring day.

 

[Zootopia3000]

Yes, Texans in general are conservative in nature. But as far as the Texas ego factor goes, you could probably find that ego in most any state. I spent 5 years in Knoxville, TN of recent and found their ego 'arrogance' to be just as superior to what you might find in most of Texas. I've spent 10 years in California and you could find just as much ego and arrogance in nativeness and also political ideology on the other side of the spectrum. As for me, I for one am happy that I'm back in Texas. Wouldn't want to live anywhere else again. I did live in Fort Worth for 5 years also, and remember Brad Watson. Memory tells me that I always found him to be a good reporter and anchor.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

In the late 1980s I made regular business trips into Houston. I was amazed how "un-Texas" it could be at times. Most of my flights were into International and what I always found interesting was the lack of hats. No Stetsons. But when I would travel into Orlando, Florida... there were all the Stetsons. West Texas cattle people at that time were diversified. Part of their cattle in Florida. Hopefully there would not be drought in both states at the same town.

I lived in eight states. And yes, people everywhere, including places that the rest of us may look down on and say: "Oh, I would hate to live there. They can't possibly have anything to be proud of!" But they do! These people over here in Georgia... (not all of them!) are ready to re-fight that war of 150 years ago and they will quickly explain to you why THEY WILL WIN this time.

I married a girl from Arkansas and for years that has been "home". Do you have any idea how proud of their little piece of real estate those people are? But they are not in your face about it.

I went to a family funeral in Wisconsin last year and one member of the extended family had moved to Texas a number of years ago. Boy was he in our face about Texas!

No, it is a minority of Texans, both native and imported, who display this trait.

As "Talker" Neal Boortz sometimes says... in a slightly more tart bit of language... Who have I not upset yet? The next state on my list of people who can be obnoxious and in your face (but only in limited numbers) would be Mississippi. And that one I can't begin to explain.

Now, back to the main, original topic. Brad Watson in his interviews carries within his voice pattern at a very low level a hint of that "Texan in your Face" voice quality. People who have never spent time in Texas will listen to him and say: I haven't the faintest idea what you are talking about! Those of you who live in Texas and work with people and have family members who are "blow-torches" of this Texas-in-your-face speaking style would say Brad Watson has none of that.

But he does. ;D And that's fine. We could argue if maybe I should be the last person on earth to ever talk about someone else's voice characteristics. It is not unusual for someone to stop me in the middle of a conversation to ask: "Where in the hell are you from?" : It made my radio years interesting.... and challenging.

 

[rogergray]

Just a quick observation from one who has interviewed a few Presidents. First of all, when you only have a few minutes with the guy, why you waste some of them with a dog-whistle for the cheap seats like, "Why do you think so many people in Texas don't like you?" Well, at that point you lose me. The biggest bit of grandstanding I saw was the introduction, or was it the tag where he said the President obviously doesn't like to be challenged. No, Brad, he doesn't like to be interrupted, as he said.

I think a viewing of the appearance before the Republican retreat a year or so ago shows he has no problem with that. It's a bit of local boy grandstanding that is meant to make you the tough guy, and is transparant as can be.

There are plenty of things to spend time on, and challenge the guy on (economy, health care, Libya, jobs, taxes, etc.), but his lack of popularity in Texas, and who got a shuttle are way down the list. Wasted opportunity.

 

[formeraa]

Another example of how BIG Texas thinks it is. What a shock -- a local reporter acting like a disrespectful child!!! Regardless of whether you agree with his politics, Barack Obama is the President of the United States. He should be treated with the same respect given to all past Presidents.

What if Brad had done a similar interview with W? He probably wouldn't have a job right now.