Boy, this woman caught a beat down in this interview. She is just too stupid to realize she is stupid.
---
'Goodness gracious,' Ted Simons' Kari Lake interview was great TV
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=%27Goodness+gracious%2C%27+Ted+Simons%27+Kari+Lake+interview+was+great+TVYou've heard the complaints that journalists either can't or won't effectively push back on lies and misstatements by political candidates — basically that by not calling out Donald Trump and like-minded candidates, they're normalizing a fact-free environment.
That's true in a lot of cases. But if you want to see how it's done right, watch Ted Simons' interview with Kari Lake, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Arizona, that took place on Oct. 3 on "Arizona Horizon" on Arizona PBS. He was patient, insistent and fair. Lake was Lake. She wouldn't acknowledge that she lost the 2022 election for governor, for instance, despite Simons giving her several opportunities. Simons kept asking.
"I think you're pushing back," Lake said at one point. That's his job. You'd think a former journalist would know that.
Ted Simons conducted a masterclass in interviewing Kari Lake
It's a cliche, but it's also true: This was a masterclass in interviewing a difficult subject. Every reporter covering the election, from president of the United States to dog catcher, should watch it.On the other hand, at least Lake showed up. This was supposed to be a debate between Lake and Ruben Gallego, the Democratic candidate, as part of the station's "AZ Votes 2024" coverage. Gallego declined to debate, so they offered both candidates one-on-one interviews. Lake accepted; Simons said the station is still working to secure an interview with Gallego.
After introductions, Simons, in his words, got down to it.
"Do you still maintain that you won the 2022 governor's race?" he asked.
"We had a lot of problems in the 2022 race and we're fighting to have election integrity" Lake responded. "It wasn't run properly. It wasn't run lawfully." Simons pointed out that there has been no proven evidence of this, including in several courtrooms. They went back and forth.
"Problems are one thing. But claims of election fraud, of an election being rigged, and again, that you rightfully won the election, that's a whole different thing. And it comes to judgment of character. I'm not just bringing this up to bring it up. Arizona voters want to know, should they send someone to Washington ... who's tilting at windmills here?"
That's how it's done. Or at least how it should be done. Simons brought facts to the argument. Lake brought generalities. And he held her feet to the fire. Her supporters doubtless will claim bias. But this was just good journalism, plain and simple.
At one point Lake kept saying that Gallego and Simons agreed on issues, implying that they are somehow in league together. Simons politely asked her to stop.
Simons didn't avoid any topics, no matter how prickly
Simons didn't avoid any prickly questions. He noted that while Gallego leads Lake in polls, Trump is polling ahead of Kamala Harris in Arizona. Why, he asked, is that? Lake said that she didn't trust the polls, and that her internal polling actually shows her ahead. That's fine. That's typical political rhetoric.
But Simons continued. Could it be Lake's confrontational style that's turning off voters?
"I'm sorry if my personality turns you off, Ted," Lake said. "I'm not trying to turn you on."
OK, that was actually kind of funny. But Simons hit on a legitimate point. The attack-all-your-opponents style (perceived or otherwise) seems to work best for Trump, not so much for the politicians who so obviously model their campaign personalities on his. And as Simons pointed out, she was confrontational during the interview.
At the end they made nice. Earlier Lake had accused Simons of debating her, not interviewing her — again, she knows better, but it's a way to fight back. Simons said that it was not a debate, and asked Lake if it was a "robust" interview.
"I think it could have been a little fairer, Ted," Lake said.
"Oh my goodness gracious, I'm sorry you feel that way," Simons responded.
He had made his point. So had she. And it was there for everyone to see.
---
