Revolutionary Moderation

"Did your advisors tell you to talk all the time?"



I fully expect someone to ask me to gaffe that question up, and if the media play it over and over as the "Paul Martin is arrogant" clip, I might have to. But he was on the money. Now that it's too late, here's a word of advice for Layton, and to a lesser extent, to Martin and Harper as well (though Duceppe did not make this mistake at all):



When you ask an incisive, dangerous, time-bomb of a question, the only way it scores any points with the electorate is if you give the responder some rope to hang himself with. If you ask a question and then talk right over the answer, you look insincere, while the voter is left with the impression that your opponent might have answered the question, if only you'd afforded him the opportunity.