Do Campaigns Routinely Plant Questions?

Hillary Clinton Is Under Fire, But Some Observers Say Scripting Questions Is Common

(CBS)  This story was written by CBSNews.com political reporter Brian Montopoli.

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At an event in New Hampton, Iowa last month, Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton was asked about her Senate vote in favor of calling the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization.

"Why should I support your candidacy ... " Randall Rolph asked, "if it appears you haven't learned from your past mistakes?"

Clinton answered the question -- and suggested that "somebody obviously sent" it to him, since she had "been asked the very same question in three other places." Rolph said he was offended by the implication and that the question came from his own research.

Now Clinton is once again dealing with the concept of planted questions, though this time it is her own campaign that is coming under fire.

A sophomore at Grinnell College named Muriel Gallo-Chasanoff told CNN she was encouraged by a Clinton staffer in Newton, Iowa to ask the candidate a question about climate change -- and was discouraged from asking the question she had come up with.

She also said she overheard another questioner discussing how the campaign had asked him to ask a specific question about jobs. Another man, Geoffrey Mitchell, said he was approached at a Clinton event in Iowa in April and asked to ask a question about war funding.

The Clinton campaign admitted that the question asked by Gallo-Chasanoff was planted by a staffer, but said Clinton "had no idea who she was calling on, and this is not acceptable campaign process moving forward. We've taken steps to ensure that it never happens again."

According to Dan Schnur, however, such tactics are typical for campaigns -- and not just Clinton's. Schnur was John McCain's communications director in the 2000 campaign and now teaches at University of California, Berkeley and The University of Southern California.

"I don't think in either party I've ever seen a campaign that holds question and answer events that doesn't arrange for some questions," says Schnur. "That's not to say every question is prepared. That's not to say the candidate knows every question coming. But it's pretty standard practice."

Schnur says campaigns approach reporters in a similar way -- suggesting that if they ask a candidate about immigration, for example, they might get a newsworthy response. Opposition campaigns also send operatives to pose particularly difficult or slanted questions -- which is what Clinton seemed to think Randall Rolph was up to when he asked his question about Iran.

But if all campaigns use these sorts of tactics, why is Clinton being singled out?

"Every candidate faces one double standard or another, especially if it reinforces the preexisting impressions about that candidate," says Schnur. "There is already a suspicion among the first concentric circles of politics that Hillary Clinton is over-programmed, so this becomes a bigger story for her than it would for (Barack) Obama or (John) Edwards."

A longtime political consultant who spoke to CBS News agrees.

"People are going after her because she's the frontrunner, and also because there are questions of whether she is evading," says the consultant. "Is she talking straight and being forthcoming? If she is staging questions, you've got to wonder."

CBS News political consultant Nicole Wallace, a former aide to President Bush, disputes the notion that staged questions are common practice.

"Do campaigns go in and say, 'We want people to talk about their experiences with social security?' Sure," Wallace says. "It's not unheard of to steer questions. But scripting of a question is where any candidate is going to run into trouble."

When questions are planted, she says, "It's a recipe for disaster for a politician who is trying to appear authentic." Wallace notes that campaigns are constantly trying to balance their desire to control a candidate's message with their desire for the candidate to be seen as spontaneous and genuine.

Mr. Bush and his staff have been criticized for pre-screening audience members in an effort to make sure questions come from supporters, particularly when he was traveling the country in support of his Social Security plan in 2005. On Saturday, Edwards compared Clinton's tactics to Bush's.

"That's what George does: George Bush goes to events that are staged, where people are screened," said Edwards, according to Politico. "That's not the way democracy works in Iowa."

Obama also weighed in, saying pre-screening questioners is "not a practice that we've ever engaged in and it's not a practice that we ever plan to engage in."

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney also said his campaign does not screen questions.

"Frankly, in a town hall setting like this, and every setting I'm in, we take all the questions, and we don't know who the questioners are," said Romney. "Sometimes there are planted questions that come from other campaigns or people that have a particular interest. But you know what? You take them all, and you respond honestly to the questions you get. That's part of the process."

[traditionalj]

This should come as no surprise. So much of what politicians do is scripted.

[mistered9]

Planting questions I'' sure is done by all. Bush has done it for six years as well as stocing with only his backers.
There''s no way anyone could come up with answers in a split second if they didn''t know the question. Some questions take investigating the subject. Lets get real.

[howcould]

If scripting questions is common, then what the hell the democrats complaining about Bush only letting in select people at his campaign speeches? Two-party system = double standard.

[howcould]

"Some questions take investigating the subject. Lets get real."

Or else what? They''ll be held accountable to their words?

[timinphx]

Typical leftist press playing protector for their girl Hillary.

When a Dem gets caught doing something, one of the things the press will always do is trot out the old "everybody does it" defense. Typical of a press wholly owned by the DNC.

[tcoleman12]

Didn''t FEMA get thrown under the bus recently for faking a press conference and doing basically the same thing? Weren''t they just "trying to get the answers out that they wanted?"
Everyone saw how Hillary fumbled when asked a question on the illegal IDs. What chance could she take of an audience member asking a tough question at any appearance?

[killtheliars]

I am not a Hillary fan but it is true they all do this. The Bush administration has not faced any tough questioning, everything is scripted before hand. There should be a disclaimer telling people that questions were screened or planted in any debate or speech made by any candidate or office holder including the president

[notblue]

Hillary''s campaign does! Whether hers is the only one is speculation, she is the only caught so far.

Love the CBS headline! Who''s side is CBS on?? LOL!
If a republican had made that mistake the headline would have been VERY different!

[donbl1]

Bush does face tough questions when he has a White House press conference. There might be questions planted there but the ridicule from the other reporters would be overwhelming and vicious.

The Clintons "just lie so easily". They always have.

This is really an example of a character flaw with Hillary. If she had said, "yes, it is part of our marketing plan to get the word out" the bruhaha would have been less. She just has trouble with the truth.

[radiob-2009]

All candiates should undergo dosages of truth serum and be strapped to a polygraph machine in addition and then asked questions if any one wants a "honest" answer.

[donbl1]

***** Bill and Enabler Hillary have a common trait of being unable to tell tough news because someone may not like them. That is really unhealthy in the top job. Look at the NY drivers license debacle. Hillary was not up to telling us which way to go.

[mustbright]

Hey, notmudrose, where''ve you been? Haven''t seen you for a while. I agree with you that Hillary would be the best president out of the whole bunch, although Bill Richardson is great too.

Notmudrose, can you beleive anyone can be so stupid that they would vote for a republican? Let''s not go so long again without hearing from you.

[radiob-2009]

"House plants" or a garden of "vegetables" that is the question the partys ask themselves which do they want?
They have opted for "house plants" as "gardens" require to much labour.

[radiob-2009]

And the house plants of both partys wither on the vine.

[honestabe8]

Partisanship is killing this country. Each candidate bending over backwards to prove they are the true conservative (or true liberal). Of course the questions are planted. This happens with Dems and Repubs. ONDCP has been doing it for ages...and they are run by the party in office. John P. Walters is the current lying sack of dung for Shrub, Barry McCaffery filled the same role for Billy Boy.

[gunnerv1]

"We''ve taken steps to ensure it never happens again" It''ll never happen again with Vince Foster either! Careful what you ask the Canidate?

[bareemperor]

Just a minute, I will ask James D. Guckert, AKA Jeff Gannon...

[averjane]

She has such an honest, convincing face doesn''t she? Girrrllllll Puuulease! For you guys who may not already know this, women have such a knack of being able to keep a straight face if they have to. Our brains work differently then men in that we have more information flying back and forth at all times so we%u2019re able to come up with quick responses. It''s just like telling a story we read in a book except it%u2019s one we made up in our minds. If you%u2019re good at it, like she is, you make sure you never get caught with a dumb look on your face. We have simply practiced a scenario, then we create the best story that would fit it and make sure that it is what we know people would want to hear so it all sounds oh so convincing. Based on important issues at the time, we will even prepare a story for those questions or topics that might pop up. The ones people ask to get around an answer that may not have satisfied them; they come at you from a different angle. Have you ever heard news reporters do it? I was watching the video interview of a student and principle in the news several weeks ago but I noticed she asked the principle the same question 3 different ways. It was so funny how she was well trained in doing it. The principle kept answering for the teen before he could get a chance to give a more honest answer. The principle was well versed in dancing with the reporters questions.

[curiousread]

Of course they do. it politics. we''ve got issues in this country.

Jon Boy
Bored? Check out my blog www.curiousread.com

[signof4]

So Hillary gets caught and they try to spin it as, ''well so what....everybody does it.''

Lame, Lame, Lame!!!!!

[forthepeopl1]

TO ALL AMERICA YES, CONGRESS HAS AGAIN SLAP AMERICANS RIGHT IN THE FACE WITH THIS, PLEASE DONT BELEIVE ME THAN GO AND READ THE LAW BUSH SIGN INTO LAW.

ITS CALL THE MILITARY COMMISSIONS ACT 2006, AND HIDDEN IN FINE PRINT CONGRESS HAS GIVEN THEMSELFS AND ANYONE WORKING IN THE GOVERNEMNT IMMUNEITY ON ANY THING THAT HAS HAPPEN IN THE WAKE OF THE WAR,OR ANYTHING ELSE THEY CAN FIND.

THIS IS THE BEST PART, THEY BACK DATED IT TO ( 1997) why?????

why would they need to back date this all the way before 2001????

because they have been ease dropping on america way back then...think about it america, and you better think about this, cheney/bush/rumsfeld/rove/rice started this war on all lies on top of lies, and remember 18 out of 19 involved in 2001 was saudi araibans you know the king and bush hold hands walking in the woods??? and this is why bush said he doesn''t care about finding bin laddan because bin is part of the royal family that bush loves..

so if you look at the hole law, hillary help get it into law, why why why sounds funning because her husband bill was president at that time in 1997..so what are they all hideing in washington???????????????

david a belanger,veteran,us army, 978-618-3105,[e-mail]

[smirk5]

Candidates that plant people to ask questions are being unethical.
Hillary shouldn''t have let this happen.
But, does she make visitors to her events sign loyalty waivers before entering a "townhall" meeting? Bush does.
Has she planted any gay prostitutes to ask softball questions on a regular basis? Bush did.
Has she posed with our troops while holding a plastic turkey? Bush did.
Bush is the master of this kind of ***.
If Cons have no problems with the last three examples, and they are being fair, then they have no problem at all with Hillary planting some questions.
If they do have a problem with Hillary on this, it''s simply partisan or they are ignorant of Bush''s record.
This also goes for Hillary supporters. If they have a problem with the many instances where Bush has play-acted in front of audiences, they should also have a problem with this.
Fair-minded, informed people either have a problem with both Hillary and Bush on this, or they have no problem with both Hillary or Bush on this.

[rohink-2009]

Posted by notmudrose

```````````

God, you are original. And, so deep.

[cfin5]

Edwards is gonna put a good old fashioned whoopin'' on Hil''LIAR''Y. Her fib''s will defeat her with ease with Edwards being a lawyer and all.......Gravel is the best American running for the democratic ticket.

[candide777]

Hillary Clinton will nuke Zimbabwe just to show everyone how tough (and stupid) she is.
Posted by tuckerndfw at 12:32 PM : Nov 14, 2007

Hmmm, as usual, you''ve given us all a lot to think about and to consider. I''m going to have re-think Hillary based on your insightful comments. I''ll get back to you once I''ve thought through all of this . . .

[smirk5]

tuckerndfw,

I think Hillary would listen to good advice in terms of foreign policy, while Bush didn''t.
I know Hillary has command of the English language while Bush doesn''t.
I think Hillary would be a much better President than Bush was/is.
Of course, that''s not saying much at all. There are zucchinis that would do a better job as President than Bush has.
But, I still agree that Hillary should be straight-forward honest with the American people while Bush hasn''t. And when she plants questions, she''s acting like Bush and it''s unethical/dishonest.

[candide777]

Bush has play-acted in front of audiences, they should also have a problem with this.
Fair-minded, informed people either have a problem with both Hillary and Bush on this, or they have no problem with both Hillary or Bush on this.
Posted by Smirk5 at 12:31 PM : Nov 14, 2007

The fact is, no matter how hard, or how little, any campaign tries to be authentic, there are always going to be "plants" in an open forum. Just look at the nuts who support Ron Paul -- you think he has any control over them? Every campaign has its zealots who will stoop to any level to help their candidate and they all know what the "talking points" are for their candidate, so if you think the rest of the campaigns don''t have "plants," you must be smokin'' crack. I''m not saying that makes it okay, it just is a fact, and to take one candidate to task over it, well, it smacks of unfair bias. It would be different if her campaign were screening every single person or question, which is apparently what Bush does.

[terrorislam5]

CHINESE OWN DEMONIC-RATS AND BUY THEM THE ELECTIONS!!!
DEMONIC-RATS SOLD THE USA OUT TO CHINA!!!

The tale of shady Chinese Clinton donors avoiding U.S. justice is a familiar one that dates back to the 1996 Clinton-Gore fundraising scandal known as Chinagate. The Clintons took millions in laundered foreign campaign donations from Chinese Communists in exchange for liberalizing trade policy with China, dropping pending indictments against influential Chinese figures, spots on a U.S. trade mission and overnight stays at the White House.
Many of the Chinagate donors were successfully prosecuted even though Clinton Attorney General Janet Reno blocked investigators%u2019 efforts at the Justice Department. More than 100 people connected to the fundraising scandal fled the country, however. Norman Hsu seems to be following their lead.
http://www.corruptionchronicles.com/2007/09/hillary_donor_flees_like_china.html

[terrorislam5]

DEMONIC-RATS AND KLINTOONS SELL OUT THE USA TO THE CHINESE FOR 1996 ELECTIOON AND AGAIN FOR 2008 ELECTION,,,

INVESTIGATION OF ILLEGAL OR IMPROPER ACTIVITIES
IN CONNECTION WITH 1996 FEDERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGNS
FINAL REPORT of the COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
SENATE Rept. 105-167 - 105th Congress 2d Session - March 10, 1998

The China Connection: Summary of the Committee''s Findings Relating to Efforts of the People''s Republic of China to Influence U.S. Policies and Elections

The individuals who facilitated the contributions have either elected to take the Fifth Amendment or flee the country. Beijing has denied the Committee''s request for assistance. Moreover, after its hearings concluded, the Committee learned that the Chinese leadership was pleased no PRC agencies have yet been implicated in the campaign finance scandal.
http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/1998_rpt/sgo-sir/2-18.htm

and you thought gonzales was bad,,,

[terrorislam5]

HITLARY KLINTOON AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING

An unlikely treasure-trove of donors for Clinton
The candidate''s unparalleled fundraising success relies largely on the least-affluent residents of New York''s Chinatown -- some of whom can''t be tracked down.
Dishwashers, waiters and others whose jobs and dilapidated home addresses seem to make them unpromising targets for political fundraisers are pouring $1,000 and $2,000 contributions into Clinton''s campaign treasury. In April, a single fundraiser in an area long known for its gritty urban poverty yielded a whopping $380,000. When Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) ran for president in 2004, he received $24,000 from Chinatown.
Clinton has enlisted the aid of Chinese neighborhood associations, especially those representing recent immigrants from Fujian province. The organizations, at least one of which is a descendant of Chinatown criminal enterprises that engaged in gambling and human trafficking, exert enormous influence over immigrants. The associations help them with everything from protection against crime to obtaining green cards.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-donors19oct19,0,4231217.story?coll=la-home-center

[kristin1228]

Who cares! These are politicians we are talking about, not saints. The fact that this shocks people is amazing; there is nothing ethical about politicians.

[walt1944-2009]

That kind of practice has been going on for decades and its first now that everyone is getting excited about it.

At least she only planted questions, not PEOPLE like the Great Emperor Bush II has been doing for the past 7 years. In Nazi Germany, Hitler''s storm troopers made real sure that no Jews or other "non-Aryans" ever attended his "rallies", even as janitors. The Emperor does the same thing, making sure that everyone attending his "conferances" takes a "vow" to be good little boys and girls or risk be labeled a "terrrrrorist" and getting a one way trip to Gitmo!

HAIL TO "DEMOCRACY" ACCORDING TO THE GREAT EMPEROR BUSH II !!!

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!

[terrorislam5]

HSU A NO HSU AT HEARING%u2026 LOL
Democratic Donor a No Show at Hearing
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070906/D8RFKG500.html
Dems Dirty Donor Norman Hsu Fails to Show for Bail Reduction Hearing Leading to Speculation He''s On the Run
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,295828,00.html
china buys usa elections???
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=chinese+campaign contributions democrat
Big Source of Clinton''s Cash Is an Unlikely Address
Family''s Donations Closely Track Those Of Top Fund-Raiser
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118826947048110677.html?mod=hpp_us_whats_news
Report: Hillary Clinton Big Money Donor Wanted for Grand Theft
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Hillary Clinton Big Money Donor Wanted for Grand Theft&btnG=Search
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,295031,00.html
Leading Clinton Donor Stays Below the Radar
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB118835199704811801.html?mod=blog
''DIRTY CASH'' MAN FLEES
http://www.nypost.com/seven/03042007/news/nationalnews/pro_clinton_dirty_cash_man_flees_nationalnews_christine_field.htm
RNC pushing the China angle
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0807/RNC_Pushing_the_China_angle.html
Democrats Turn From Big Donor Who%u2019s Fugitive
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/31/us/politics/31hsu.html?ei=5065&en=c3f5afa614172532&ex=1189224000&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print

[gkc99]

Anyone with an IQ above room temperature who say a Deserter-in-chief Bushit campaign speech knows that every single "question" Bushit got was scripted.

And funny how CBS news "forgot" how Bushit had a remote radio receiver hidden (poorly) under his jacket during a 2004 presidential debate.

[terrorislam5]

SYSTEMIC CORRUPTION IN THE DEMONIC-RAT PARTY
FBI arrests 11 NJ officials for bribery
All of them are Democrats.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2007/09/fbi_arrests_11_nj_officials_fo.html
systemic corruption in the Democratic Party
Corruption sting crosses N.J.
12 charged in a widening investigation that began with contracts in an Atlantic County school district.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20070907_Corruption_sting_crosses_N_J_.html
Hillary campaign honcho among 11 busted in N.J. sting
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/2007/09/07/2007-09-07_hillary_campaign_honcho_among_11_busted_.html
11 Arrested in N.J. Corruption Inquiry
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/07/nyregion/06corruptCND.html?em&ex=1189310400&en=b504d6c2fbd19cba&ei=5087%0A
Castro''s tip: Clinton-Obama the winning ticket
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN2825114320070829?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&rpc=22&sp=true
Kathleen Willey: Clintons stole my manuscript
House burglary over weekend targeted copy of book days after details leaked to press
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/staticarticles/article57498.html

[nycmarine]

YOU''RE A FROG IN A POT
My fellow Americans need to open their eyes to the fact that our republic, along with The Constitution upon which it was founded, is being flushed-down the toilet by our nations'' bought and paid for politicians and media. While the Oligarchs warn and incite fear in the sheeple about the prospect of terrorism, they at the same time leave our borders wide open, and then conduct illegal wars overseas that do nothing but incite the terrorism which their Orwellian Laws like the Patriot Act and the John Warner Defense Authorization Act pretend to protect us from. Wake up America! It''s not about protecting you from terrorism, or Global Warming, or any of that other fear-mongering garbage the sold-out, mainstream media feeds you 24/7. It''s about feeding the bankers and the military industrial complex, and facilitating the global elite''s ability to ratchet-down control over the American people, placing us into a total control grid where they can surveille, track and control everywhere we go and everything we do. It''s the groundwork for tyranny. It''s the New World Order plan of Bush, Clinton, Edwards, McCain, Giuliani, et.al., being executed quite beautifully. You''re a frog in a pot: In order to cook a frog, you don''t throw him into a pot of boiling water. If you do, he''ll resist and jump-out. What you do instead is, you turn the heat-up REAL SLOW, and by the time the water is boiling he won''t be able to jump out anymore, because it''s too late--he''s already doomed.

[condumism]

Has the FASCIST GW Bush ever spoken before the American people? NEVER! This Fascist only speaks before the US Military Welfare recipients, hardly real Americans.

[condumism]

Has the FASCIST GW Bush ever spoken before the American people? NEVER! This Fascist only speaks before the US Military Welfare recipients, hardly real Americans.

[condumism]

Has the FASCIST GW Bush ever spoken before the American people? NEVER! This Fascist only speaks before the US Military Welfare recipients, hardly real Americans.

[condumism]

Has the FASCIST GW Bush ever spoken before the American people? NEVER! This Fascist only speaks before the US Military Welfare recipients, hardly real Americans.

[condumism]

Has the FASCIST GW Bush ever spoken before the American people? NEVER! This Fascist only speaks before the US Military Welfare recipients, hardly real Americans.

[condumism]

Has the FASCIST GW Bush ever spoken before the American people? NEVER! This Fascist only speaks before the US Military Welfare recipients, hardly real Americans.

[condumism]

Has the FASCIST GW Bush ever spoken before the American people? NEVER! This Fascist only speaks before the US Military Welfare recipients, hardly real Americans.

[condumism]

Has the FASCIST GW Bush ever spoken before the American people? NEVER! This Fascist only speaks before the US Military Welfare recipients, hardly real Americans.

[condumism]

Has the FASCIST GW Bush ever spoken before the American people? NEVER! This Fascist only speaks before the US Military Welfare recipients, hardly real Americans.

[luvny-2009]

Are you kidding Bush hand picked his every meeting. No one was allowed in unless they kissed his butt

[smirk5]

tuckerndfw,

"If you think she is an honest, straightforward person, you are delusional."

I don''t remember saying that.

I do think Hillary won''t surround herself with yes people. But, I could be wrong about that.

I don''t think Hillary=Bush.
I think that''s a stretch.

[hawksprings]

Condumism, you''re repeating yourself over and over.
It''s a sure sign of insanity.

[candide777]

If you do, he''''ll resist and jump-out. What you do instead is, you turn the heat-up REAL SLOW, and by the time the water is boiling he won''''t be able to jump out anymore, because it''''s too late--he''''s already doomed.
Posted by NYCMarine at 01:05 PM : Nov 14, 2007

Kind of like your brain has slowly been fried by hallucinogens?

LOL! You''re an idiot! Why don''t you just put a lid on the pot if you don''t want the frog to jump out?

[hillaryin08]

Be careful Condumism, you mey get deported!

Just dont trick me ok?