One thing I don't like about the sensitivity approach to tolerance is the way that it tends to condescension. Take Obama's duck of John McCormick's question about his Blago ties. Obama cuts him off "because I don't want you to waste your question." He could have just used his excuse and not answered the question but instead tries to frame it in terms of being helpful and concerned for the reporter's well-being. Good manners assumes conflict and tries to blunt it. "Sensitivity" assumes that conflict is rooted in ignorance and tries to educate it. I think that it is only a matter of time before reporters get tired of being stiff-armed and told that they are ignorant at the same time. A polite no comment or even a Bushian non-sequitur might start to look good after a while.
Milbank makes the argument that Obama is doing the same thing that Bush did all the time and brings in the example of Bush begging off a question about a military raid into Syria. But that is not quite the same. In addition to it not be a question about a scandal but one where there is a legitimate reason to beg off answering for national security reasons, there is the more important point that Bush doesn't try to make his answer seem like he is trying to help the reporter.
"I'm not going to comment on the matter," Bush said. "You're welcome to
ask another question, if you'd like to, on a different subject," the
president added
There is a world of difference between just saying you are not going to talk about something and telling a guy you are doing him a favor becasue his original question was one that didn't even need to be asked if he had read the statement and done his homework.
Milbank makes the argument that Obama is doing the same thing that Bush did all the time and brings in the example of Bush begging off a question about a military raid into Syria. But that is not quite the same. In addition to it not be a question about a scandal but one where there is a legitimate reason to beg off answering for national security reasons, there is the more important point that Bush doesn't try to make his answer seem like he is trying to help the reporter.
"I'm not going to comment on the matter," Bush said. "You're welcome to
ask another question, if you'd like to, on a different subject," the
president added
There is a world of difference between just saying you are not going to talk about something and telling a guy you are doing him a favor becasue his original question was one that didn't even need to be asked if he had read the statement and done his homework.
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