The Radnofsky Press Gaggle

I’m only now getting around to writing about the “press gaggle” with Barbara Radnofsky after her speech at the convention yesterday. I was one of several bloggers there along with a host of MSM folk.

First of all, for the undoctrinated, a “press gaggle,” is something less formal and far more rapidly paced than a formal press conference and is usually held immediately before or after someone gives a speech, has a photo-op or whatever. The questions are usually pretty rapid-fire, and the pace in this gaggle was no exception. (What a press gaggle looks like is evidenced above left in the photo from the Radnofsky gaggle)
With a press gaggle, the questions are usually from a wider range of topics than in a press conference. It’s usually press gaggles when candidates end up saying things like, “that’s one of those areas we are looking at,” or, god forbid, the dreaded, “no comment.”

I didn’t get to go to Chris Bell’s press gaggle as I was over getting ready for the Blogger’s Caucus, but, given that Bell is a former journalist, I suspect he handled his quite well.

I knew Barbara Radnofsky would handle hers well, too, but was very, very impressed and think that the MainStream Media reporters covering it were impressed as well.

Almost all of the questions asked had to do with Hutchison. I don’t remember the exact question that solicited the following response, but I think it is worth nothing.

“Hutchison has been ineffective in getting more money for Texas. In [a recent budget vote], there was so little money for Texas that even Senator Cornyn could not stomach voting for it.”

I asked Barbara how she planned on getting Kay Bailey Hutchison down from her new home in Virginia for a debate.

She noted that the Dallas Women Lawyer’s Association has already invited both candidates to a debate. BAR has accepted; KBH is AWOL.

She also noted that she believed a non-partisan debate was important to helping voters decide and hear from both candidates. She also encouraged the mainstream media there to push for a debate.

I think that will pay dividends in the longrun. Even the MSM (usually cynicial of candidates and officeholders anyway) and its columnists will eventually get tired of hearing about the fact Hutchison won’t debate Radnofsky and they’ll start writing about it and, eventually, editorializing about it on their Op-Ed pages.

Also, BAR was asked dozens of questions on a wide, wide range of topics. I was impressed because she had an answer (a real answer) for every single question. I am not sure if she has a photographic memory or is able to do this because of her many years in the courtroom and the mediation table, but this woman can remember facts, figures, etc., at the drop of a hat. I was especially impressed with how she would state her position and/or response to a question, then tell reporters what page or topic it was under on her issue chart.

This is something I believe really impressed the MSM covering the convention.

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