A short live-stream commentary by TJ Walker criticizing a media "soundbite blunder" by Senator Lindsey Graham. Walker summarizes Graham's background and 2015 presidential candidacy context, quotes Graham's statement "I don't think I'm a defective person," and argues that the defensive, negative phrasing invited media quotation. He concludes with media-interview advice: always frame responses positively and avoid self-attacking language.
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Soundbite blunder of the week goes to senator lindsey graham, Headline@vox.com Other websites all over the world, from Senator Lindsey Graham, quote, I don't think I'm a defective person. Now, to a lot of people who see just the headline that looks kind of like Richard Nixon saying, I am not a crook. It's not a good quote for a politician. It's defensive, it's negative. And to the casual observer, it's just Lindsey Graham, defective person. They're seeing that together. How did he get himself in that situation? Well, Lindsey Graham is a longtime fixture in Washington, former congressman, a member of the House, now a member of the Senate. He's running for president, recently announced candidate, and at least in his own party, there's some controversy over the fact that he's never been married, has no wife, has no kids. One fellow Republican senator undecorously said that he's the bro with no ho. Graham has also commented that he is going to have a rotating revolving first lady, including his sister sometimes. Now, he sat down with Politico, did a lengthy interview, a thoughtful interview, and when asked about this issue of being single, he said, look, I have a family. I love my aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews. I have a long, extended, loving family. And just because I'm single, a lot of people are basically. And then he said lots of things that I think any fair minded person would say, that makes sense, that's fair. I know someone like that. I can relate to that. But he ended it all by saying, I don't think I'm a defective person. Now, anyone seeing the entire story or the entire quote, I think would come away with a favorable impression of Senator Graham. However, it's only that last quote. I don't think I'm a defective person. That's the part that got quoted. That's the part that got into the headlines. Now, Lindsey Graham's a big boy. He should know better. After all, he rose to power by being the guy who was one of the quickest to attack Bill Clinton during his impeachment. And he became really famous from that. And he wrote his way into the Senate on that. So he's not some babe in the woods. He should have known better. The problem with saying I'm not a defective person is you're using attacking words. Defective, you're attacking yourself. It's defensive and it's emotional. Four sound bite elements. You're virtually guaranteeing that the reporters are going to quote you. Now, how should he have answered that question? Some of you are thinking well, TJ Is saying you got to be fake and phony all the time. No, his answer was perfectly fine the first 95% of it. He should have stopped there and not put in that final sentence. When you're dealing with the media, especially about any issue of controversy or potential criticism of yourself, you have to speak entirely in the positive. Because if you're 99% positive and 1% negative against yourself, that's the part that's going to get into the story. You should know that going into it. And if you're quoted on that negative 1% calling yourself defective, you have no one to blame but yourself. The solution is don't call yourself defective. Don't call yourself a crook. Don't say you're no longer a wife beater, whatever husband beater. Stick to the positive. Let other people attack you. You can deal with those attacks, but deal with it on your own terms, not others.
