By Mark Rhoads
I suppose it all started on MTV back in April 1994 when President Bill Clinton appeared with 200 students on a contrived town hall type meeting. 17-year old Laetitita Thompson, daughter of a journalist, asked the President of the United States, "Is it boxers or briefs?" Mr. Clinton answered the mornonic question with "Usually briefs." and "I can't believe she said that." Fast forward to a few days ago when Chris Wallace asked Rep. Michelle Bachman (R-Minnesota), "Are you a flake?" This came on the heels of an equally idiotic line of questions from John King of CNN at the first GOP presidential debate panel.
The pretend questions of pretend "journalists" have taken us light years from the respectful and substantive questions reporters used to ask on the 1950s version of Meet the Press with Lawrence Spivak. Spivak and other gentlemen such as David Brinkley and Theodore H. White must be rolling over in their graves in reaction to the unbelievable foolish questions now posed to presidential candidates in 2011.