Larry King’s Hardball Question

Barack Obama is on Larry King right now and Larry just asked a question for which Obama didn’t have a good answer.

Larry: “Are you surprised by how well you are doing” in the campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination?

Obama just stammered around before fixing on saying that “it’s early” in the campaign.  But he was clearly flummoxed. 

Now, Larry King is not known for his hardball questions, but sometimes the questions that do you in are the easy ones.  So always watch out for the easy ones because those are the ones that get you. 

Remember back when the first President Bush was debating Bill Clinton and at a “town hall” debate, a woman asked if the candidates know how much a loaf of bread cost.  Bush answered first and he didn’t know and he stuttered around and basically just solidified the general impression that the preppie from Kennebunkport didn’t have to count his pennies like the working folks.  Bill Clinton then piped up and said that a loaf of bread cost “too much” and went on to talk about how he’s “grow the economy”.  Clinton probably didn’t go grocerty shopping any more than Bush, but he was prepared for the easy question. 

What should Obama have answered?  Hmmmm.  It’s a tricky balancing act.  He doesn’t want to be widely considered the frontrunner, because part of his potency as a candidate is based on people “discovering” him.  He doesn’t want to insist he’s at the bottom of the polls because it’s simply not true.  Besides, people like to support a winner.  But he doesn’t want to appear arrogant, either. 

I probably would have wanted to hear him say something like, “that’s about the most flattering question I’ve been asked on the campaign trail so far, Larry, and I’ve been asked just about everything.  Certainly, I am really gratified that voters are listening to me and I think that voters have been searching for a while for a candidate who reflects their beliefs.  Balanced budget, honesty in government, care for our veterans….”  and so on and so on….