Cameron Joseph of The Hill tells me that David Gregory is known as a tough interviewer. I wonder, by whom? Do any of you think David Gregory is a tough interviewer? How about anyone you know? I mean, here’s what’s going to happen when Gregory interviews Herman Cain tomorrow morning. Gregory will flash a few ridiculous things that Herman Cain has said up on the screen and ask Cain if he stands by those ridiculous things. Cain either will or will not stand by those ridiculous things. Gregory will ask some kind of incredulous follow-up question, and then move on to the next ridiculous thing. You know what won’t happen? Gregory will not do anything that Cain can’t predict right now, the night before the interview. He also won’t really react to anything Cain says, except in the most predictable (and brief) way. The whole interview is scripted before it starts, so there’s no time to latch on to anything and run it to ground.
I can’t think of any interviewer who it is easier to prepare for. I’m sure Herman Cain is a little nervous about appearing on Meet the Press, but that’s only because he’s said a lot of ridiculous things that he’ll have to defend. He knows what those ridiculous things are, though, so he can craft his answers in advance. Rather than grilling Cain with his own quotes, Gregory should try to throw him off balance with questions that actually have something to do with the job of being president. But I can guarantee you that that will not happen.
