Why Gavin Newsom’s one-on-one interview with Sean Hannity was a 'masterclass in debate': journalist

22 June 2023

Liberal, progressive and centrist Democrats and their allies don't necessarily avoid being interviewed by conservative media figures, but they are generally selective about who they talk to.

Chris Wallace interviewed plenty of Democrats when he was at Fox News, including President Joe Biden. And Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), in 2019, appeared at a Fox News townhall hosted by Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.

Answering some tough questions from the right, according to many Democratic strategists and organizers, can help win over swing voters. But as a rule, Democrats who talk to conservatives in the media will pick, for example, a National Review reporter or Washington Post columnist George Will over a far-right ideologue like Fox News opinion host Sean Hannity.

Liberal Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, however, recently granted Hannity an interview. And journalist Ed Elson, in a Twitter thread posted on June 21, exalts Newsom's performance as a "masterclass in communication and debate."

Elson observes, "Hannity starts by attacking Biden with a laundry list of political issues as though it's assumed they've failed. Newsom: 'Let's talk about all of them - IN ORDER.' Off the bat he demonstrates any rhetorical flourish will be met with an informed and data-driven response."

Elson stresses that Newsom was totally focused during the interview, debunking Hannity's "Republican talking points" on everything from the economy to immigration to gun control.

Elson comments, "Some takeaways: - It pays to know your sh*t - Don't blindly agree/disagree, listen - No notes > notes - Owning mistakes is rhetorically powerful - Be affable, it's disarming - Let your opponent finish their argument…. We need more of this in American politics. Well-researched long-form debates involving both sides. Every leftwing politician should be willing to go on a rightwing news show and speak, and vice versa."

Watch the videos below or at this link.

1/ Hannity starts by attacking Biden with a laundry list of political issues as though it’s assumed they’ve failed.

Newsom: “Let’s talk about all of them - IN ORDER.”

Off the bat he demonstrates any rhetorical flourish will be met with an informed and data-driven response. pic.twitter.com/ko7yxMX8lu
— Ed Elson (@edels0n) June 21, 2023

2/ When Hannity tries to change topics, Newsom redirects him back to the premise Hannity himself had introduced.

He then demonstrates the hypocrisy of highlighting Covid’s effect on Trump’s job record while refusing to acknowledge its relationship with Biden-era inflation. pic.twitter.com/yThgvXVQpi
— Ed Elson (@edels0n) June 21, 2023

3/ Hannity states multiple reasonable Republican talking points on immigration. Most Dems would be baited into disagreement. Instead Newsom points out Dems are ALREADY addressing all issues raised, then nods to the faulty premise: “Let’s have this conversation in a rational way.” pic.twitter.com/b3MvyAva5k
— Ed Elson (@edels0n) June 21, 2023

4/ Hannity questions Democratic beliefs by framing them as hypocrisies. Border control + pro-immigration, energy independence + reduced oil production, etc.

Newsom points out these are rhetorical binaries and the issues are more complex. Then illustrates this with data. pic.twitter.com/O1xbYvJ8mH
— Ed Elson (@edels0n) June 21, 2023

Find Ed Elson's Twitter thread at this link.

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