VP candidate Ryan bests reporter in Flint interview that didn’t “end well”
Tuesday, October 9, 2012 at 8:44AM 
An excerpt from the WJRT interview is posted at Real Clear Politics. [Screen snip from video]Does anything surprise you when it comes to Alphabet Networks? GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan sat down with a reporter for WJRT/ABC 12 (Flint, Mich.), presumably to talk about guns and crime. The reporter introduced the brief segment by saying he wanted to address the gun violence in cities like Flint and Saginaw.
Then the reporter segued into making the news rather than reporting it. He said,“This did not end well.”
Ryan and the reporter had a back and forth on guns and crime. The exchange presented a classic conservative view (Ryan) and a muddled Leftist view.
The reporter wanted to know if our country has a “gun problem.”
Ryan answered well, explaining we have a “crime problem.”
Ryan explained:
"No, if you take a look at the gun laws we have, I don't even think President Obama is proposing more gun laws. We have good, strong gun laws. We have to make sure we enforce our laws… But the best thing to help prevent violent crime in the inner cities is to bring opportunity to the inner cities, is to help people get out of poverty in the inner cities, is to help teach people good discipline, good character. That is civil society, that's what charities and civic groups and churches do to help one another, make sure they realize the value in one another."
The reporter then made one giant leap for Democrat talking points, abruptly switching to editorial mode:
"And you can do all that by cutting taxes? With a big tax cut?"
Ryan’s staff ended the interview and Ryan made a quip about the reporter trying to “stuff words in peoples’ mouths.”
The interviewer showed his complete ignorance of the Romney-Ryan tax plan. Most on the Left are ignorant about it because the president’s campaign has repeatedly called GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney a “liar.”
Romney, as grownups know, is no liar. Democrats used a single study to justify their criticism of Romney’s plan although other studies contradict the Dems’ claims about it.
As a matter of fact, one of the economists made a public statement implying Obama is misrepresenting the study.
Harvey Rosen emailed The Weekly Standard with a full statement that included this:
“I can’t tell exactly how the Obama campaign reached that characterization of my work…[A]n increase in the tax burden on lower and middle income individuals is not required in order to make the overall plan revenue neutral.”
Another example of the reporter’s ignorance arose from his understanding of taxes—the Republicans’ plan addresses federal taxes.
Dealing with local public safety is basically a local public issue, not a federal issue. Thump Mr. Reporter on the head with a copy of the U.S. Constitution.
The so-called reporter is, like most others in the political class, ignorant about tax regulations—there are more than 70,000 pages. There are numerous opportunities for reform of the tax code although personally I think the only way to do it is a flat tax. As long as there are lobbyists and cronies, they’ll be lining up in Washington to obtain tax breaks for their causes.
The interview didn’t “end well.” The reporter made an ass of himself. The same thing happened to a Leftist blogger who is a darling of the Democrats—his column appeared in The Washington Post and his primary assertion was—if you use the Democrats’ term—a lie.
In the Flint interview, Ryan came across as polite and informed.
The interviewer came across as ignorant, but that’s fairly common in centralized media these days.
To use a phrase a pundit from Politico came up with, these reporters are often "not worthy" of our GOP nominees.
(Commentary by Kay B. Day/Oct. 9, 2012)