To have been howling with laughter at...

[NicholasTeakozy]

... Jeremy Paxmans evisceration of the Treasury Minister Chloe Smith on Newsnight. She admitted to u-turns, made non answers and was soooooooo out of her depth it was ridiculous. Fuck, it was hilarious seeing her get turned over. I almost thought 'poor woman' but hey, she's a tory and she deserves it. :o

Anyway having now watched the clip, she did not do badly in light of what she was being asked to defend and she had presumably been told that she was not to give a direct answer.
She could still talk by the end of the interview which is better than I would have managed.
The policy was the problem and Claire had the unenviable task of trying to make it all look fine.
Personally, I think most politicians seem incapable of answering a straight question and utterly incapable of admitting that a mistake was made. One of the reasons that I rarely listen to anything a mainstream politician says.

I've just listened to Week in Westminster on R4 and from that I thought she came off by far the best.

Given the choice I'd prefer someone getting flustered because they're not been practised over egos or having to listen to 'measured tones' designed to lure.

I thought there was a thread in feminism about this and I've have posted there but can't find it.

'They've' and 'I'd'.

I'm all for a good Tory mauling and generally like Paxo but this was really uncomfortable to watch and he came across as a bit of a dog with a bone.

Agree, and the one just on was doing a voice and speaking nothing.

Although he wasn't one. But still...

"One of my issues with Paxo is that he seems to forget the point of the interview is not that Paxo should win, but that we should be informed. And he is often hideously rude to guests, especially foreign guests, when there is no need to be. Even foreign heads of state."

I couldn't agree more. I am more than capable of evaluating a politician's answers myself, thank you very much. If all questions are assuming incompetence at best and evil intention at worst, then everyone being questioned sounds defensive and evasive.

Also agree that there are many journalists not like this, Eddie Mair being my favourite example.

Used to be a big Paxman fan but he's a bit too cartoon like for me these days. And I've never been fond of bullying behaviour nor would I ever applaud it, no matter my opinion of the recipient.

She tried to be the patronising little madam she is. She thoroughly deserved what she got and was plain daft for assuming that she could: a) patronise Paxo, and b) that she was more intelligent than him.

was top of the charts 'cringe tv' ...how much water can a person sip/gulp in 10mins...hahahahaha....totally freaked out, trying to look calm, gulping water by the gallon to alleviate mega dry mouth fear and embarrassment...shame too a little bit....how do you come back from that...poor woman must want to find a large rock and never come back out again!!!...disaster tv!!...never to be forgotten