Farage left flustered and irate by LBC interview

[Saint-Armstrong]

Credit to the interviewer. He knew just what was coming and how to just flip the tables on Farage.

 

[video=youtube;-pyYoL9ngtE]

[hypochondriac]

Heavily biased reporter not allowing farage to properly answer. Next.

[Lord Duckhunter]

 

[Batman]

It's all odd how UKiP get sounded out for a below par radio interview or what a nutter who is a member says

 

If we judged all of them fairly, I suspect UKiP would look pretty well compared to the big 3

[hypochondriac]

Fair play to nigel though for having the balls to stand up and face his critics. Wouldn't catch other party leaders facing a grilling in such a manner.

[DuncanRG]

Fair play to nigel though for having the balls to stand up and face his critics. Wouldn't catch other party leaders facing a grilling in such a manner.

 

By dodging questions and answering with half-truths? I think you would. He got a tougher ride than a lot of politicians do (which isn't always the case) but the tactics are exactly the same. The sloganeering is a little more subtle but other than that, he handles things in much the same way. You have to with today's media, sadly.

 

That was a terrific interview. The issue in terms of not giving him time to answer is that Farage was never half way through a good answer when O'Brien intervened. O'Brien only stepped in when he made another evasive move, told a lie/half-truth or contradicted himself. When he's having to to defend the indefensible (especially Ukip's connections to the European far right), that tends to happen a lot.

 

You can't think he was half way to making a sensible point on the questions put to him about English speaking schoolchildren, the Romanian neighbour comments or the European far right. You just can't. Other issues are more slippery, particularly the bit on bigoted members in his ranks.

Edited 16 May, 2014 by DuncanRG

[Batman]

What a pointless interview

[melmacian_saint]

I don't support UKIP, nor do I believe that Farage has always come across nicely and clearly, but I'm afraid my opinion of journalists (apart from a few sports narrators/presenters/reporters) keeps going down every day.

 

For all their "open perspective and mind" imagery, they strike me as very angry people who are essentially on a mission to demonize people's lives irrespective of their ideas and personalities, having no problem in casting judgement over everyone and everything, and preaching absolute truths whilst hiding from attack and questioning under the banner of promoting "freedom of speech" and serving peoples (???) interests, going extremely defensive every time someone may attempt to question them.

 

I know it's looking too much into this, but I do believe that public opinion has a massive influence on people's expectations and traits. Aren't we all just going a bit too angry at everything, expecting way too much from society and people in general, maybe because the opinion "facilitators" have that same attitude in their job?

 

Not condoning some questionable statements in Farage's responses, but this O'Brien fella came across very arrogantly, and seemed to be happy to just make it a "I shut you" contest, rather than perhaps trying to debate the questions in more detail. Instead, he came across just as biased and narrow-minded as Farage, or a UKIP member for that matter.

[TwoPints]

I wonder, do UKIP supporters not question why Farage chairs a committee of far right supporters in Europe?

[melmacian_saint]

What I do know is that we'll feel lucky to have UKIP when we have a look at the sort of mentalists that will be coming to the EP from all the different European countries.

If you think UKIP is a racist hell hole only surpassed by the BNP, think again when you hear about the Lega Nord, the FN or some of the outright fascist, sectarian parties of some Eastern European countries....

 

And yes, we will have something to do with them. We will share a Parliament with them, and there's nothing we can do about it. You can bring them into LBC every week, get Sky, C4 or the BBC to provide the biggest hatchet jobs ever. It won't matter.

This country, despite all its historical and current woes, does not realize its luck in having such a stable democratic system capable of debating issues and discussing troubles, even if in a rather bloody-minded, fickle or angry manner.

[DuncanRG]

I don't support UKIP, nor do I believe that Farage has always come across nicely and clearly, but I'm afraid my opinion of journalists (apart from a few sports narrators/presenters/reporters) keeps going down every day.

 

For all their "open perspective and mind" imagery, they strike me as very angry people who are essentially on a mission to demonize people's lives irrespective of their ideas and personalities, having no problem in casting judgement over everyone and everything, and preaching absolute truths whilst hiding from attack and questioning under the banner of promoting "freedom of speech" and serving peoples (???) interests, going extremely defensive every time someone may attempt to question them.

 

I know it's looking too much into this, but I do believe that public opinion has a massive influence on people's expectations and traits. Aren't we all just going a bit too angry at everything, expecting way too much from society and people in general, maybe because the opinion "facilitators" have that same attitude in their job?

 

Not condoning some questionable statements in Farage's responses, but this O'Brien fella came across very arrogantly, and seemed to be happy to just make it a "I shut you" contest, rather than perhaps trying to debate the questions in more detail. Instead, he came across just as biased and narrow-minded as Farage, or a UKIP member for that matter.

 

You're absolutely right that some journalism - particularly political broadcast interviewing - has become too adversarial. Too often it's about throwing politicians to the hounds instead of enlightening debate but there are hypocrisies in Ukip's associations vs their public image. It's important they're exposed and O'Brien's done so here.

 

In fact, one of the topics covered was Ukip's association with some (not all) of Europe's extreme right parties.

[TwoPints]

You're absolutely right that some journalism - particularly political broadcast interviewing - has become too adversarial. Too often it's about throwing politicians to the hounds instead of enlightening debate but there are hypocrisies in Ukip's associations vs their public image. It's important they're exposed and O'Brien's done so here.

 

In fact, one of the topics covered was Ukip's association with some (not all) of Europe's extreme right parties.

 

Tricky one that.

 

On the one hand you have programmes like Question Time where they seemingly don't get to the meat of the parties policies by not getting down to the nitty gritty or you get someone like O'Brien whose approach is somewhat more adversarial and certainly put Farage on the spot. It's a tricky balance to get the right questions in without allowing the politician to just spout their party line in response but also without the questioner becoming too adversarial.

[Kingsbridge Saint]

I'd be frustrated and irate if I had an unarguable point for the good of the British people and just kept getting publically attacked by ****wit journalists.

[CB Fry]

I'd be frustrated and irate if I had an unarguable point for the good of the British people and just kept getting publically attacked by ****wit journalists.

 

Whatever anyone thinks of Farage, he hasn't got an "unarguable point" about anything. He has some views.

[whelk]

Excellent interview and the bloke is a fraud. A great raconteur though. UKIP described as the party that appeals to 'the annoyed'. Oh and right wing bigots.

[dronskisaint]

It's all odd how UKiP get sounded out for a below par radio interview or what a nutter who is a member says

 

If we judged all of them fairly, I suspect UKiP would look pretty well compared to the big 3

 

If he was asked about anything other than his one-issue high horse I suspect that both UKIP and Farage would flounder ....the others get questioned on the range of policies, UKIP just on race, immigration and the subjects that tend to inflame the Daily Mail reading fraternity plus both the closet and overt racist elements.

[shurlock]

Poor old Farage got stitched up at his own game. Insinuate something, let it simmer and marinate into peoples fears and preconceptions and save yourself the trouble of having express a logical and fully baked idea.

Edited 17 May, 2014 by shurlock

[View From The Top]

Personally I thought he was totally rinsed and that doesn't usually happen.

[Verbal]

Personally I thought he was totally rinsed and that doesn't usually happen.

 

Rinsed and hung out to dry. Hopefully that'll signal the beginning of the end of the holier-than-thou hypocrite and his little band of scumbag racists, homophobes, Islamophobes and everything-phobes.

[swannymere]

Farage has begun to believe his own hype, he was underprepared and it showed. More homework next time methinks. That said, he's the only leader i'd have a pint with regardless of his stupid ideas.

[View From The Top]

Farage has begun to believe his own hype, he was underprepared and it showed. More homework next time methinks. That said, he's the only leader i'd have a pint with regardless of his stupid ideas.

 

Say's an awful lot about the rest.

[OldNick]

the interviewer was ready and very smart. Im not UKIP but he at least stayed and tired to argue unlike many politicians

[pap]

Rinsed and hung out to dry. Hopefully that'll signal the beginning of the end of the holier-than-thou hypocrite and his little band of scumbag racists, homophobes, Islamophobes and everything-phobes.

 

I'll have to tell my grandad he's now an Islamophobe. He'll be thrilled.

[TwoPints]

What I do know is that we'll feel lucky to have UKIP when we have a look at the sort of mentalists that will be coming to the EP from all the different European countries.

If you think UKIP is a racist hell hole only surpassed by the BNP, think again when you hear about the Lega Nord, the FN or some of the outright fascist, sectarian parties of some Eastern European countries....

 

Doesn't Farage chair a committee of this lot in Europe? If he doesn't agree with their views, I wonder why he hasn't resigned in disgust as chairman or even as a committee member. Might be wrong here of course and if I am, no doubt I'll be put right soon :-)

[hypochondriac]

Doesn't Farage chair a committee of this lot in Europe? If he doesn't agree with their views, I wonder why he hasn't resigned in disgust as chairman or even as a committee member. Might be wrong here of course and if I am, no doubt I'll be put right soon :-)

 

Probably does have a few unsavoury characters but probably feels it is worth a bit of cooperation in the short term to bring down the EU.

[TwoPints]

Probably does have a few unsavoury characters but probably feels it is worth a bit of cooperation in the short term to bring down the EU.

 

'Unsavoury characters'? ... if they're unsavoury I'd hate to meet someone that might be a unpleasant!

 

Not sure how chairing a committee with the European far right parties will bring down the EU 'in the short term' and if they did manage it, it doesn't bear thinking about ... living in a Europe controlled by the far right, I thought we'd put an end to that 70 years ago!