By Scott Tibbs, August 26, 2011
If you are a former candidate for federal elective office taking stands on public issues, then you need to be willing to answer questions about those issues when asked by reporters. Walking out on an interview is not the proper way to handle it and illustrates a lack of maturity.
That's exactly what Christine O'Donnell did last week when she walked out on an interview after repeatedly refusing to answer questions about homosexual marriage.
I've supported O'Donnell in the past and have blogged in support of her. (See here, here, here and here.) I still think she was a better candidate than the establishment Republican she defeated in the 2010 primary and certainly better than the Democrat who defeated her last November.
However, she knows she's been a controversial figure and she can expect questions she may not want to answer. One of the things I find most annoying about politicians is when they refuse to give a straight answer to a question, and O'Donnell behaved like a typical politician. If she doesn't want to answer those questions she should not consent to interviews. I don't think she should disappear from politics or the arena of ideas, as Brent Bozell does, but she does need to handle herself better and avoid any further episodes like this one.
