Do the other Democratic candidates also plant questions? Anybody know?

[calteacherguy]

Just curious what the facts are here.

[rodeodance]

1. I think there is a big difference between planting and suggesting

[calteacherguy]

2. O.K...do they engage in the same type of activity??? nt

[PATRICK]

3. Working for the GOP

are we? Nobody wins with this kind mini echo chamber for Drudge.

[AtomicKitten]

4. Don't know, but the practice is just a teensy bit reminiscent of

... the BushCo Show.

[cuke]

5. When an Obama aide suggested a reporter research Bill Clinton's sex life

what did that remind you of?

[calteacherguy]

9. That's unsubstantiated National Enquirer type gossip.

The "aide" was not identified. Who qualifies as an "aide?" Were they really an "aide."

The Clinton story has been verified.

[cuke]

10. Why did Obama single out blacks to sing in his gospel tour?

[rurallib]

6. Don't know about that but ....

We've been to many, many speeches of both stripes. At a McCain event a couple questions sounded planted. At an early (March on a Sunday morning at 7AM) the questions for Clinton really sounded planted. So much so that someone shouted from the crowd "For God's sake someone ask her about Iraq!"
It would be hard to tell without someone letting it slip out.

[Bitwit1234]

7. Probably.......anybody that thinks they don't is naive.

[Forkboy]

8. It's possible, but that doesn't make it any better for those who definitely do.

[ariesgem]

11. I've heard how campaigns like to plant stories about their opponents to news organizations

but planting questions at Q & A forums? A few folks here are saying that this is a common practice. I would also like to know the facts about this.

[onenote]

12. I'd be shocked if they didn't

Every campaign has as one of its primary goals "controlling the message". One way you ensure that your message is being conveyed is to make sure that you get an opportunity to address it questions. Sometimes there are subjects that a candidate doesn't want to raise in his/her prepared remarks, because they don't fit with the rest of the speech, but the candidate may want to have an opporunity to say something about the subject to keep it in front of voters and the press.

Congress works this way too. I've written lots of questions that I've submitted to Hill staffers (sometimes at the request of my clients and sometimes at the request of the Hill staff) with the hope that they would be asked at a hearing.

[rucky]

13. Who told you to ask that? n/t

[Joe the Revelator]

14. Who cares? The hammer comes down on those who are bad enough to get caught. nt