An opportunity to practice journalism, missed
Farmfest carried on without an appearance by Tim Walz who stood up all the choleric farmers to be in Philadelphia for his introduction as the Democratic candidate for vice president. By one account, Walz wasn’t missed:
Hours after the [Walz vice president] announcement, the reaction among attendees at [Farmfest] was less than thrilled.
Retired farm worker Arnold Gerdes of Luverne called the announcement a “joke.”
“We don’t need anybody like him in there,” he said.
Absent from the interrogation of the Cicero from Luverne was this: Well, okay, Arnie, why do you say that?
You know, maybe the question was asked and Arnie had no answer, or the answer was just spittle-flecked incoherent invective; perhaps Arnie was just butt hurt that Walz stood him up. It would be nice to know.
But the question probably wasn’t asked.
Arnie is entitled to his opinion, but we’re entitled to know if he’s a complete yob.
Maybe that’s assumed.
If you’re going to publish somebody’s opinion in the newspaper, though, it would be nice to hear if there was some goddamn foundation for it.
A lot to ask I know.
I propose a new rule: If you pop off to a reporter and can’t explain why, your comment is discarded.
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