Believe It Or Not, You Don't Have to Answer Every Question

Memo to GOP candidates - when the press asks you a "gotcha" question you've got to be smart enough to recognize it and refuse to answer it.  Case in point today's Meet the Press debate between Republican Ken Buck and his opponent for the Senate incumbent Democrat Michael Bennet.

Look at this report from the Denver Post:

Republican Senate candidate Ken Buck suddenly elevated the culture wars from minor player to center stage in the Senate race today when he compared homosexuality to alcoholism in a nationally televised debate.

Appearing with Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet in a 27-minute showdown on Meet the Press, Buck responded to a question from host David Gregory by saying that he believed homosexuality was a choice but had limited biological influences "like alcoholism and some other things."

Buck said after the debate that he "wasn't talking about being gay as a disease" but also said of his remark that "there's no doubt there will probably be a commercial on something like that" from Democrats.

I can't find the exact question from Gregory, but Buck should have known going in that Gregory is not there to help Republicans get elected and if he can trap the GOP candidate in a poorly-phrased answer he gets kudos from the other kids in the Washington Press Corps and he helps the Dems advance their election chances.

Here's how Buck should have answered an inquiry about homosexuality:

David, we have serious problems in this country right now. High unemployment, runaway government and deficits, two wars, out-of-control entitlement programs...and the best question you can come up with is "Where do gays come from?"  What the hell has happened to journalism in this country?

The question is irrelevant to the job of a United States Senator and the only reason it's being asked is you're hoping I'll provide an answer the Democrats can use on YouTube or their campaign ads or any number of far-left blogs to make me look like a Neanderthal.  I'm not going to play along.  Next question.

After Gregory gets done peeing down his leg he'll try to force an answer, but Buck or any other candidate should just decline and encourage him to move on.

That, friend, is how GOP candidates should deal with this stuff.