Page 28 - Historical Dictionary of Political Communication in the United States

INTERVIEW
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BUSH-RATHER
that Rather narrated. Bush watched the feature from his location for the live
interview—his desk at his Capitol Hill office.
The interview was controversial, confrontational, and, in the end, consequen-
tial. One in a series of interviews and profiles of the 13 candidates, this interview
ran longer than scheduled. Both participants interrupted each other and talked
over the other's talk uncountable times. The men raised their voices and accused
each other of less than noble intent and of less than professional behavior.
The videotaped feature voiced doubts about Bush's role in the Iran-Contra
affair. Rather's interview questioning centered on those issues. Bush voiced
displeasure over this line of questioning, insisting that he, instead, be allowed
to articulate his positions on issues of his choice.
Public and media response to the interchange was extensive and varied. Some
accused Rather of overstepping the bounds of objective reporting, indicating
that he had badgered Bush in a partisan fashion. Others praised Rather's insis-
tence that Bush answer questions that Bush preferred to finesse. Some said the
interview ''dewimpified" the vice president by showing he could stand up to
powerful opponents. The interview foreshadowed future use of high-profile tel-
evision interviews as important forums in presidential election politics.
SOURCES: "Special Section: The Dan Rather/George Bush Episode on CBS News,"
Research on Language and Social Interaction, 22, 1988; Transcript of the program (Tape
of the program is available from the Vanderbilt Television News Archive).
Edward Lee Lamoureux