Obama To Local Reporter: 'Let Me Finish My Answers' Next Time (VIDEO)

President Obama sat down for a series of interviews with local television outlets Monday, one of which ended with some presidential scorn for a Texas reporter.

Brad Watson of WFAA-TV in Dallas met with Obama in the White House to discuss the president's deficit plan and Texas politics. During their sitdown, he pressed Obama on his standing in the Lone Star State.

"Why are you so unpopular in Texas?" Watson asked the president.

Obama responded by claiming that the state had historically leaned Republican, but that he only "lost by a few percentage points" in 2008, perhaps a sign that politics in Texas were shifting.

"Well, you lost by about ten," Watson corrected, prompting the president to reply, "If what you're telling me is Texas is a conservative state, you're absolutely right."

After a few more chippy exchanges, Obama concluded the interview by telling Watson to "Let me finish my answers the next time we do an interview, all right?"

Obama similarly confronted Fox News' Bret Baier during a testy interview last year in which the president accused the anchor of repeatedly interrupting him before he could fully respond to questioning.

WATCH via WFAA:

Comments

[John Dav]

07:48 PM on 04/30/2011

Maybe it's just the way the video was edited, but it doesn't seem like the reporter cut off the President in answering any of the questions that were asked.

[southwestque]

03:45 PM on 04/29/2011

This reporter blatantly lied. If President Obama had said that he doesn't like a reporter challenging his comments, why did the news station stop the sound and show the back of his head. They would have been selling the tape to every news station. The Texas media is full of klansmen/Republicans

[jmt825]

08:49 PM on 04/23/2011

Well we still have not gotten past people feeling because they are a certain color they don't have to respect you even though you are the President. It had been that muder and liar Bush he would have been eating out of his tail

[wilray]

03:19 PM on 04/23/2011

It's not even a matter of respect. It's a matter of common courtesy; no one should have to earn that. Those of you who think President Obama has to earn common courtesy, please never live near me. I've had Philistines for neighbors before, and it's not pretty.

[wilray]

05:23 AM on 04/23/2011

Reporter Joe the plumber.

[madisonlike60]

03:21 AM on 04/23/2011

Now, this was a contentious interview.
http://articles.sfgate.com/2004-07-01/bay-area/17432904_1_white-house-transcript-george-w-bush-iraq

[danceswithdata]

01:24 AM on 04/23/2011

I'm simply not interested in any story that has to do with the churlish manners of the American people.It's disgusting. Since when is it okay to dispense with basic courtesy? Perhaps when you're from Texas and you're thinking about your one and only chance to clutch those 15 minutes...

[wilray]

11:38 PM on 04/22/2011

A proper news agency would have fired that reporter; he should be quite welcome at Fox though. When a reporter ask a question of someone they should allow that person to answer; we're still waiting for Sarah Palin to get back to us. Sarah accused Katie Couric of "gotcha journalism" simply because she asked some simple, standard questions. Katie did allow Sarah the courtesy and respect to answer, but like I said we're still waiting for Sarah to get back to us. When anyone ask a question they should wait for the answer. If this reporter wasn't interested in the answer, then why ask the question, and why be there anyway. Was he pressed for time because he was late for a booty call?

[John Dav]

07:50 PM on 04/30/2011

What answer did the reporter not let him finish? I watched the video and didn't see anything rude, with the possible exception of pointing out that he'd lost Texas by more than a few points. I didn't see him interrupt an answer anywhere.

[Bumble Bee]

07:09 PM on 04/22/2011

Watch the entire video at wfaa.com. The reporter was not rude; he was doing his job.

[celmo]

05:23 PM on 04/22/2011

This comes as no suprise------Some members of the media, like a certain percentage of the public at large will continue to struggle with the fact that Obama is President. This interview is another example of that. Our historical as a country, helps us to understand this to a certain extent.

[asmart321]

05:21 PM on 04/22/2011

PRESIDENT OBAMA : 1

Teabagger reporter : 0

[americanalien]

02:16 PM on 04/22/2011

In a few years time, Texas will be a blue state. With the demographics changing as fast as they are today, Republicans are living on borrowed time down there. Obama has proven that almost no state is untouchable when it comes on to elections. That is why the Republicans find him so threatening. He is a political genius.

[Maureen J Reardon]

12:40 PM on 04/22/2011

I have no doubt that the reporter wanted to make a bright moment for himself which turned out to be a lesson in respect. What is wrong with people? You can disagree with someone without making yourself look like a total idiot. Grow up. Remember what your parents taught you when you were little and what you should be modeling for others~manners.

[polysci101]

11:41 AM on 04/22/2011

Ya know, I saw Bush get much angrier in public. That seemed a bit backhanded of that "journalist" to me, a tad "sensational," if you will, something for face time. What's wrong with asking for a bit of respect?

I feel, in general, that the press is too 'casual' with this POTUS.

There's no deference to his position and I perceive a careless lack of respect coming from them. I stopped watching interviews with him because of this, they just make me suck my teeth in disgust.

[toblerone09]

11:31 AM on 04/22/2011

Just how biased is this interview? "Let me finish my answers" somehow becomes "the president not liking when someone challenges his answers." Ugh.

Speaking of challenging, I challenge Obamaphobes everywhere to tell me just how much worse the country truly is from the Bush years, because I just don't see it.

Deficit is higher. I get that.

Also, what you call "Obamacare" hasn't even really kicked in yet. Do you even know what it's doing or will do? Or are you just yelling for the sake of yelling?

In other news, the stock market is on the rise, unemployment is down, hiring is up (including college grads).

Please, please, please start bringing arguments to the table you didn't hear on the latest edition of Hannity, Beck, Limbaugh, or some other generic right wing talk show. Take those arguments back to 2008 where they belong.

[Libby123]

11:59 AM on 04/22/2011

Very well said. It is with pride and pleasure that I become your first fan. Welcome to the group!

[CCape]

04:49 PM on 04/22/2011

Forget the "Obamaphobes". How about the Obama supporters who thought we'd be out of Iraq and Afghanistan, and Gitmo would be closed? Who among his supporters in 2008 would think there would be hostilities in another country under President Obama?
However, I will ask you about the Affordable Health Care act. If it "hasn't even really kicked in yet", why the 1000+ waivers on part of the law?
"Stock market is on the rise"- yes, but to your average HuffPo reader(liberal), that's a mixed blessing. "Wall Street greed", and all that. I'm happy about it.
Unemployment is down. From it's high, yes. Also partly due to workers who have left the workforce.
Bush was not a great President. To the HuffPo readers, he was the worst president of all time. Now, I'll turn your question around: If Bush was so bad, then tell me how much better the country truly is under Obama. It should be near Paradise after Bush.
Before you cry about obstructionist Republicans, remember Obama had majorities in both the houses of Congressthe first two years and a filibuster-proof Senate for the first year.