From Neal Justin's blog at startribune.com in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN:
A few thoughts:
Collins starts off the interview with the kind of tone I suspect was used at Guantanamo Bay. She then asks Ritchie to respond to accusations that he's an ACORN activist - and then needles her guest for not answering the question. Problem is: Ritchie DOES answer the question, at least tries to while Collins says: "Could I ask the questions? I ask, you answer." Not only was she wrong in painting Ritchie as a question dodger, but she showed a level of rudeness that's unacceptable - no matter the situation -when it comes to a person at that level of office.
Collins' greatest sin: Going after Ritchie for saying before the interview that he was "prepared" for a recount. Collins' tone makes it sound like that's a BAD thing, even as Ritchie tries to explain that recounts are actually quite frequent in Minnesota and that, of course, they're prepared.
But let's just not trash Collins (a veteran CNN anchor who should know better).
Let's also lay some blame on the entire station for an interview approach that I've never liked. Despite the fact that Ritchie is obviously in studio, he's shuttled off to a side room so that he's only talking to Collins through a camera lens rather than being face to face. This offers the prosecutor - er, I mean, the interviewer - a huge advantage. Collins is a veteran of talking into a camera. Most interviewees are not. It's an awkward way to talk to someone.
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