If he doesn't use the method I suggested earlier of bashing the media, these are the tried and true methods of how to answer reporter's questions.
They are taken from the British book "Yes, Prime Minister" and from what I've seen of politicians, every successful one uses some variation of the methods.
As I said in a previous post, the first thing Dean has to learn, is that answering questions pretty much off the cuff is only something to be praised in relation to answering questions with poll driven answers. It is not praiseworthy by itself.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with working the answers out in advance and making sure you hit your talking points.
For questions you don't want to answer
1.Attack the question: "The facts don't back up the question you've asked". Or as former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Herb Grey used to love saying "I disagree with the premise of your question".
2.Attack the questioner: "Only a person who has never actually been in government him (or her) self, would ask that question"
3.Use the time factor: "I don't have time in this interview to answer the question fully, and I don't want to give a superficial answer"
For questions you feel are full of innacurate assumptions:
4.Unload the question, ie remove the assumptions
Q: "A lot of people have said..."
either A: "name ten"
B "In a nation of 275 million people, you can always find a few people who will say anything"
To make sure you get your talking points out: (the best one of all):
5.Answer the question you want asked, no matter what is asked:
A: "That's an interesting question, but I think this is the more important question (then give your answer)"
The book is about 20 years old, and modern politics seems to be getting more about making sure that you get your talking points out than avoiding answering questions, and I'm sure the last method has become a lot more sophisticated.