A bully is never a pretty sight, but that’s what Lawrence O’Donnell was last night during his interview with Anthony Weiner. Before this segment of the show, Mr. O’Donnell had asked his New York viewers to tweet their questions to him, but I guess no one did, because Mr. O’Donnell had just one question to ask Mr. Weiner, and he asked it over and over and over. It’s the sort of question no one can really answer, and I imagine Mr. O’Donnell would have a hard time with it himself.
“What is wrong with you?”
Did he really think Mr. Weiner would go into any details on that in public? I doubt it. Mr. O’Donnell seemed to be intent on proving to Mr. Weiner, and to any audience members who sat through the performance, that he considered Mr. Weiner a mere bug to squash, someone not deserving the least shred of common decency or respect.
A business interviewer in a hiring position wouldn’t dare ask that question, because the only real answer to it is, “It’s none of your business.” So why did Mr. O’Donnell press the point? He may well think that Mr. Weiner is unqualified, and that he shouldn’t win the New York City election (which is equivalent to being hired by the voters). But there are better ways to conduct an interview than being a bully. What was wrong with you, Mr. O'Donnell? That performance was unworthy of you.