I’ll say this, my teenage daughter who usually tries to tune all this out with the occasional eye roll, pulled out her earbuds and put down her pencil (she’s a budding cartoonist or graphic artist) to actively pay attention rather than her usual osmosis type of interactions with news and politics.

I’m not exaggerating to say how unusual this is. It’s rare to see her without a drawing implement in her hand. She gets twitchy, like an addict in withdrawal.

We were both impressed to see a press member have a chance to hold him to task and push back when he dovetails discourse. She wasn’t mean and she didn’t belittle him. She did call him out and hold him accountable to the things he was saying. She could have gone further, but that would have meant cutting back on other issues due to time.

She did him a favor. He needs to answer for the tax question and whether or not he willfully endangered his campaign opponent by not getting tested as he agreed to among other things. He blew a really good chance to give voters information they want and need to know.

He couldn’t handle himself. You could tell he thought this was going to be another Fox News interview type deal where he preens and they fawn all over him. He didn’t answer the questions.

Then he went to a rally the next day and maligned Samantha Guthrie for being mean and unfair to him. AKA doing her job. And the mob goes wild, of course.

It’s not like Biden didn’t get push back and grilled a bit by George Stephanopoulos. But he answered the questions. Further, as far as I know Biden hasn’t maligned Stephanopoulos posting tough questions and steering clarification, etc. He respects that the guy is doing his job.

Frankly, candidates should welcome and want journalists to hold them to things and ask the things the public wants to know. It strengthens, improves and tightens their messaging and provides critical feedback. It clarifies ambiguity. It’s a bridge to building support and getting things done.

We should be wary of candidates who balk at accountability to the people. They won’t be in it for us.