The late Mike Wallace will probably get a royal sendoff from his old 60 Minutes friends when they eulogize him in the next show. So let's leave the plaudits to those who feel they owe it to him. The purpose of this blog post is to highlight one particular talent he had.
I stopped watching 60 Minutes many years ago after happening upon an article written by a target of a 60 Minutes' hit piece. The writer made a very compelling case for the other side of the issue. A loyal 60 Minutes viewer might scratch his head and ask, "There was another side?"
Yes, there was. But in a typical 60 Minutes episode there was only the most modest hint of it, like the ubiquitous, "He's presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law," we hear at the end of those true-crime style documentaries after they've laid out the most damning of evidence.
That's why there are trials with rules of evidence and both sides having an opportunity to make a case most favorable to their side. Take away that right from one of the sides, and the jury, or viewers of 60 Minutes, will come away with their minds closed on the issue. And that was the 60 Minutes way.
But enough about that. Here's the reason for this blog post.
One time in an interview in which Mike Wallace was the subject, he was asked to respond to the characterization that he was liberal. And this is a paraphrased version of his answer, "If being a liberal means siding with the little guy when he is being bullied by the big guy, then I guess that makes me a liberal." What a remarkable way to respond. He didn't deny it. He merely redefined the charge in a way that made him seem like the purest of angels. It was a trick, and that trick was a demonstration of the talent that made him a media star.
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