The Non-Answer

This is what Sen. Marco Rubio is saying about whether he smoked pot earlier in his life. It is a carefully worded non-answer. One can assume that it is a well trained media response, rehearsed and play back on camera. Rubio never answers the question with a yes or no. He provides a reason for his failure to respond and repeats his opposition to pot smoking. Non-answers are more common than “no comment” but they are just as unsatisfactory to the questioner. Sometimes, however, one must use them. There are situations in which the facts should not come out, especially as Rubio suggests, when no one would believe them anyway. Instead, he falls back on his key message. He doesn’t want anyone smoking marijuana. He is clear about that.