In our Conversations training we often discuss the problem of dealing with ‘bad faith’ questions or feeling like a conversation is going in a direction we don’t find helpful, but we don’t know how to pivot or change frame without seeming evasive. Democratic candidate (now Senator) Abdul El-Sayed recently displayed a nimble and sincere way to deal with this kind of bad faith question (from a professional Republican campaigner who was planted in the audience) during a campaign event.
The issue: Racism, Islamophobia, religious equality
This example comes from: Abdul El-Sayed, shared here by commentator @Rob D. Willis on Instagram. You can find a longer video of the exchange here.
Strategic context: Abdul El-Sayed, an openly Muslim candidate, is asked by an ‘audience member’ (since revealed to be a Republican plant) whether he will disavow the Muslim Brotherhood, an organisation that’s banned in the USA and often cited by Donald Trump and his supporters in attacks on El-Sayed.
The values it’s priming are: Broadminded, Equality (Universalism)
What we love about it: El-Sayed refuses to be drawn into the Opposition frame. Rather than become defensive or make the conversation about whether he is a ‘terrorist’ sympathiser, he uses the conversation to politely expose the strategy of his opponent, pointing to the racist logic of the question and putting the spotlight on their own motives.
He swiftly brings the conversation back to equality and freedom of religion by citing the cultural touchstone of the US Constitution, while making sure that what will be reported and what audiences take away is his take, rather than that of his opponent.
Finally, he points out that religious prejudice is not new, but has in fact been around for centuries, ending with a story about similar questions asked of future President John F Kennedy. This exchange clearly shows that a loaded or bad faith question can be an opportunity to stay in our own frame, and prime the values we want to prime, rather than those of our opponents.
It’s worth noting that in other exchanges on his campaign trail, like this one at a student forum, El-Sayed was gentler, building connection with good faith questioners, even though their worldviews aren’t the same as his.
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