I have found it: The meanest-possible question you could ask a politician.

[DetlefK]

It came to me when I watched Boris Johnson yet again waffle his way through an evasive non-answer.



Step 1: Ask the politician a serious question.

Step 2: The politician gives a lengthy evasive non-answer.

Step 3: "Follow-up question: You just gave an answer. Do you remember what the question to your answer was? What was it?"



Options:
a) Repeat back the question accurately and you admit that you gave a non-answer.
b) Repeat back the question inaccurately and you admit that you gave a non-answer.
c) Say nothing and look like a coward.

[Claustrum]

1. I remember thinking of this a lot when I watched Trump's answers in the beginning.

No matter how nuance and specific the question is. Trump took it in a general category (economy, trade, etc). Then he would give a general answer with his canned response to the general topic which never answers the specific question.

[KS Toronado]

2. Effective outside the box thinking

Would work with any evasive person.

[calimary]

3. Indeed. Keep leaning on the failure to answer.

And reminding about the question being avoided.

[IronLionZion]

4. Candidates have been called out on debates for that

for giving non-answers and wasting time on a completely different topic.

[Ziggysmom]

5. LOL I remember doing that to my daughter when she was a rebellious teenager 😊

Used to drive her crazy until she'd break and give up the truth. Love it!

[NullTuples]

6. Politician's response:

"I heard you ask what the question is and that's an important point. The question is why would we...[reiterates the non-point of the evasive non-answer, again]. Thank you, no more questions."

Never getting caught in an awkward position is how one gets ahead in politics. Current conservatives simply never allow the situation to evolve to that point even if one must employ rank dishonesty to get there.

[pwb]

7. To the right the question is the news. The answer is a question?

Like Fox will have Doucy ask a loaded question and answer it in their own way.

[liberalla]

8. "I don't think you heard my question, because that was not an answer."

If you still have the mic, "you want to try again?"