Need a dodge for questions you're not ready to answer? Here it is.
鈥淚鈥檓 focused on 鈥︹�� An all-purpose way for politicians to dodge reporters鈥� questions 鈥� which invariably are about the lawmakers鈥� aspirations for higher office 鈥� that they aren鈥檛 ready to answer.
It鈥檚 one of those maxims that鈥檚 difficult for anyone beyond a politician鈥檚 inner circle to disprove. And of course, it helps to demonstrate said politician鈥檚 devotion to his or her current duties.
A year or so out from the 2016 primaries, potential Republican presidential candidates often fall back on the phrase. Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) has become expert at it, arguing that pressing state business is keeping his eyes on Columbus 鈥� for now, anyway.
鈥淚鈥檓 introducing a budget in another week that will be another significant reform budget,鈥� Governor Kasich earlier this week. 鈥淭hat's what we do out here.... What I'm going to do is focus now, I've gotta get this budget going.... There's plenty of time for me to decide.鈥�
Top Florida Republicans also recently took the approach regarding the 2018 gubernatorial race. At Gov. Rick Scott鈥檚 recent inauguration, Attorney General Pam Bondi probing reporters: 鈥淚鈥檓 focused on being attorney general for the next four years,鈥� echoing similar sentiments by Agriculture Commission Adam Putnam and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater.
And in California, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom opted out of 2018 gubernatorial speculation by saying he was focused on another statewide race he isn't even running for 鈥� an open US Senate seat in 2016. 鈥淲e're going to focus appropriately on what's in front of us, and that鈥檚 the Senate seat that we hope Democrats are successful in replacing one of the legendary California Democrats, Barbara Boxer,鈥� .
Athletes and coaches regularly trot it out, too, as a way of indicating they鈥檙e not distracted by anything beyond what鈥檚 in front of them. 鈥淭he only thing I鈥檓 focused on is the Seattle Seahawks,鈥� New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick , in a highly unsuccessful effort to deflate the national chatter over Deflategate.
But the most memorable nonpolitical use is still by Martha Stewart in 2002, when she was the target of insider-trading allegations for which she eventually did jail time. Asked repeatedly about her financial misdeeds on CBS鈥檚 鈥�Early Show鈥� during her cooking and home-entertainment segment, Stewart that she wanted 鈥渢o focus on my salad.鈥�
Chuck McCutcheon and David Mark write their "Speaking Politics" blog exclusively for Decoder Voices.聽
