The question becomes…….
I really dislike the phrase “the question becomes,” especially as it is frequently used by PBS talk show host Diane Rhem. Part of my dislike is due to her very liberal bias and what I perceive to be her attempt to hide that bias. She is very emphatic about her commitment to having people on the show with diverse viewpoints but her bias is not expressed in her choice of guests but rather by the nature of her questions. For example, if there is a discussion of cuts in some government welfare program Diane would always inquire about the potential harm to the recipients but never ask about the potential benefit to lower taxes. And she obfuscates the issue even more when she attempts to suggest that the question she is about to ask is not her own but comes out of thin air. I think she should accept responsibility for her questions by saying “my question is….” rather than “the question becomes.”