Anatomy of an activist interview. This is why we need debates - the media turns @JoeBiden interviews into hand-holding, guided tours of Biden talking points. Witness @andersoncooper's one-on-one interview this afternoon. He had 13 minutes to ask Biden anything he wanted - here...

...are his questions:

- "Conservatives have been attacking you for taking three days to denounce violence in these protests. What do you say to that?

- "The vice president echoed the president last night by telling Americans that they would not be safe in Joe Biden's America."

(That was it - no question)

- "You think he's actually rooting for violence - that he wants violence because it allows him to claim a law and order mantle?"

- "You talked about Covid-19 - the CDC just the other day with virtually no announcement of it - they just changed on...

...on their website the guidance for who should get tested, moving away from actually testing people who are asymptomatic. Sources say it was pressured by the Trump administration from the top. Is that change - I mean every doctor I've talked to says that isn't supported by...

...science." (That's it - no question. Biden agreed with Anderson)

- "The president has not talked about the shooting of Mr. Blake - he's talked about violence at protests in the wake of it - I'm wondering why you think that is that he hasn't actually addressed it. There's...

...obviously a lot that we do not know about the circumstances around it, but the video obviously has been out there." (That's it. Biden said the 17-year old was part of a militia and asked if Anderson has every heard the president say one negative thing about...

...white supremacists. Anderson demurred.)

- "What's your take on the Republican convention so far?"

- "We heard last night at the RNC from the McCloskeys, the couple who are facing charges for pointing guns at people protestors - they were portrayed as essentially...

...heroes. Is that how you see them?" (Biden said "It looked like they were living in a multi-million dollar mansion, for God's sake", speaking from his multi-million dollar mansion. For God's sake.)

- "We've seen athletes just in the last several days stepping back from...

...actually playing any games. The president just called the NBA a 'political organization', at the White House a Pence advisor today dismissed the protests as 'silly' - Jared Kushner weighed in on their salaries, that they can afford to take the night off. What do you make of...

...what we're seeing in the NBA, the WNBA, and Major League Baseball?"

- "Speaker Pelosi yesterday said you shouldn't debate Trump - I just want to play what she said for our viewers and get your response (tape plays). Mr. Vice President, what do you think?"

"Traditionally there are three debates run by the commission on presidential debates, is that what you expect?"

End of interview.

That's it. That's how a journalist used his 13-minute one-on-one with the Democratic candidate for president. Seems fair.