Question about Kerry interview on Daily Show...

[MAlibdem]

I missed the interview.

I just read an article linked from Drudge that said Stewart choked and was stammering.

How did the interview actually go?

[BlueEyedSon]

1. Good but not great.

[reprehensor]

4. I'd agree.

Kerry was very relaxed. Happy to be interviewed by someone with a brain for a change, I guess.

Lots of laughs, but not flat-out hilarious.

Stewart was fine, GFY Drudge.

[BJ]

2. Why do you even soil yourself with clicking on Drudge's site?

It's all lies.

[4morewars]

3. I think drudge just makes shit up.

I thought the interview went well.

[henslee]

10. Me too. Affable. Casual. Warm. On topic. Likeable.. There was one

funny moment when Kerry and Stewart went nose to nose, literally. It was cute. When you go on Daily show, you gotta be smart enuff to let the funny man make the jokes and be a straight man.... sprinkled with a couple of zingers. That's what happened.

[4morewars]

12. I think it was a good move by Kerry

Could you imagine president stupid doing an appearance ? How about evil dick ?

[henslee]

13. Gillespie was on Daily Shw last night and Stewart extended him an

invite and promised not to be too hard on him....

[4morewars]

14. That makes me laugh !!!

It's cynical, bitter laughter, but laughter nonetheless !!!

[bloom]

5. sounds like they are confusing Mondays and Tuesdays shows

I don't think Monday's show went well with the ex-football player getting on Jon's case for not reading his book - several times.

Kerry interview Tuesday was great. Kerry was laughing at Jon's jokes and all around it was a good exchange.

[aden_nak]

6. Chocked and was stammering?

Uh. . . nope.

I'm sure the footage will be on TDS's website soon.

[Touchdown]

7. It was cordial, pleasant, and nothing embarassing.

Here's a review From New Republic...

http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=express&s=frank082504

"For one, the sartorial choices have become more prudent. Kerry made no attempt to dress like, say, James Dean, nor did he bring his Dad-at-the-soccer-game-after-work look from the campaign trail into the television studio. He wore the kind of outfit he was probably born in: a grey suit and light-blue tie. Sure, commending Kerry for this does not suggest the highest of expectations, but, then again, he has helped to lower them.

For another, he didn't try to be funny. Back in 1988, Kerry got into trouble for repeating a joke about Vice President-elect Dan Quayle--"Somebody told me the other day that the Secret Service has orders that if George Bush is shot, they're to shoot Quayle"--which caused a little dust-up because some reporters happened to hear him say it. Kerry probably vowed at the time never to be funny again, and he's followed through with admirable consistency. Not even ardent Kerry supporters have wasted much time suggesting otherwise.

Instead Kerry last night chose to throw his head back and laugh graciously at Stewart's jokes, as if he were actually enjoying the whole experience. (He also kept a bemused look on his face that worked reasonably well.) The comedy was left, wisely, to Stewart, and Kerry simply played along as best he could. This was a great relief, since at campaign rallies Kerry has been opening with a variety of jokes (wearily chronicled by The New York Times last Sunday) that are probably best left unmentioned in this space. Kerry apparently knew better than to bring this material across the Hudson River. All of these things indicate good decision-making going on somewhere in the campaign.

Most remarkable for Kerry was his ability to speak in a more or less comprehensible manner. He had talking points ready but didn't seem determined to drone through all 79 of them, which he might have tried a few months back--again, not a milestone in human achievement, but we're talking Kerry achievement. In fact, he wove in his talking points so casually that it sometimes took Stewart, who's no fan of on-message guests, a bit longer than normal to jump in and quash them."

There's more, but it's a subscrption thing.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

8. It was good.

Not earth shattering or hilarious, but good.

[oasis]

9. Kerry was very smooth and at ease with Jon Stewart. The audience

was receptive and enthusiastic.

Drudge is on a mission to keep the Chimp in the White House. He isn't even close in an accurate description of the interview.

[K8-EEE]

11. I Liked It And Was Suprised To Read All This Shit...

I thought he was relaxed and great, I was relieved he was not trying to "be funny." Interesting interview and I loved what he said about America not being able to drill our way out of the energy crisis (we have to invent our way out of it.) Of course not matter what Drudge would say this, he probably wrote it the night before just to save time.

[Emmanuel Goldstein]

15. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink

Stewart gave Kerry a nice chunk of time, an enthusiastic in-house audience, broadcast ratings O'Reilly would push his mother in front of a bus for, and opportunity after opportunity to respond to his GOP smears (Swift Boat debacle, most liberal Senator in Congress, beholden to a ketchup empire, etc).

Kerry squandered it all, every second of it.

In the final analysis, we wanted anybody but Dubya, and that's literally the only thing Kerry's got going for him.

[DrFunkenstein]

16. Kerry Was Playing To A Larger Audience Than The Usual DS Junkies

While I admit that McCain comes off much more personably with his quick comedic timing, Kerry was relaxed and worked through his message in a remarkably succint way. I wouldn't give him an A, but I'd give him a solid B.

[JI7]

21. mccain was once on some show and sucked trying to be funny

it was one of the late night, leno, letterman or some other. and he was trying to be funny and he sucked. he got no laughs and you could tell he was trying to get some.

i'm glad kerry didn't try to be something he wasn't. he was just himself. he was comfortable with stewart in a humorous situation. he laughed along with stewart but also got a few serious messages across. it was just a nice segment and kerry came across very well.

[Generator]

20. Bullshit!

Squandered my Democratic ass! I doubt you even saw it.

[bobbyboucher]

24. Good gawd, another one.

Do you think having a name like Emmanuel Goldstein is good cover or do you think it is funny in a Nazi kind of way?

Seems like there is a full frontal assault going on around here, by punk-asses.

SHREEEK! RUUUUNNN! THE PUNK-ASSES ARE HERE!

[ContinentalOp]

17. Stewart stammered?

Uh, that's obviously from someone who has never watched the show. He always stammers! It's his whole self-deprecating funny shy guy shtick that makes him so likeable.

[chameleon]

18. Wasn't that good.

I was hoping Kerry would answer some of the tough questions for the swing voters. He didn't want to answer the cambodia question and to get out of the question, that is when he stared into the face of stewart.

We can't win the election unless our guy is willing to answer the questions!

I think the interview was terrible. Just my opinion on what I saw.

[Democat]

19. Our guy? Speak for yourself!

I've vote for Kerry!

[DURHAM D]

23. You watched a different show then I did - are you in Texas?

[Crankie Avalon]

22. He did well...

...very well, even.

Did he put a lampshade on his head and become the life of the party? No.

Did he come across as a real, charming, dignified-without-being-stiff human being? Yes.

I especially liked when he said Bush "...won every debate he's ever been in; he beat Ann Richards and he beat Al Gore." You could sense the audience and Stewart wavering on whether to laugh at the notion that Bush could honestly outdebate anyone, but when they saw he was being serious they took the statement at face value.

I hope Sen. Kerry says this about the debates during other apperances, as well. It's smart--the only thing Bush has going for him in debates is the having people feel sorry for how stupid and uninformed he is. They expect him to fall on his face. If Bush is built up a little bit and made to seem like he actually has a chance, his performances will be seen for the fiascos they are.