Reply #6: His only problem seems to be certain media formats [View All]

[Mairead]

Everyone who sees him says he comes across much differently in person, and there've actually been only a few times when he's come off poorly on the telly.

My sense is that he's a more thoughtful person than, say, Dean or Sharpton. Not aggressive in the same sense they are. He doesn't shoot off his mouth, and he's civil and expects the same from others. During his 20s and early 30s, as councilman and mayor, he was apparently openly confrontative, as Dean is today. From all the articles I've seen, he spent his time on the shelf thinking about everything that had happened, and that process 'mellowed' his style. Now he relies on reason to do what he once expected from aggression. Then he might have made Deans 'cockroaches' comment; now he wouldn't even consider it. Now he says things like 'businesses that would try to use their influence to try to capsize a government might find that they'd be dealing with someone who has broader experience in government than they might imagine.' Hints rather than threats.