Clark on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart - the hell?

[ProfessorPlum]

Did anyone else catch his appearance last night? I was hoping it would be really good, because if Clark is our nominee we'll have to sell him to all of our wingnut neighbors, just the same as we'll have to do for any other nominee - and Clark's resume is pretty impressive and he is doing well with fundraising. He could easily be our nominee.

But he seemed really out of it with this interview - he went flying off on weird, anecdotal tangents that often didn't answer the questions Jon was asking. He seemed jovial and energetic and friendly enough, but it was like he was having trouble getting his thoughts organized and expressing them. By the end of the interview, I was shaking my head at how incoherent he seemed.

I've seen him in other interview situations (I especially liked the one where he handed Fox's Assman his own Ass) where he did well.

This interview, coupled with Kucinich's bizarre TDSwJS interview, makes me think that maybe the Daily Show isn't the best place for our candidates to appear. Something in the water?

[9119495]

1. I thought he did well, as did Edwards. The piece on Dean was

also funny. I think it is a good place to go because they lean left.

[ProfessorPlum]

3. I thought he was telegenic, but did you really think he was making sense?

It felt to me like he was speaking German - in German, often the verb comes at the end of sentences, so for English speakers it is often that it is not until the end of a German sentence that the speakers intentions suddenly snap into comprehensibility.

It was like that for Clark - Stewart would ask him a question, Clark would start talking, and then it would be a minute or two until I could figure out what he was going on about had to do with the question - if anything.

Like I said, it was just kind of bizarre.

[9119495]

16. I thought he was making sense...but then I also had three glasses of

wine in me. Right now I don't quite remember what he said exactly.

I hope they can get Dean to go on as they have done some pretty funny hatchet jobs on him. I think he would have some fun with them.

[meegbear]

2. I think it may be too relaxed an atmosphere ...

they want to be smart, yet funny and hip. The candidates are trained to be somewhat confrontational and are instead being treated respectfully.

I'm certainly not implying that's bad ....

[ProfessorPlum]

5. Yeah, I get that feeling too

they don't know what to do with themselves a bit when they aren't dealing with a rabid media ho.

Maybe I expect too much from Daily Show interviews with people I find really fascinating, I don't know.

[Jim Sagle]

4. I'm for Dean, and I don't like Wes' candidacy.

But I thought he did GREAT. He came across as very warm, relaxed. real, intelligent, and funny.

A good intro to an audience that had probably not seen him before.

Sometimes there can be a tendency to be hypercritical of your own candidate.

[ProfessorPlum]

6. Ok, maybe it was just me then

I found him relaxed and funny too - just had a hard time following his train of thought.

[Fleshdancer]

7. My impression of Clark

He just seemed nervous and rushed to me, that's all. I love the Daily Show, but since it's only a half-hour show, the guest segment is always a little too hurried (except when Hannity is on...then every second feels like an hour).

My impression is that Clark just isn't one for small talk but since there isn't time for real discussion, it wasn't his best format. Plus he was rushed at the very end to get out the website address and his book.

The only critical thing I have on Clark from that interview is how he approached the education issue...sure education, like everything else needs leadership, but what does that mean? It was too vague, but then again, when you only have a few minutes to talk....

[ProfessorPlum]

10. Yeah, that made me a bit nervous too

I think the right answer for how to fix education is $$$$$. We throw money at every other problem, why not education?

"Leadership" was Ahnold's response to every problem. What are we going to do about illegal immigration in CA? "Leadership". That set off an alarm bell.

The Daily Show doesn't seem to bring out the best interviews in people - though Edwards has been pretty great on it. Sometimes I wish JS wouldn't interuppt his guests so much, too. Some people really shine, though, like Madeline Albright.

[maxr4clark]

17. Clark is no Ahnold

Ahnold was trying to peddle his acting skills as a substitute for leadership; he had nothing else to run on. Clark has a lot of credible leadership experience to refer to, he'd be foolish not to run on it. Clark taught at economics and political philosophy at West Point, he has that background to lead from on education.

I believe he talked on the Daily Show about how testing and teaching to a test isn't doing anyone any good. I've heard him talk about education before; he is strongly in favor of raising pay for teachers, calling them the real leaders in education. I think that is where he was going with Jon Stewart; I just don't think he realized he didn't have enough time to get there.

[maxr4clark]

14. glad you saw it

I think Clark's biggest problem for the Democratic core is that "General" word. I'm glad that some of you got to see what kind of person he is, out of uniform.

[redqueen]

8. I know what you mean.

He did kind of seem to be rambling, but then he'd get to the point, so all was well.

The thing I thought he really scored on was his relaxed demeanor. I think it's easy for politicians to get tense when Jon makes one of his funny faces or something, but Wes just kept his cool and that was awesome. :)

I thought he did very well.

[maxr4clark]

9. blowing off steam?

I also have seen him give better interviews. I got the impression he was trying to take a breather from the campaign; not a good thing to do on-camera.

One thing I noticed was that his "anecdotal tangents" were bleeding heart liberal stuff, kids with departed parents asking him to fix it. I can't see how anyone thinks he's a Republican lite; in his unguarded moments, he's a Dem through and through.

Jon Stewart's funniest line to him was, in reference to the campaign trail, "Well one thing is clear: you need to stay away from the kids, man, they're killing you!"

[ProfessorPlum]

12. Yeah, that was a great line.

I'm impressed with Clark's bio and I think he is a decent human being (something rather rare in today's political world) so I wish him the best. The anecdotes he chose were pretty telling.

[Exultant Democracy]

13. That was funny

I thought it was a great interview, but I'm deeply in love with all of the 9 so I guess I might be biased.

edit: Ok I don't love Joe, but I do like a lot of things about him.

[girl gone mad]

11. I didn't think he was too bad,

but I had already heard those anecdotes in the debates. My impression is that he has certain stories and issues he wants to get on the air, instead of having a dialogue. He does the same thing in the debates, but so do all of the candidates. Maybe it's a matter of trying too hard to stay "on message". Edwards may be the best candidate in that regard, since he seems more willing to just open up and answer questions instead of giving off soundbites. I wish the candidates would all be a little less rehearsed.

[Kahuna]

15. Hard to keep up with Stewart when he's attempting to step...

on anything serious point you're trying to make with a punchline. And so it goes when a candidate is "interviewed" by a comedian.

[maxr4clark]

18. Stewart is a fan

of Clark. He gave Clark a stage and a mike, and asked him to talk about his campaign. Clark seemed to want to do comedy, Stewart wanted to talk politics. In very. Short. Sentences.

[Jerseycoa]

19. I think so too

About Clark wanting to do comedy. It's was what I wanted, too, because he really is very funny in a dry, sophisticated way. I was sorry Stewart steered it the way he did.


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