The Shouting is Over.
The living room shout-fest involving myself, Mrs. Base10 and the television is now officially over. (Click here for an explanations). I won't go into the substance of the interview except to say that Russert did a good job but certainly didn't wipe the floor with Clarke. It's also clear the Clarke is a very smart and articulate person with the caveat that the commonly heared criticism of him as being aloof and abrasive is not a stretch. I know this is purely subjective, but I have to say that I thought Clarke comes across as being a pretty creepy character. Maybe this is because of the sort of schmarmy "I know best because I'm a career bureaucrat" attitude that he exudes. This is a subtle thing like a certain crooked smirk before he answers a question which tells the questioner through body language, "Must I explain this again?" I think this aspect of his personality ultimately does more harm to his credibility than anything Russert could possibly say.
- posted by Base10 @ 1:30 PM