Tony Blair in Jeremy Paxman interview

[Dom Tuk]

Paxman made Blair squirm but what is it about Blair that it is so hard to pin him down. He will recite a mantra about something and not veer from it. He is perhaps the best person to appear sincere in his answers even though a large part of it is politikspeak and insincere. I dont think anyone has yet got the better of Blair in interviews. He really is a master at it.

[jake-the-peg]

Well Paxman certainly got the better of Michael Howard - 12 times he asked him whether hed threatened to overrule Derek Lewis in that Newsnight program.

I think Blair pretty much lost out to Humphreys though :

http://takeoneonion.org/archives/2004/09/tony_blair_on_the_today_p.html

[robbieh]

To be honest, it was a pretty poor interview, but then Jeremy Paxman seems only quizzes politicians to make them seem stupid, not get facts. For example, he asked the PM something along the lines of how many illegal/unregistered immigrants there were in the country. Problem being they're hidden so how is the PM, Michael Howard or Charles Kennedy supposed to know?!?!? Of course the Daily Mail joyfully made this their front page story to entertain its obviously simple reader base!!!! you gotta love the daily mail haven't you - pure comedy!?!?!

[jake-the-peg]

It wasn't an interview as much as sheer comedy by refusing to answer the question so many times Howard made it abundantly clear what the answer was.

I'm still glad we have the likes of Paxman and Humphreys - the alternative is Michael Howard on Breakfast with Frost or Tony Blair on Richard and Judy!  

[Andy008]

The reason Tony Blair is hard to pin down is due to his physical presence. I cannot stand him, he makes my skin crawl. What I cannot deny is that he is incredibly charismatic. Very few people have true charisma. I think in my lifetime I have met only two. True charisma is the ability to command the undivided attention of your audience, not just once, but again and again. People who are charismatic include Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela, and Steve McQueen. Adolf Hitler was awesomely charismatic, that he ordered the deaths of millions of people does not change that. Blair's longetivity as a leader lies in a supreme and unswerving belief in his own abilities, coupled with the fact that those around him do not possess such a quality. In a nutshell, that is really the only reason he has lasted so long as PM.

[bazwillrun]

Its not hard to not answer a question, especially for a politician. Its one of the criteria for being in the job. 1 Never answer a question 2 Must be a pathological liar and lie to such an extent that you end up believing the lies yourself. Marvelous, the jobs yours !!!