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My take:

The first half of the interview was a disaster. Bush seemed defensive, unconfident, suttered, repeated himself, and clearly didn't even believe the words that were coming out of his own mouth. When he didn't know the answer to a question, he rambled about something about the "war on terror".

I was cringing.

The economy stuff in the second half of the interview was a little better.

Overall I think the interview hurt him, and probably emboldened the opposing parties. If ever a man seemed on the defensive, he did.

He is just not a good unscripted speaker. It doesn't mean that he is not qualified to be president, but he just *does not* convey himself well on the fly.

Not sure why he did the interview. He finished strong, but I don't know if it was enough to fix that disastrous first 30 minutes.

I wish he hadn't done the interview. I can't imagine anyone *truly* thinking that it was a persuasively good interview. Sure, many people will SAY it and SPIN it ... but most people with an IQ in excess of 100 probably feels deep down that it was not one of the better moments in this presidency.

Guess you would rather have a President that is a very good speaker that spins and lies while fluently speaking.

I though Pres Bush did a very good job during the interview of getting his message across and making Russert look like the Clinton DemocRAT shill that he is.

I feel that he not only had to do this interview to get his message out but that he did a very good job of doing just that. You obviously don't understand the way we talk in Middle America but that is also why we relate to this President! He is down to earth and speaks from the heart. Guess that is difficult for people from the East Coast to understand. He sounds like my neighbors here and in Texas which appeals to us "uneducated folks with IQ's less than 100!" (sarcasm)

but most people with an IQ in excess of 100 probably feels deep down that it was not one of the better moments in this presidency.

I think the President did more than hold his own in Russert's "drip torture" interview. (My IQ exceeds 100)

" suttered"

I think you stuttered when typing. The president is not a stutterer. He does not speak without saying "uh" but that Stu is not stuttering.

The first half of the interview was a disaster. Bush seemed defensive, unconfident, suttered, repeated himself, and clearly didn't even believe the words that were coming out of his own mouth. When he didn't know the answer to a question, he rambled about something about the "war on terror".
I was cringing.

I'm usually cringing when Bush is not reading from a teleprompter. He's appallingly inarticulate. It's a shame for the GOP, because this administration has fallen into a public-opinion hole with Iraq, from which this President will not be able to talk his way out.

A very good case can be made for Iraq, and others in the Administration will make it, but if the guy in charge cannot convince people, he's through.

I wish he hadn't done the interview.

Perhaps you don't, and perhaps not for the reasons you claim.

"Clearly didn't believe the words out of his own mouth"? So far removed from reality you must have gone with "Spirit" to Mars.

(1) He may have seemed defensive because he was parlaying with a prosecutorial interviewer who was probing for weaknesses.

(2) For those in the MTP audience who were a-political I think he did well. He was sincere and poised, wise enough to avoid the traps Russert set for him.

(3) The interview was just what I was looking for to feel positive about the upcoming campaign.