Transcript for Feb 8th, Meet the Press: President George W Bush, interviewed by Tim Russert

msnbc.com ^ | Feb 8, 2004 | NBC News

[summer]

I hope this thread stays in Breaking News for those who just want to read the transcript.

I thought GW did a great job here.

[Schattie]

Russert is such an obvious shill.

[summer]

Some Dem posters were very upset with this strong finish by GW, while I thought this was a perfect way to summaraize the upcoming campaign:

Russert: Biggest issues in the upcoming campaign?

President Bush: Who can properly use American power in a way to make the world a better place, and who understands that the true strength of this country is the hearts and souls of the American citizens, who understands times are changing and how best to have policy reflect those times.

And I look forward to a good campaign. I know exactly where I want to lead the country. I have shown the American people I can lead. I have shown the American people I can sit here in the Oval Office when times are tough and be steady and make good decisions, and I look forward to articulating what I want to do the next four years if I'm fortunate enough to be their president.

[summer]

summaraize = summarize

[summer]

BTW, a lot of people here really liked GW's response to this question:

Russert: Why do people hold you with such contempt?

President Bush: Heck, I don't know, Ronald Reagan was unpopular in Europe when he was President, according to Jose Maria Aznar. And I said, ‘You know something? ‘

He said to me, he said, ‘You're nearly as unpopular as Ronald Reagan was.’ I said, ‘so, first of all, I'm keeping pretty good company.’

I think that people when you do hard things, when you ask hard things of people, it can create tensions. And I heck, I don't know why people do it. I'll tell you, though, I'm not going to change, see? I'm not trying to accommodate I won't change my philosophy or my point of view. I believe I owe it to the American people to say what I'm going to do and do it, and to speak as clearly as I can, try to articulate as best I can why I make decisions I make, but I'm not going to change because of polls. That's just not my nature.

[summer]

Comments on GW's interview can be found HERE.

[Chi-townChief]

Russert seemed to get awfully ugly towards the end, and not just looks-wise. I think he was pissed that he couldn't provoke the president.

[The Mayor]

thanks summer!

[Common Tator]

I watched two things on TV today.. The Bush interview and the Kerry winners speech from last night.

Much of winning public approval is how one uses the media. There is an art to being believable on TV.

The key is to appear to be genuine... to be yourself. The perfectly glib speaker is thought to be a con artist. The public will not relate. A leader must be at ease. He can not be seen as spouting platitudes. He must convince the Audience he believes what he says. Bush like Reagan comes across as a man who can be believed.

I watched Kerry in front of an audience preaching to them in a loud monotone. A stilted self important speech is the way Kerry appeared on TV. Kerry was playing to his live audience. He has learned nothing from Howard Dean. It is a bad mistake.

Notice Bush in a live speech before a big audience. Bush always plays to the TV cameras. Never to the live audience. Bush evokes no Deaniac crowd reaction. He evokes the one on one reaction demanded to be believable on Radio and TV. Rove knows the game...and so does Bush. Kerry is a self important fool who knows it all.. when he knows next to nothing.

Kerry is totally unskilled in the art of Radio and TV. He comes across as a pompous fool.

I used to teach announcing. I used Ed McMahon as an example of how to do it right. Some of my students used to debate me... McMahon is nothing they would say.. he just sounds and looks like an ordinary guy. I used to answer ... "It does not look like much. But if you want to make it big in the business, you will need to learn how to do exactly that...". "If you are outstanding talent you can learn be totally natural on the air. I shouldn't take much more than 10 years." An at ease naturally appearing man can sell soap. He can also sell voters. A self important man, can't sell 50 dollar bills for 25 cents. Kerry is so self important.. so eager to present what he sees are his assets. It is the act of a man who will not listen to people who know.

Bush has mastered being totally natural.. at ease in his own skin. Reagan was totally natural too. They are different men... but both Bush and Reagan are totally natural on TV.

Kerry can not be natural. He just says what he thinks his audience wants to hear. He has a tin ear and a strutting presentation. IT is the quintessential NO SALE!

Conclusion" Bush is as natural in his own skin as was Reagan. Kerry is as phony as Gore.

There is no media spin that can fix that.

[I'm ALL Right!]

Russert is such a hack. The man wouldn't know "fair and balanced" if it kicked him in the b*tt.

[Defender2]

Tim Russert launched an inquisition(Being the TOTAL *SS that He is) And The President Answered Powerfully!!!! The Anti-American Socialists/Communists/Terrorists supporting demoCommiecRAT Party can Go Straight to H*LL in the filthy trash basket it deserves to be in!!!!

[rwfromkansas]

I am shocked that he was so biased this time. Usually he is tough, but not so obviously slanted. This was disappointing.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

He had to show his comrades in the media he is tough, even on enemy soil (the Whitehouse is enemy soil for the press).

[Defender2]

Thanks for posting the link to the transcript, Summer. I read it in it's entirety. Russert launched the (SICK) left's personal attack upon the President and He fought back in Grand Style!!!! America Has a President in George W. Bush that will not take what any enemy, foreign OR Domestic throws this Country's Way!!!! To H*ll with the Anti-American demoCommiecRATS and the rest of our enemies!!!! If they threaten U.S., We TRASH THEM!!!! If they don't like it, Tough Cookies, GEt The H*ll Out of Our Way or get run over!!!!

[varon]

Russert: Biggest issues in the upcoming campaign?

President Bush: Who can properly use American power in a way to make the world a better place, and who understands that the true strength of this country is the hearts and souls of the American citizens, who understands times are changing and how best to have policy reflect those times.

And I look forward to a good campaign. I know exactly where I want to lead the country. I have shown the American people I can lead. I have shown the American people I can sit here in the Oval Office when times are tough and be steady and make good decisions, and I look forward to articulating what I want to do the next four years if I'm fortunate enough to be their president.

The President is living in the past. he won't let go of 9/11, 2001 and the immediate leadership it demanded. If he refuses to listen to the American people from coast to coast calling to stop the flow of illegals and the hemorrhaging of jobs overseas and the wild spending spree, he will be given the privilege to "lead the parade" back to Texas after his first and only term.

[Political Junkie Too]

After reading Russert's questions re: going to war, I can't help but wonder how the national debate would have gone if the USA decided to go to Rawanda to stop the killing. There was so much hand-wringing over the killings because we didn't go; how would the debate have gone if we did decide to go based on the debate now taking place over going to Iraq?

-PJ

[longtermmemmory]

Russert is the same as any other reporter. Russert is biased to Russert and making himself look good.

[Robson]

...I can't help but wonder how the national debate would have gone if the USA decided to go to Rawanda to stop the killing.

A very interesting question, PJT. I'd guess that, depending on how our involvement in Rwanda had gone, the American people would have either been far more inclined or for less inclined to go into Iraq with humanitarian goals. Thus, this wouldn't just affect the post-Iraq discussion, but would have made for a dramatically different pre-Iraq discussion.

[Fawnn]

The President is living in the past. he won't let go of 9/11, 2001....

If you think that the circumstances that brought about 9/11 are only a thing of the "past," you're out of touch with reality.

[thesummerwind]

Someone who didn't see the interview asked if there were any light moments in what they correctly heard was a day of the ever-obnoxious Russert playing the prosecuting attorney for the Democrat Party.

Yes there was a light moment............. near the end, the blowhard Russert was telling G. W. that his poll numbers were bad, and that he was as unpolular in Europe as Ronald Reagan. Bush shot back firmly and quickly with a smile on his face, "At least I'm in good company." Sweet!

******

And Kerry................ Kerry is so dull, he could take the excitement out of a soccer riot.