>> From: James Heartfield <Jim at heartfield.demon.co.uk>
>>
>> TONY BIN LADEN
>>
>> In interview with Jeremy Paxman, the British Prime Minister Tony Blair
>> faced down his critics over the proposed war against Iraq. Intriguingly,
>> the thin-skinned Blair acknowledged that his policy was unpopular, only to
>> insist that his determination was a matter of conscience for him. It would
>> not matter if nobody supported him he said.
>
> This interview seems to have played out in the media as something of a
> triumph for Blair because he supposedly didn't lose his cool despite hostile
> questioning by Paxman and the audience. This strikes me as PR-spinning at
> turbine velocity. At least in the snippets of the interview that I saw on
> the Web, Blair seemed peevish and self-pitying -- utterly unconvincing. I'm
> sorry that the clips I saw did not include Paxman's notorious question about
> whether Blair prayed with Bush, which I gather elicited Blair's most
> antagonistic response of all.
>
> What I found most impressive about this interview, though, was the lack of
> deference shown Blair by both Paxman and the audience. There was none of
> the obsequiousness US Commanders in Chief expect as a matter of course from
> the US media and public. Yes, the American Revolution was a famous victory
> for sure.
Blair was/is crap, and persuaded nobody, certainly not the studio audience. (Although I didn't pay too much attention: the interview was filmed in the Baltic Exchange building in Gateshead, and I was admiring the Tyneside skyline through the windows in the background).
I think the prayer exchange, though, didn't go anywhere in particular, and certainly wasn't an especially confrontational moment (I think the question rather embarrassed both parties). (The full transcript of the interview is here <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/2732979.stm>).
***
JEREMY PAXMAN: Does the fact that George Bush and you are both Christians make it easier for you to view these conflicts in terms of good and evil?
TONY BLAIR: I don't think so, no, I think that whether you're a Christian or you're not a Christian you can try perceive what is good and what is, is evil.
JEREMY PAXMAN: You don't pray together for example?
TONY BLAIR: No, we don't pray together Jeremy, no.
JEREMY PAXMAN: Why do you smile?
TONY BLAIR: Because - why do you ask me the question?
JEREMY PAXMAN: Because I'm trying to find out how you feel about it.
TONY BLAIR: Possibly.
JEREMY PAXMAN: Right, would anyone else like to have a question? [turns to studio audience]
***
The trouble with Paxman as an interviewer these days (when he's often a parody of himself, c.1989-92 or so, when he was better at this kind of thing) is that he sometimes tries to be too antagonistic, and it doesn't really work: the most aggressive moment in the interview came near the start when he brought up the subject of Clinton's rocketing of the Sudan factory -- which Blair, alone in the world, supported -- only to allow the interview to move seamlessly on almost immediately:
***
JEREMY PAXMAN: And you believe American intelligence?
TONY BLAIR: Well I do actually believe this intelligence -
JEREMY PAXMAN: Because there are a lot of dead people in an aspirin factory in Sudan who don't.
TONY BLAIR: Come on. This intelligence is backed up by our own intelligence and in any event, you know, we're not coming to this without any history. I mean let's not be absurdly naïve about this -
JEREMY PAXMAN: Hans Blix said he saw no evidence of hiding of weapons.
***
Chris