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American Morning

Look at Congressman Condit's Tone and Body Language in Interview

Aired August 24, 2001 - 9:31   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN ANCHOR: Back now to our lead story, reaction to Congressman Gary Condit's first public comments about missing intern Chandra Levy. We've heard quite a bit from the public this morning. Now let's hear from the Congressman's colleagues.

For that, we go live to CNN's Jeanne Meserve, who's up on Capitol Hill.

Jeanne, good morning.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Stephen.

Asked if Gary Condit had hurt himself with his ABC interview, a House Democratic leadership, aides say, yes, absolutely. Let me read you a quote with my conversation with this aide. He said, "Instead of this interview taking off the air off this and offering some sort of relief to the family, it has in fact aggravated the situation and made things for difficult for them at this already difficult time. It's hard for a lot of members to swallow this." This aide gave the opinion that he felt Condit's refusal to be more forthcoming had given this story new life. He predicted that reporters would be checking and rechecking some of the issues raised in last night's interview, including the matter of the disposal of a watch box. Said this aide -- quote - "He kicked up more dust."

Capitol Hill is a virtual ghost town, most members on vacation or in their home districts.

There was this comment from Congressman James Matheson, a Democrat from Utah.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JIM MATHESON (D), UTAH: I was disappointed that we didn't focus on what I think is the critical issue, and that's someone's missing.

QUESTION: Were you disappointed with Connie Chung's question then, may be.

MATHESON: No.

QUESTION: Disappointed in his answers? MATHESON: No, the whole situation is the focus that someone's missing, and that ought to be the fundamental focus here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MESERVE: Asked about Condit's political future that has Democratic leadership aide offers no prediction, saying that's between Condit and his constituents. But Condit is of course from California, and one aide to a key senator from that state called the interview "maddening; we were expecting something more."

Stephen, back to you.

FRAZIER: Jeanne Meserve on Capitol Hill. Jeanne, thank you -- Daryn.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Much of the reaction to the Congressman's television interview is centered on what he didn't say. But what about his tone or his body language?

Joining us from Washington to discuss that is Deborah Tannen. She's a professor of linguistics at Georgetown University and author of several books, including "You Just Don't Understand." Her latest is "I Only Say This Because I Love You."

Professor, good morning. Glad to have you with us this morning.

DEBORAH TANNEN, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: Good morning. Glad to be here.

KAGAN: Since you are in the academic business, let's do this as a grade. How would you grade the congressman's body last night during the television interviews?

TANNEN: Well, the body language was part of the performance that had to be seen as a failure. I think that I would agree with everyone on that. The overwhelming response seemed to be, there was no emotion and so that rigid stance and the rigid look on his face, although broken at times, even more unfortunately by a kind of a smirk or almost a half smile, probably it was all his way of trying to be calm and to show that he was, you know, keeping everything under control. But that very controlledness is what it made seem simply canned and by rote, and that was unfortunate.

KAGAN: There was a particular moment -- you mentioned smirk -- there was a particularly moment that caught a lot of people's attention, and that is when Connie Chung asked him directly, "Did you kill Chandra Levy?" And then he said no. And then the answer was OK, and then there was a little a little smirk afterwards, and that really interprets how someone will interpret that answer.

TANNEN: Yes, that's right. We always look underlining emotion, and he said, I did not. What we expect really is that he could have turned it back on Connie, and that she could have stepped over the line, and many felt that she had by asking him that. He could have said, what an outrageous question, I am certainly an adulterer, but not a murderer. I think that it was that calmness that made people think that it wasn't there somehow. They wanted to see some remorse, and I think that that that's what we look for in the apology, some feeling that he had really had hidden his relationship with her. He was sorry he'd done that, and that's what never come across. There didn't seem to be any regret, until the very last moment, that last statement, what my family had gone through compared to what her family is going through is really the only moment we thought we felt some emotion.

KAGAN: Of course the congressman's people specifically set up this interview, it didn't come out of nowhere, it wasn't a surprise, they knew it was going to be there. I can only imagine that he had somebody like you coaching him for this night?

TANNEN: Yes, it was too bad. I think they really must have thought that he was going to somehow shift the conversation from himself and his sex life to, let's find Chandra Levy. But because he never came out -- he seemed to think that he had admitted to the affair by saying, I've made mistakes, I'm not perfect. But that code really didn't work. I think that people simply wanted him to say, right, I didn't admit it, because I was protecting my family, and that little change would have made a big difference.

KAGAN: Can you coach someone in this situation, to do better, to pick better language, to have better body language, or do some people have it and some just don't?

TANNEN: I am sure that he must have had coaching, and so I guess when he got up there, he just -- I think he probably really did feel put upon and that's what kept coming out, and that constantly blaming other people. Mrs. Levy misunderstood, and Anne-Marie Smith was lying, and the media putting forward half-truths, and I think that all of that, perhaps he could have been better prepared.

KAGAN: One things for sure, he won't be signing up for one of your courses any time soon. He would not doing well in your classroom.

Professor, thank you for joining us.

TANNEN: Thank you.

KAGAN: Thank you so much.

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