So what did y'all think of Gary Condit last night?

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Answers

Ok, let me start by saying I think that Sen. Condit is a power-abusing idiot. I, however, can see no valid point to that interview...at all. Connie completely demoralized the American People by hounding him about his sexual association with Ms. Levy. This, people, is none of our business and has nothing to do with the disappearance. His practiced "I've been married 34 year...blah,blah,blah" simply made him look like the complete git that he is...it did not make him guilty. I don't think he's guilty, the police don't think he's guilty, most of the American public doesn't think he's guilty....so why do we need to know if sex was involved? And would a yes or no be good enough for us, or would we need to know how it was?

-Stop the insanity

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

I watched about half of it and quit when it didn't look like anything new would be revealed.

One possibility is that he stalled on the easy questions ("Were you in a romantic relationship with her?") to get Connie Chung flustered and have her harp on that subject, rather than questions such as his whereabouts on May 1st, why he felt compelled to get rid of the watch box, what his wife was doing in town, etc. If -- if -- he has something to do with Chandra's disappearance, that may have been a last-ditch tactic to keep things focused on the sex scandal rather than the missing-woman question.

Or he just is getting terrible, terrible advice. Why go on the cover of People and sit down with Connie Chung if you're going to stall and evade for 30 minutes straight? At best it made him look like just another slippery politician. At worst it made the viewer wonder anew what he had to hide.

I don't think it was good strategy for Chung to keep hitting him with the affair question, but I don't find it any more morally reprehensible than any other aspect of this case.

The better strategy would have been, "We were romantically involved, and it was a stupid thing to do, since she was 24 and I'm married and it ended up hurting a lot of people. She's a great person and I hope she's found soon, alive." I think that was the worst aspect of his performance -- in all his equivocating he didn't seem to show any concern for Chandra Levy.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

To be honest, I didn't see much of the interview ... just some highlights on the news this morning. But ...

The better strategy would have been, "We were romantically involved, and it was a stupid thing to do, since she was 24 and I'm married and it ended up hurting a lot of people. She's a great person and I hope she's found soon, alive." I think that was the worst aspect of his performance -- in all his equivocating he didn't seem to show any concern for Chandra Levy.

WG, I was really hoping that's what he would do -- assuming that they were, in fact, romanticly involved. For a guy who criticized Clinton for not leveling with the American people about his personal life, it's ironic that Condit now is trying the same type of strategy, only without Clinton's adept spin-control people.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

My question is, are pretty, young Jewish girls not safe from lecherous old white guys in Washington? When's someone going to ask that?

I mean, LORD. Who in their RIGHT MIND would have gotten involved with an intern or employee or whatever after the Lewinsky thing? It just seems so stupid.

I just saw highlights on the news as well and I have to say that this did nothing to redeem Connie Chung, in my eyes, after her Newt's Mom interview debacle of several years ago.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Every grown person knows exactly what was going on between Gary Condit and Chandra Levy. And every grown person except Connie Chung knows that you're never going to get him to admit it or talk about it, nor should he have to. The fact that they had an affair is not the issue AT ALL. Yes he has been avoidant and misleading, but if Connie's done her research she would know that they have more evidence to that affect than just the cops' word on it! Yet she harped and harped and harped on what the cops SAID. What about his KNOWN activity?

How much shittier an interviewer could Connie Chung be? He repeatedly tells her that "out of a SPECIFIC request by the Levy family," he wouldn't talk about the affair. WHY did she not totally jump on the fact that Condit sure as hell didn't mind having his publicists and lawyers talking shit about Chandra's sexual history? About her family after they appeared on Larry King Live? His "people" have been generating constant spin to blame the VICTIM in this case. That's a tragedy. Why did Chung not address that?

I also can't believe she let him get away with saying he didn't know WHY on earth his lawyers had drafted the "silence agreement" for his former lover. Anybody that believes he doesn't call ALL the shots with his lawyers and flacks is fooling herself.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

I am so tired of this world and people lying and denying and the lack of tearful confessions and owning up to one's wrongdoings and taking action for it. I'm tired of what seems like everyone knowing that someone is a liar, and not caring that the person lied. I'm tired of hearing someone admit to doing something wrong, but having an excuse for it.

"Yes, I cheated on you. But it's because you weren't giving me any, and I GOTS* to have it all the time. Plus, you should lose some weight."

or

"Yes, I shot that bastard. But he cheated on me and said I was fat."

I am sick and TIRED! All I want is honesty from everyone. It's easier to forgive a confessor.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

So they've found her body. Is it a coincidence that they did so after primaries?

Where does the case go now?

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2002