The interview began in the most cordial manner with Stewart being polite to the President since he is the first sitting head of a state to appear on the show. It must be made clear that to understand and enjoy this show, you had to have some background information about Pakistan, its role in combating terrorism, Osama bin Laden etc. These issues are candidly discussed though throughout the interview, you could feel some tension in the air. The interviewer tried to dispel it by causally mentioning Osama bin Laden and asking the President where he was. The President knowing that it was a sensitive topic quickly answered that he didn't know his location but given a lead would definitely follow up on it.
The President looked a bit tense while Stewart was obviously the calmer of the two. The accented English of the President didn't really create much of a hindrance but Stewart's use of American idiomatic language and slang causes of momentary lapse in concentration. The non-verbal signs such as Stewart's slight head shake showed he was impressed by President's response and wasn't expecting this. He was definitely more polite to him than he would have otherwise been but his questions were still relevant and to the point.
Another important thing I noticed was Stewart use of slow and calculated speech. This was done keeping in view that English was not the interviewee's first language. Thus Stewart of constantly taking pauses and his speech was not as rapid fire as it would have been with another guest. President's nodding suggested he was able to understand what was being said. President wouldn't have done that when speaking with someone at home. This is because when talking in your own language, you don't need to prove that you are getting what is being said.
In this case however both Stewart and President had to make sure they were understanding and being understood- and thus th
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