Comments on: Sarko The American

Lesley Stahl Interviews France's New Leader

[yr1944]

Lesley Stahl''s interview of French President Nicolas Sarkozy qualifies her for another to join Dan Rather as a has been from CBS.

[stdg]

As a French citizen, I am very delighted to read CBS viewers'' comments on what happened during this interview. French newspapers have already started to criticize Sarkozy''s supposedly lose of temper, arguing that doing so, the French President gives the American people a bad image of France. Coming from journalists who used to practice the most stupid anti-Americanism so shamelessly, this criticism is funny at best, cynical at worst. The truth is that the French press simply defends an American show in a very "corporatist" way. Hopefully viewers from all over the country have more common sense and do regret that what could have been a interesting event of political journalism at the highest level between our two countries eventually turned into a mean episode of gutter journalism.
Let us hope that journalists from both side of the Atlantic ocean will one day give "a good image" of journalism...

[jvititoe]

Leslie,
What did you hope to accomplish by putting the French president on the spot with the personal questions? How were they important to Franco-American relations or, for that matter, to anything? You might see if there is an opening at The National Enquirer.
John

[nyckate]

krissacole -- good point about allowing in the remarks about his press officer - it was pretty uncouth and unnecessary of 60 Minutes - they probably did it to even out the stupidity of Stahl asking the tabloid questions - she wasn''t bright enough to realize that she was interviewing an important Head of State and not Britney Spears.

[nyckate]

Bravo Sarkosy -- he let Stahl know without any doubt that he''s a very busy leader of a country with a lot on his plate and she went for the ''wife/divorce'' question??? SHame on her - she took the chance for a brilliant interview and went for the ''supermarket tabloid'' question and got what she and any and all reporters should get - nothing.

There were and are so many interesting questions to ask the newest leader of France and if this is the best Stahl could come up it may be time for her to move over to Fox.

[krissacole]

I have always been a fan of 60 minutes, but this interview disgusted me. It fully represents why most of the world view Americans as obnoxious and rude. Instead of respecting cultural/social differences (as when Mr. Sarkozy let anger show with his assistant- a well known European cultural difference), 60 Minutes decides to air this personal moment. I wasn''t embarrassed for Mr. Sarkozy. I was embarrassed for my country. (Way to represent, there Leslie!)
The questions regarding his divorce were completely uncalled for, as well. This is supposed to be a respectable and informative program - not gossipy trash news. President Sarkozy really put Ms. Stahl in her place by handling himself with dignity. If you notice, he only decided to leave after she kept pressuring him to talk about his wife.
Inappropriate questions regarding his personal affairs (divorce is very difficult), airing his agitation with his assistant (instead of acknowledging cultural differences), and then alluding to his responses/actions as being a representation of bad character is IRRESPONSIBLE. Maybe he does have some controversial ideas/methods for his own country, but this man HAD a desire to mend the relationship between our countries. Hopefully he doesn''t judge the rest of us by this rude, in-your-face, "America has a right to know" type of interview. Learn some courtesy and stop acting as though our social customs/culture is the only way.

[jrandall128]

Your kidding, right? I''m not custom to viewing the program, but on this occasion i was intrigued about the interview with President Sarkozy. What a disappointment that turned out to be...Thank YOU Leslie, for proving that we as "Americans", are more interested in tabloid journalism than the much larger world issues that we should be.
It seemed to me that he knew what to expect from this particular interview, just by his comments about not wanting to do it, due to an already full and important schedule. BUT, with true style, he decided the interview was over when the questions obviously were going nowhere, and left without compromising his integrity. He should have punched her in the mouth, but his support of "everything American" doesn''t extend to our increasingly brash and aggressive nature...

[MadameReed]

CBS You really are desperate for viewers aren''t you? M. Sarkozy thought he was on a news program, not Entertainment Tonight. Frankly, he told Leslie Stahl he would not answer that kind of question and thanked her politely. He didn''t storm off. You''re probably disapponted.

[MadameReed]

How truly annoying to watch Ms. Stahl interview Monsieur Sarkozy in English, see him respond in French and have to listen to someone else talk over his answers!!! Some people in this country speak French and many still read English, so CBS could have put in subtitles.

[shellyworthy]

A once well respected news magazine like 60 minutes should be ashamed to have produced such a frivolous piece of nonsense as the interview with Sarkozy. Ms. Stahl wasted a perfectly good opportunity to enlighten her viewers about the Presidents polices, instead choosing to engage in the gutter journalism that has destroyed American politics.

[shellyworthy]

A once well respected news magazine like 60 minutes should be ashamed to have produced such a frivolous piece of nonsense as the interview with Sarkozy. Ms. Stahl wasted a perfectly good opportunity to enlighten her viewers about the Presidents polices, instead choosing to engage in the gutter journalism that has destroyed American politics.

[shellyworthy]

A once well respected news magazine like 60 minutes should be ashamed to have produced such a frivolous piece of nonsense as the interview with Sarkozy. Ms. Stahl wasted a perfectly good opportunity to enlighten her viewers about the Presidents polices, instead choosing to engage in the gutter journalism that has destroyed American politics.

[shellyworthy]

A once well respected news magazine like 60 minutes should be ashamed to have produced such a frivolous piece of nonsense as the interview with Sarkozy. Ms. Stahl wasted a perfectly good opportunity to enlighten her viewers about the Presidents polices, instead choosing to engage in the gutter journalism that has destroyed American politics.

[pteirab]

I was also extremely embarassed by Lesley Stahl''s personal questions to Sarkozy about his wife. What has happened to our sense of decency in journalism?

[taresler]

Leslie Stahl was way out of line in asking about French President Sarkozy''s personal life. Leslie needs to stick to the main story line not gutter journalism or she should go to work for the National Enquirer!

[ss1800]

I always considered 60 Minutes as a "serious" and professional news magazine, that does not resort to "sensationalist" media methods. I don''t understand why Ms. Stahl was allowed to pose an indiscreet question to President Sarkozy when it is widely known that he doesn''t want to share his private life with the entire world! The importance is whether an elected President can successfully run his country, and it is none of anybody''s business what goes on behind closed doors in his personal life!!! Please don''t denigrate your esteemed program with such "uncouth" tactics. thank you.

[pianokey1]

Did I just hear Leslie Stahl say that Sarkozy became the President of France in May of 52? I take that to mean 1952. Unless she is using a different calendar, that would mean that he has been president for 55 years and almost 6 months. Can someone please clarify what she meant and if this was what she intended to say.
It seems that Ms. Stahl was more interested in his personal life than what his goals are for France. I would love to have heard more on his social reform and how the average citizen of France feels about what he wants to do for their country.

[jeanettwh]

The interview with Nicolas Sarkozy was interesting until asked about his personal life.What don''t you understand about personal? I don''t agree with the way most of the French chooses not to go to Iraq, thats the story, not "So you and your wife are seperated?"
Who cares. I believe unless their personal life effects my choices in life,it''s none of our business.

J. White,
minding my own business in St. Clair Mo.

[tildentech65]

Having the priviledge to interview the President of France, to ask any questions of earth-shattering importance, and to hear Leslie Stahl ask about his wife''s affair and their pending divorce, is gutter-level journalism not worthy of 60 Minutes. Let''s raise the bar, not lower it.

[dlawbailey]

How proud you must be to have offended the most pro-American President in years of our nation''s oldest ally. Ah but at your important question in. What journalism!

You did remember that France is our nation''s oldest ally?

Lesley Stahl can now put herself up there with President George W. Bush and Donald Rumsfeld as a champion of American diplomacy in Europe.

I think that if Ms. Stahl is so offended by Europeans (this is not the first story to reveal such an attitude), maybe her editors should consider having her report on other parts of the world.