How the Sting interview might have gone if the interviewer took him seriously:

Ms Moody: What did you think of Obama when you met him?
Sting: I found him to be very genuine, very present, clearly super-smart, and exactly what we need in the world.

Ms Moody: In what way is he what we need?
Sting: I can’t think of how anyone could be better qualified because of his background, his education, particularly in regard to Islam.

Ms Moody: How do you square those thoughts with the fact that Obama has claimed that his exposure to Islam came as a child and had a negligible impact on his thinking?
Sting: Well, I think it’s understood that there are certain things which politicians can’t say in an election environment.

Ms Moody: But wasn’t that type of behavior he sought to change?
Sting: I’m sensing a little hostility here.

Ms Moody: Put another way; If not him now, then who?
Sting: I believe in the man and I didn’t have an issue with it at the time.

Ms Moody: Has he corrected that perception during his presidency?
Sting: It’s early.

Ms Moody: Do you believe that the world can change?
Sting: While I’m hopeful that the world’s problems can be dealt with, but we seem to be living in a currency of medieval ideas.

Ms Moody: Can you pinpoint when we took a step backwards from more enlightened thinking?
Sting: Probably during the Bush Administration.

Ms Moody: Are you referring to 9/11 and the terrorists attacks?
Sting: No. I did not intend to target any one group.

Ms Moody: So you were thinking more of the U.S. presidency than the Islamic terrorists when you made reference to ‘medieval ideas?’
Sting: I’m referring to the type of ideas that were fostered.

Ms Moody: Such as?
Sting: I’m not here to debate you.

Ms Moody: What are your hopes for our politics?
Sting: That we can start talking about real issues and not caring about whether God cares about your hemline or your color. We are here to evolve as one family, and we can’t be separate anymore.

Ms Moody: What do you think of Obama’s opponents?
Sting: They are aggressive and violent and full of fear. They don’t want change, they want things to feel the same because they feel safe there.

Ms Moody: Glad to see you are over your reticence to target ‘any one group.’ Are they part of that one family, because that sounds pretty separate?
Sting: That’s it, I’m not sleeping with you.

The actual interview is copied in full at end of post.

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Sting: Obama best person to handle world’s ‘mess’
Oct 29 2009
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY
AP Music Writer

NEW YORK (AP) – Sting isn’t a religious man, but he says President Barack Obama might be a divine answer to the world’s problems.

“In many ways, he’s sent from God,” he joked in an interview, “because the world’s a mess.”

But Sting is serious in his belief that Obama is the best leader to navigate the world’s problems. In an interview on Wednesday, the former Police frontman said that he spent some time with Obama and “found him to be very genuine, very present, clearly super-smart, and exactly what we need in the world.”

“I can’t think of any be better qualified because of his background, his education, particularly in regard to Islam,” he said.

Still, Sting acknowledged the president had a “difficult job” ahead of him.

The British singer, who released the seasonal album “On A Winter’s Night” this week, said he’s fascinated by American politics, Obama, and also by Obama’s opponents on the right.

“It’s aggressive and violent and full of fear,” he said of the backlash against Obama. “They don’t want change, they want things to feel the same because they feel safe there.”

Sting, 58, said he’s hopeful that the world’s problems can be dealt with, but is frustrated that “we seem to be living in a currency of medieval ideas.”

“My hope is that we can start talking about real issues and not caring about whether God cares about your hemline or your color,” he said. “We are here to evolve as one family, and we can’t be separate anymore.”
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