My first impression after watching the original “60 Minutes” version of Charlie Rose’s interview with President Trump’s formal advisor Steve Bannon was that it was pretty much as expected – a hit job, even though Bannon (at least in my view) acquitted himself quite well.

Then I saw the full interview, and was struck by how different the overall tone was and how “normal” the conversation was. It’s not only quite interesting, it’s actually riveting – not just in the broad range of topics covered, but how well both Rose and Bannon come out of it. Rose, while obviously coming from a Beltway elitist perspective, is nevertheless respectful and getting the most out of his subject; Bannon is unapologetic and passionate in his “America First” populism. Seeing the longer version, I’m impressed with the quality of it all – both Rose and Bannon deserve a lot of credit for how well it was conducted.

The longer version is something everyone in this country ought to see, for it shows not just how two grown-ups in the room coming from two different sides of the political aisle can be forceful, yet respectful of each other’s perspective, but it provides a window into President Trump’s world-view. Sure, there were a couple of moments where you could tell Rose came close to getting under Bannon’s skin, but I thought that Bannon handled those moments deftly and came across far less than the racist, alt-right nationalist ogre the mainstream media and Democrats have painted him to be. I had a lot of respect for Bannon prior to and after the “60 Minutes” version; I now have even more. Anyone who wants to truly understand how Donald Trump operates and how his campaign was able to beat Hillary Clinton’s in the general election ought to invest their time in this interview. The guy is an “America First” populist, and it’s obvious he and President Trump are cut from similar cloths. I’ll tell you this – I’m glad I have the likes of Steve Bannon on my side.