It never ceases to amaze me how seasoned professionals can answer a one sentence question with a ten minute speech. They sort of go around the question and deal with related issues and context, before (usually) getting round to answering the crux of the question.

I assume it’s like learning to hold interviews and answering media questions. They never just give simple answers; they always elaborate with examples, anecdotes, etc, and avoid direct questions they don’t like by going ever so slightly off topic yet still keeping in the general gist.