View Full Version : Tim Russert, dead at 58
Choux
Jun 14, 2008, 12:23 PM
I'm very upset about the death of Tim Russert; he was a quality journalist, a man with character and integrity and a *real* love for his country. He lived his ethical/moral code and was a quality example to others.
Here is to you, Tim!
Fr_Chuck
Jun 14, 2008, 12:25 PM
Real shame at such a young age,
Choux
Jun 14, 2008, 12:29 PM
And, before the Presidential election; he was so looking forward to help cover the election this fall. Really untimely.
George_1950
Jun 14, 2008, 12:31 PM
A bright star within his profession has been extinguished; but an opportunity for a new light has emerged. Thanks, Choux.
progunr
Jun 14, 2008, 12:40 PM
Very sad.
Just knowing that his son and father are left to grieve, so close to fathers day, is heartbreaking!
He will be missed.
excon
Jun 14, 2008, 12:55 PM
Hello Choux:
Yup. I liked him. Why couldn't this happen to Novak or somebody like that? Ok, I don't want him dead either - sick maybe..
Russert was younger than me. He worked out. He just got checked out by his doctor..
I'm going for another walk on the beach.
excon
George_1950
Jun 14, 2008, 01:16 PM
Hello Choux:
Yup. I liked him. Why couldn't this happen to Novak or somebody like that? Ok, I don't want him dead either - sick maybe..
Russert was younger than me. He worked out. He just got checked out by his doctor..
I'm going for another walk on the beach.
excon
Grab another glass of red wine; cheers!
BABRAM
Jun 14, 2008, 02:44 PM
http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/4/4c/225px-Russert.JPG
Tim Russert
He did a great job and provided excellent commentary!
Choux
Jun 14, 2008, 07:24 PM
Such a quality individual... we miss you Tim!!
tomder55
Jun 15, 2008, 02:20 AM
I admired his tenacity during interviews . To me that is how Q and A sessions should be conducted .Much better than fluff interviews like Katie Couric or one sided ones like Keith Olberman conducts.
Russert clearly loved his family . He admired and emulated his father's work ethic. In his book about his old man Russert noted that when he retired his father still had 200+ sick days available. When he asked him why ;his father responded "because I wasn't sick". Russert just last week had to put his father into a nursing home which added to the stess of a very busy week.
For years I have made the time to either watch 'Meet the Press' or read it's transcripts.. It was Russert who single-handedly made that program a" must see".Yes it is an opportunity for someone else... my bet is David Gregory(I hope it isn't that blowhard Chris Matthews).But Russert left large shoes to fill.
Choux
Jun 15, 2008, 11:10 AM
His show Meet the Press was a must see for me... he pressed all his political guests for truthful answers... I'm still sick about this.
I bet they will ask Tom Brokaw to be the interim substitute, but he is not confrontational. I don't know who on the horizon they are going to choose. This has always been a show of the highest integrity.
tomder55
Jun 16, 2008, 02:30 AM
Brokaw ? Perhaps but you noted his weakness . The reason I though Gregory is that he is confrontational . If he can set aside his biases then he could do the job. Another possibility would have Brian Williams fill in.
Let's face it ;Russert made the show what it is. I will probably switch to Chris Wallace's Sunday show .
BTW :did you see the classless way Chris Matthews remembered Russert on Olberman's show ? Matthews went on an anti-war rant comparing Russert to the “American people” in being fooled by the Bush administration into supporting the war.
Choux
Jun 16, 2008, 01:51 PM
No I didn't see that, Tom... Chris can be, hmmm, too goal oriented? LOL!
Yeah, Gregory can be forceful... but, can he see all sides-do the research that a quality show need? Brian Williams... Bah.
Maybe, an non media person? I have no idea who.
tomder55
Jun 17, 2008, 02:26 AM
I don's see anyone in the ranks at NBC who could do the job... David Shuster ? Naaaahh Andrea Mitchell... ready to pack it in.
Guess we'll see Sunday but I bet whoever fills in will be temporary.
Dostoevsky said that all Russian authors came out from Gogol's overcoat, and clearly legions of cable news hosts have come out from under Russert's. Whatever limitations there are to his approach, it's unlikely his successor will improve upon them. Rather, we'll probably get more of what much of television news already is -- broadcasting a la Russert, but without the full measure of skill and commitment of the master himself.
Matthew Yglesias (of Atlantic Magazine)
The video of Mathew's melt down is here :
Hot Air » Blog Archive » Stay classy, Chris Matthews (http://hotair.com/archives/2008/06/14/stay-classy-chris-matthews/)
Choux
Jun 17, 2008, 10:41 AM
Thanks for the quote.
I read today that Meet the Press had $60 million dollars a week in advertising revenue. A lot is at stake for NBC here. Plus, a waiting list for advertisers!
Keeping that in mind, I think they might go with Chris Matthews and "clean him up" a little because he has high ratings for cable, and Americans like the excitement of confrontation.
For now, I'm going with Chris Matthews.
I think they are grooming Rachel Maddow for a spot as a moderator... She has lots of excellent TV qualities for a difficult job like that.
George_1950
Jun 17, 2008, 10:56 AM
Chris Matthews is far and away too transparent a 'liberal' and lacks Russert's professional training to mask his agenda for supporting left-wing causes. They could return Meet The Press to its former format, with a host and several journalists questioning the guest. It's become very difficult to find journalists with ethics these days. Most likely candidate with the necessary gravitas: Bill O'Reilly: http://www.billoreilly.com/g/Bill's-Bio/515.html
excon
Jun 17, 2008, 11:01 AM
It's become very difficult to find journalists with ethics these days. Most likely candidate with the necessary gravitas: Bill O'Reilly: http://www.billoreilly.com/g/Bill's-Bio/515.htmlHello George:
You had me right up until the end. Bwa, ha ha ha ha. O'Reilly is a buffoon.
excon
NeedKarma
Jun 17, 2008, 11:11 AM
O'Reilly is long-standing laughing stock fodder on the internet for various reasons, but currently for this:
2tJjNVVwRCY
tomder55
Jun 17, 2008, 11:23 AM
I agree with Choux . NBC has no one else even close to Russert ;but Matthews has audience. I even watch his show. That should give a tingle up his leg.
Choux
Jun 17, 2008, 02:41 PM
Bill O?? he is a blowhard, screamer, and a bully who shouts and overtalks guests... he is strictly entertainment, no class, no morality, no integrity... and his ratings are going down. His audience average age is around 60... screaming BS for timid seniors who like to hate minorities.
BWAH HA HA
Choux
Jun 17, 2008, 02:42 PM
NK that was the best edited clip I have ever seen... a young Bill O having a wild tantrum, his nostrils flaring and all huffing and puffing.
I never tire of seeing Olberman run parts of it. :D:D
Choux
Jun 17, 2008, 02:44 PM
Tom, I'm watching Chris now. :)
tomder55
Jun 18, 2008, 04:24 AM
Newsmax.com - Chris Matthews Tops Russert Replacement List (http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/tv_nbc_after_russert/2008/06/16/105026.html?s=al&promo_code=6477-1)
Choux
Jun 18, 2008, 11:49 AM
Thanks so much for the link, Tom... we got it right(so far).
I'm going to Tim's Memorial Service in a couple of hours via TV.
excon
Jun 18, 2008, 12:19 PM
Chris Matthews Tops Russert Replacement ListHello again, tom:
I sure hope not. When he's doing an interview, the only person he likes to hear from is himself.
excon
George_1950
Jun 18, 2008, 04:14 PM
Well, let's look at the bright side: when Matthews is through with Meet The Press, ratings will be so low that it is off the air! More re-runs!
inthebox
Jun 18, 2008, 09:24 PM
Russert Took Media Bias Seriously - WSJ.com (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121375187453382965.html?mod=special_page_campaig n2008_mostpop)
"That, to me, is totally contrary to who we're supposed to be as journalists. . . . If someone suggested there was an anti-black bias, an anti-gay bias, an anti-American bias, we'd sit up and say, 'Let's talk about this, let's tackle it.' Well, if there's a liberal bias or a cultural bias we have to sit up and tackle it and discuss it. We have got to be open to these things."...
"But what about those who say journalists shouldn't wear red, white and blue ribbons, that by doing that somehow you're taking the government's side in some debate or another," I asked him.
"It is imperative," he told me, "that we never suggest that there's a moral equivalency between the United States of America and the terrorists. Period. I'll believe that until the day I die."
Which was way too soon.
George_1950
Jun 18, 2008, 09:37 PM
Russert Took Media Bias Seriously - WSJ.com (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121375187453382965.html?mod=special_page_campaig n2008_mostpop)
Thanks for the wonderful piece by Bernard Goldberg in the WSJ; and where is it we find him most often on TV? It ain't Chris Matthews, I'll bet; I see him often on O'Reilly. At least, Russert was willing to look at the mess liberals have made of journalism. O'Reilly does, too; don't ever expect that from Matthews.
inthebox
Jun 18, 2008, 09:46 PM
Bill O?? he is a blowhard, screamer, and a bully who shouts and overtalks guests... he is strictly entertainment, no class, no morality, no integrity... and his ratings are going down. His audience average age is around 60... screaming BS for timid seniors who like to hate minorities.
BWAH HA HA
Choux, you make it too easy :D
Fox News Channel Leads in 2007 Cable News Ratings - 1/4/2008 5:11:00 PM - Broadcasting & Cable (http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6517290.html)
For the year in primetime, FOX NEWS was the No. 6-ranked cable channel behind USA Network, TNT, ESPN, TBS and Lifetime Television. That’s two notches higher than its ranking last year. CNN, its closest news competitor, was No. 26, down one.
Fox News was down 1% in total viewers in total day and 3% in the 25-54 demographic, but it still boasted most of the top-rated shows on cable news led by THE O'REILLY FACTOR, WHICH HAS BEEN NO.1 IN ITS 8 PM SLOT FOR 85 CONSECUTIVE MONTHS.
inthebox
Jun 18, 2008, 09:49 PM
In contrast
McClatchy to cut work force by 10 percent - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080616/media_nm/mcclatchy_dc)
Mcclatchy, is down. In my home city the are running a series on the "torture" at Gitmo
- no wonder they are doing poorly.
George_1950
Jun 18, 2008, 09:54 PM
You on a roll, inthebox!
tomder55
Jun 20, 2008, 04:12 AM
This is getting interesting in a soap opera sort of way
MSNBC ANCHORS CHRIS MATTHEWS AND KEITH OLBERMAN VIE FOR TIM RUSSERT'S MEET THE PRESS JOB- New York Post (http://www.nypost.com/seven/06202008/gossip/pagesix/cable_guys_lust_for_tims_job_116298.htm)
tomder55
Jun 23, 2008, 07:02 AM
Tom Brokaw has been named to replace Russert at least throughout the election cycle.