A Salute for Tim Russert
Along with so many others, I was shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of Tim Russert today. He, Gwen Ifill, and (before his retirement) Ted Koppel were my favorite TV political-news people to watch.
I became a fan of Tim Russert during the 2000 Bush/Gore presidential election night coverage. When things got confusing and all the high-tech graphics and gadgetries couldn’t keep up, Mr. Russert and his white board clarified things for me. Everything was as easy as the numbers he held up.
But the states kept counting, and I kept up into the early hours of the morning waiting for an outcome. Through it all, Tim Russert never lost his enthusiasm. You could see his eyes shining with excitement. They were always moving, scanning to make sure he wasn’t going to miss anything. And he was eager to share that information with me.
I was a cynic and a snob, but he made me love it.
That’s why it feels so unfair that he has to leave now. Now that the presidential race is finally going to go head-to-head, he’s going to miss it. From the experience we shared that night in 2000, I know he truly loved this stuff. I wish he was still here to help me believe in its magic too.
Discussion Area - Leave a Comment