Remembering Russert

I, like most people, was shocked to hear that Tim Russert died last Friday. He was young and, more important, a ubiquitous authority during this momentous presidential campaign. Tim Russert was someone you could count on to help you make sense out of whatever was unfolding.

There has been enough said about his many great qualities as journalist, mentor, colleague, friend, and political insider. All of it is richly deserved, I’m sure. I never met Russert though we did once share a stairway at Rockefeller Center. He was yammering on his cell phone. I was trying hard to pretend that I wasn’t impressed that I was standing next to him as I ascended.

What I will mourn is the loss of another knowledgeable, authoritative voice in our civic discourse. Russert was consistently lauded for fairness, toughness, and a drive to make complex issues “make sense to the folks in Buffalo.” He didn’t make his mark through partisan tirades or gotcha questioning. His strategy was consistent and straight forward: ask pertinent, direct questions and push until he got answers. To be able to do that, he prepared rigorously for each show.

There aren’t many Russerts in the wings. Nightline has lost it punch without Ted Koppel; Meet the Press will have to work hard not to suffer the same fate. When CBS tried to revamp their evening news, they turned to Katie Couric and look what a laugher that has turned out to be. To be fair, CBS tried to make her more of an entertainer than a hard-nosed journalist so let’s not blame it all on Katie. But you see where the great minds of television news production want to take us.

Russert always seemed committed to raising the level of discussion about critical issues, not using them as a stepstool for his own self-aggrandizement. A Chris Matthews or Keith Olberman can’t simply step in and do the same thing. Wolf Blitzer or Lou Dobbs couldn’t carry Russert’s luggage.

We’ll miss Tim Russert in more ways that we know. It will be especially evident as we head into the general election. This also provides an opportunities for others to step up and show us what they’ve got. There’s no one who can measure up to Russert today but let’s hope that someone can grow to fill those shoes in the months ahead.