I cried. And I didn't even know him. But at 3:30 on June 13--yes, Friday the 13th--I cried when I read that Timothy J. Russert had died suddenly of a heart attack while working at the NBC studios in Washington.
I can't provide a fitting obituary for this giant of TV journalism except to say this: his was the voice I trusted when I needed to get the straight dope on American politics.
We all know that Russert was the moderator of the hugely successful "Meet The Press", which he single-handedly revitalized 17 years ago. On that show, he was able to let newsmakers' own words make or break their cases. His dreaded quote cards that sat on the screen as he read them out loud, was a Washington media ritual that must have given politicians and newmakers nightmares. As all the tributes have stated, Tim Russert was the most prepared journalist anyone has ever seen.
But it was his ability to distill the facts into a simple storyline which set him apart. His famous "Florida, Florida, Florida" whiteboard in the 2000 election set the stage for those momentus events. His controversial (but correct) statement after this year's Indiana and North Carolina Democratic primaries, that Obama was going to win the nomination, sent a shudder through the Clinton campaign. They knew that if Tim said it, it was true.
In the extended tributes that flowed Friday night on MSNBC, much was made of Russert's everyman quality. His Buffalo, NY working class background and his obvious appreciation for his station in life made him such a universally appealing TV presence. He took his work, his friends and his family seriously. But never himself.
Some people you know are singular as you watch them. When Tiger Woods makes an impossible eagle at the U.S. Open, we know he's one of a kind. There are others who we realize are singular when we have to contemplate life without them. Russert, I think, falls in that category.
There are good TV journalists out there, but without Tim Russert, there's no one I'll really trust to give me the straight dope in this year's election. And what are we going to do at 10:30 on Sunday mornings?
Go back to church more often, I suppose. Or spend quality time with family. Because as Tim Russert's untimely death proved, life is precious and much too short.
Talk about Tim, if you'd like, by clicking on 'comments' below, by passing the Google sign up and hitting the anonymous or nickname buttons.
About Me
- Tom Wiggin
- Tom Wiggin is a political junkie trapped inside the body of a veteran actor. From a childhood stuffing envelopes in local Democratic elections in Alexandria, VA to volunteering in Nelson Rockefeller’s (?!)’68 campaign; from co-chairing union contract negotiating committees to emceeing fundraisers, Tom’s heart has always been in politics. His numerous acting credits include starring roles on Broadway (Grease, Bobbi Boland); on Prime Time TV (Breaking Away); and on Daytime TV (As the World Turns) for which he garnered two Soap Opera Digest Awards nominations during a ten year run as Kirk Anderson. He recently played Whitey Ford in the ESPN mini series The Bronx Is Burning, and just wrapped filming an independent short, The Banker and the Baseball, in which he played Mr. Meir, the Banker. As a writer, Tom’s screenplay, Gift of the Robin’s Nest, was optioned by Greystone Films and he recently completed a new screenplay, The Band Is Called…Scream. He also wrote for the daytime dramas Another World and As the World Turns.
2 comments:
The sad news about Tim Russert sent a terrible chill down my spine that I may never forget. For some reason, and I didn't know this until after he had died, Tim had a presence in my life. I really enjoyed listening to him, I trusted him and his views. I could tell that he was a great person underneath the journalist we all saw on television. I just never thought much about that until his passing. Guess you are right, we take a lot for granted in this world and if Tim's passing teaches us one thing it is that we should not take everything for granted. We should cherish our family, friends and really be the best we can be towards each other and ourselves. Time on this earth is short. God Bless Tim and his family. I will always remember him.
My Sunday mornings were reserved for "Meet the Press". Russert will be terribly missed. I was lucky enough to see him give a commencement speech at a relative's HS graduation several years ago. He hammered home the importance of family. He didn't just preach about it, he lived it.
I bought a six pack of Rolling Rock in his honor....cheers, Tim, to a life well lived.
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