Even when I was a kid I loved politics. I didn’t really understand it but I knew I loved it. In the early 90’s after the typical rift with my authority figures about church, I made a deal. I would go to church but they had to let me watch “Meet the Press”.
Tim Russert died today. He wasn’t all that old but his wisdom made him seem like he had been around a hundred years. Russert was a rock star in the political press, something he seemed to find amusing. I watched his show like some people watched MTV–I couldn’t get enough. Russert was so cunning, so sharp and so decent. He never made a spectacle of himself, he didn’t have to. He was known and respected everywhere because of his talent not because he was self promoting. Politicos both feared & loved him…he was a legend, the real deal.
I watched Tim Russert and I learned. I wanted to be just like him. He worked at keeping the bad guys good and making them accountable. He could build you up and tear you down, but he didn’t do it for sport, he did it because it was the right thing to do; he did it with facts, style and character.
I never became Tim Russert or even his younger protege’, in fact I never met him. But his impact on my life has been profound. He was a modern day political sheriff, my real hero.
That’s it for tonight. If it’s Sunday, It’s Meet the Press. Somehow that will never quite sound the same again.
Filed under: NATIONAL POLITICS | Tagged: Meet the Press, MTV, Tim Russert
