Political Journalism Loses A Legend

Vaughn Ververs: The Death Of Tim Russert Will Reverberate For A Long Time

(CBS)  This analysis was written by CBSNews.com senior political editor Vaughn Ververs.

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The death of NBC’s Tim Russert has stunned the journalistic and political worlds. And his loss will reverberate through them - and our political system itself - for a very long time.

In over 15 years as moderator of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Russert grilled candidates, congressional leaders, cabinet members and political activists of all stripes with a style that was respectful and fair but also confrontational. His show became a measuring stick for anyone seeking elevation to higher office, a gauntlet of sorts that had to be run by presidential candidates to prove their chops - the “Russert test.”

With his background in law and active politics, Russert developed a style that was unique and effective, commonly confronting his guests with past quotes that differed from their current positions and staying on a single point until he received an answer. “Face the Nation” host Bob Schieffer, who competed with Russert each week on Sunday mornings said it best when he learned about the news. “Tim was the best of our profession. He asked the best questions and then he listened for the answer.”

That style was on display not long after taking helm of the Sunday morning public affairs show. In 1992, a presidential candidate who was riding high in the polls named Ross Perot appeared on “Meet the Press.” With diligent and specific questioning, Russert pinned down the candidate who was forced to admit that his deficit reduction plan didn’t exactly add up. Russert, as the Washington Post wrote at the time, “so rattled the Texas billionaire that he announced he was cutting back on interviews to work on his policy prescriptions.” Perot would swiftly see his political fortunes fade after that.

The impact Russert had stretched beyond Sunday mornings and he became an instantly recognizable face and voice for the network on the “Nightly News,” the “Today Show,” special events from Washington and, especially, election night. He did his homework, he remembered his lessons, and when Russert spoke, Washington listened.

But what separated Tim Russert from most political journalists was his ability to simplify seemingly complicated issues, to boil the story down to its essence and to communicate the excitement and joy he found in doing so. In the age of technological bells and whistles, fancy graphics and touch-screen computer maps, Russert preferred the unsophisticated.

Perhaps no story was more confusing than election night 2000, a night that would stretch on for weeks as two campaigns battled it out in the courts to determine the leader of the free world. It was on that night when he stripped all the technology away and pulled out a simple white board to break down the math and proclaim, in an observation that echoes today, that the whole election was boiling down to “Florida, Florida, Florida.”

Even as the testaments continue to flow in from all quarters of the political and journalistic world, the loss of his voice from this campaign will not be replaced. Not everyone in politics or journalism had the privilege of working directly with Russert, but nearly everyone in Washington respected and admired him for both his work and his obvious love of -- and respect for -- a city and process that defines our democracy. Politics is not always pretty and it’s rarely popular. But it is essential and Russert helped make it understandable and accessible. That’s why journalism and politics won’t be the same without him.

[rushlimpdrug]

" . .He asked the best questions and then he listened for the answer.%u201D

Watched some of the over the top tributes to this man.

Many times he talked over people giving answers.

This includeded Ross Perot.

Of course I was probably not listening the
same way "journalist" listen.

[samthetvcat]

I just watched the Meet the Press for this week, and my heart goes out to the family and friends of Tim Russert. All we viewers are mourning the tremendous loss of this great down to earth journalist, but the loss for those who knew him must just be devastating.

I was blessed to have grown up in a neighborhood with a larger than life Irish Catholic with blue-collar roots we all called ''big daddy'' who was the heart of our community, had a passion for life, a gazillion friends, and was pure support to me and nurtured talents I didn''t even know I had. He died while I was in my teens, and I don''t think I''ve ever come across anybody else personally who was so thoughtful and generous of heart, but I still remember him often as THE example of humanity at its best.

I think anybody who''s fortunate to have had the chance in life to have been cared about by such kindhearted individuals can''t help but be made a better person for it. There are still times when I get petty and small, and thoughts of ''big daddy'' remind me that there''s a better way to be in life.

My thoughts and prayers to the Russert family and the fans of Tim Russert who are in grief over his passing . . .

[bookout2]

Tim Russet owed alegance to *** Parsons. Thats why
he called the democratic primary over and gave the
advantage to Barack Obama. Oldest spin trick in the
book.

[wogerwabbit]

You just love to forget that not the whole country buys his KRAP!

Posted by RowdyWicca at 02:59 PM

You''re right. A miniscule number of right wing junkies still buy in to the fiction of George W. Bush. The rest of us have seen beyond your propaganda sound bites and false patriotism and discovered the real danger to our democracy is not stone age goat herders, but a whole government based on lies. Halfwits like you rail against liberals like there''s some big conspiracy set against you, but I''m no liberal. I''m a Republican and you''re a nazi... and I will stand with my liberal brothers and sisters and will fight your vileness until our country is free once again. Your craven cowardness in the face of the real danger we face is a testimony to your worthlessness. Stick your head back in your hole and stay out of our way... real Americans are at work and you might get hurt.

[formrusmcsgt]

You just love to forget that not the whole country buys his KRAP!

Posted by RowdyWicca at 02:59 PM : Jun 14, 2008

Obviously, more than bought your herione''s krap.

[omega39-2009]

oh, the stress test is an ekg - maybe he should have had an x-ray or something?

Posted by SamTheTVCat

The newer stress tests are done by taking a series of images of the heart, then they inject a chemical that puts the heart under stress and take additional images for comparison.

[samthetvcat]

oh, the stress test is an ekg - maybe he should have had an x-ray or something?

[samthetvcat]

I still can''t believe he''s gone. I''m in this weird state of mind where I don''t want to accept that so my thoughts keep going to whether his family physician was really on top of his health and whether they should have known how bad his cholesterol problem was. Should they have been more aggressive with the lipitor? Should he have been on blood thinners? When was the last time he had an ekg? What was with that ''stress test''? Is that standard procedure? Why didn''t anybody impress upon him the need to get down to a lower weight? Was he monitoring his blood pressure? Can somebody sue his doctor and make that guy pay? I feel like somebody needs to pay for this because I feel like we as a country got ripped off at his early passing.

I don''t know . . .

[likeitis5050]

Then: used in putting things in sequence

I was here, then I went there. If you watched the show THEN you must know what happened.


Than: Used to suggest preference. I liked that show more THAN the new one. I am not smarter THAN him, just better looking!

Will you hillbillies get it right? There, that should unite a few people.

[smirk5]

When the Bushies feel that your show is the best format for pushing their lies, than you weren''t that great of a journalist.

[stn_sage]

If true, then why are you attacking my posts, instead of minding your own business?
I stated my opinions, and YOU came out swinging, and criticizing MY posts. When I refute what you say, you cry like a baby.
Why do you even bother posting?

Posted by hungry1968 at 02:16 PM : Jun 14, 2008
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My response:
1. Hey, idiot! Go back and look! You attacked ME first!
2. You refuted NOTHING of what I said! As I''ve pointed out!
3. YOU''RE the one that seems to be ''crying like a baby''! Do you do this EVERYTIME someone fails to absolutely agree with what you say?
4. Personally, I was thinking the same thing about YOU, why do you bother posting?! If you can''t accept the fact people are going to disagree with you?!
5. In your latest post, you''ve applied the strategy of accusing me of everything YOU''RE guilty of!
6. What I find interesting is, you can''t find common ground with someone who essentially agrees with you to a lesser degree and you disdain the rightwing nut jobs, so who''s left? I don''t want or expect a reply.
Good day.

[rowdywicca]

Hillarious!!! This country is completely in the ******** AND getting deeper because of those "conservative values" and being under the Bush regime and their GOP enablers, and you blame liberals?

Laughable!!!


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Posted by hungry1968 at 01:14 PM : Jun 14, 2008

Actually half of the democratic base holds very conservative values...that why your stink hole candidate had such a hard time scamming the nomination!

You just love to forget that not the whole country buys his KRAP!

[rowdywicca]

Keith Olberman especially is a goose stepping piece of trash!

Posted by RowdyTEXAN

The truth is hard to swallow, eh, wingnut?




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Posted by HarryDoghiny at 12:40 PM : Jun 14, 2008

Truth? A five minute sound bite of trash for whatever he can sensationalize and get ratings for?

May be your kind of truth if you want to sit there in your chair and flip your tv clicker...you''re welcome to it!

[harrydoghiny]

With condolences to Mr. Russerts family, I find it ironic the reaction by the media to his passing. The talking heads have no problem bringing us death and destruction everyday, but when it''s one of their own it''s a whole different story. Apparently empathy isn''t in the job description, too bad.

[stn_sage]

various comments
Posted by hungry1968 at 11:59 AM : Jun 14, 2008
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My response:
1. You assert,''There was NEVER anyone more unbiased or partial...than Tim Russert. Once again, that''s your opinion. No matter how many times you repeat it, you won''t convince ME of it! I DISAGREE---as is my right---get over it!

2. I never read steelmonkeys'' post, but, I do not ascribe to his believe as you''ve stated it! But, I especially do not like people trying to put words in my mouth, as you''ve attempted to do in your post!

3. I stated my position in my original post. What didn''t you understand?! I thought he did a good job, I don''t believe he did as perfect a job as you seem to believe! That''s all. Okay?

[harrydoghiny]

Keith Olberman especially is a goose stepping piece of trash!

Posted by RowdyTEXAN

The truth is hard to swallow, eh, wingnut?

[prairiefox1]

i regret the passing of this person, but to have this story repeated time and time again will not bring him back! my count is---YAHOO=5 STORYS, MSNBC=2, CBS=6!
I CALL THIS OVERLY EXCESSIVE ON REPORTING THIS SAD EVENT! BUT IT IS TANTAMOUNT TO CRAMMING IT DOWN OUR THROATS!

[rowdywicca]

Sorry to hear about Tim Russert or anybody''s tragedy! God bless them!

But as for listening to the news on tv, I quit that a long time ago. I can read the exact same news online, and not have to waste my time through a bunch of sensationalism bull along with stupid tv commercials for 20 minutes of my time.

As for one newscaster being more fair and impartial than another...they''ll all pick up a story and goose it for what ever ratings they can get out of it.

Keith Olberman especially is a goose stepping piece of trash! No matter who he''s talking about! That kind of krap I don''t miss at all.

I''d rather go out and read from all kinds of media and sort out what''s real and what''s bull spit on my own, without having to look at some stupid newscasters face while they''re yammering!

[stn_sage]

I don''t know which version of "Meet the Press" you ever watched, but it obviously wasn''t the one on Sunday mornings with Tim Russert.
Posted by hungry1968 at 08:18 AM : Jun 14, 2008

You''''ve OBVIOUSLY never watched "Meet the Press".
Posted by hungry1968 at 09:16 AM : Jun 14, 2008
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My response: Just because someone else has a different opinion from yours'', doesn''t mean they aren''t watching the same show! AND, it especially don''t make YOUR opinion automatically correct!
You''re obviously not as open-minded about the job Russert did, as you''d like to believe!

[stn_sage]

...It didn''t matter what party you belonged to, he came right out and asked the tough questions, that NEEDED to be answered...
Posted by hungry1968 at 08:18 AM : Jun 14, 200
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My response: You''re naive! NOT always he didn''t! Most of the time he tried. I would guess, that at times he had to agree to ''go easy'' in order to get certain guests on the show! Better that than not get them on!

Also, I hope MSNBC pays no attention to your suggestion that Chris Matthews takeover MTP! He''s a total sellout/suckup artist! Olberman would be best, but he''s got his own show and might not want to do it!