Got to disagree.

Tim Russert can certainly be criticized. His tendency at times to drivel for me was highlighted in his exchange with Obama about extra-terrestrial life, which Obama, who I don't love as a candidate, handled beautifully by saying his concern was life on earth and he'll worry about the other life forms some other time. Russert also has a tendency at times to ask calculated and unfair gotcha' questions, which I am less concerned about, because they test candidiates' mettle in not getting sucked in by them--woe to the candidiate that does. He is also inclined to be irritatingly sentimental.

But he does a pretty good job, for all that, in taking the measure of whomever he interviews. When Howard Dean terribly flubbed his first interview as a candidate on Meet The Press, it was immediately apparent, whereas I saw Dean bowl over some PBS types in interviews they conducted. Dean's misperformance with Russert foreshadowed his inevtiable failed candidacy.

But considering that Russert is in his very soul and essence a mainstream --uh what--television newscaster, interviewer, television pundit, moderator--whatever you wish to call him--he's pretty good. He wants, and NBC wants him to be, watched to be watched by as many Americans as can be moved to do so. So there will be catering to that, no doubt. And in that context, and with a not bad grounding in tax and social policy, he asks pretty good questions, is persitent and clear up to the ingrained point in him of not beating dead horses both in moderating and interviewing. Also, he is, within the bounds of conventional wisdom, fairly shrewd in his analyses when he himself is interviewed.

He ought not be criticized for not being a radical, or more deep, or an intellectual--the sub text of your comments and most of the small pieces you linked to--for those things he is not, and does not profess to me. But for not for nothing was he Pat Moynihan's man Friday. And not for nothing does he command the highest perch in mainstream news--uh--moderating.

The articles you cited--which I have to admit only skimming--seemed off the mark and seemed bent on taking on Russert for what he is not, and for magnifying his faults way out of proportion. (And what Kurtz's article had to do with your argument is unclear to me.)

Finally, your last sentence--which I don't totally understand--seems  apocalyptically bizaare and of a piece with your disproprtionate criticism of Russert.

Sorry for the typos. The small font is a killer.

What basman said. Heat, kitchen.

Russert is pretty harmless, esp compared to the onslaught that's a-comin' our way from OtherSide next autumn. If HRC can't handle this-- and my guess is she merely had an off night-- then she's not going to stand up well when the Mordor legions start firing at her.

"and my guess is she merely had an off night-"

By the way, my sentiment almost exactly: not so off really, though not up to her hitherto standard of near perfection. I don't think she did as badly as all the shrill, apocalyptic rabidos are claiming.

Hillary's the front-runner by 30 points.  She deserves the closer scrutiny.  And, in fact, she invites it.  The fungibility of her opinions raises serious questions about character.  I'm glad somebody, namely Russert, finally kept the heat on.  

basman: Please read the American Prospect article by Paul Walod ldman ("Tim Russert: Stop the Inanity"), when you have an opportunity. Waldman's fantasy response to a vapid Russert question should be copied and repeated all the candidates.

My beef with Russert has nothing to do with the Hillary pile-on. Frankly, I don't care. Rather it is with the poor quality of the "Grand Inquisitor's "questions (which often reveal a poor grasp of the subject) his stupid "will you pledge" demands and his inability to parry inept dodges from pols--especially from Republicans.

Ms. Hirshman, you just called the Democrats loaded and racist.

The Democrats can dish it out but they sure can't take it. Tim Russert: Stop the Inanity Russert passes for a "tough" interviewer by adopting a confrontational pose rather than asking genuinely challenging questions. Which is why he's a terri

Why has Talkback been killed? No comments have seen the light of day since Thursday night CET, and the latest posts don't even have a button for "Discuss". This is either epic incompetence, arrogance bordering on the suicidal, or both.

The Democrats have been spending the last few years finding any and every excuse to scream "Nazi," "Hitler," and "Fascism," at everything that moves. Well now, the Democrats have gotten so Nazi happy that they apparently think that murdering 12...

Linda Hirshman at TNR blog opines that standing up to Russert is similar to standing up to the Nazis. Jonah Goldberg at The Corner has more insight and analysis on...

Russert and Chris Matthews are both typically self-impressed media celebs / blowhards.  However, all this whining by Linda Hirshman is just pathetic.  Is Hillary a heavily-favored candidate, or a little girl?

Neil

Via Jonah Goldberg, did you know that Linda Hirshman compared boycotting Fox News and NBC to standing up to the Nazis back in January? Last summer the Nevada Democrats pulled out of a debate sponsored by Fox News. Loaded, racist