"Getting" Tim Russert Posted by Michael Cohen

Kudos to Paul Waldman at the American Prospect for his excellent piece today on Tim Russert. That this man is considered "Washington's toughest interviewer" is all the evidence you need about the complete vacuousness with which we cover presidential campaigns in this country. Here's a little snippet to whet your appetite:

Last month, near the end of the Democratic presidential debate in New Hampshire, moderator Tim Russert -- known as "Washington's toughest interviewer" and perhaps the most influential journalist in America -- had one last chance to pin the candidates down with his legendary common sense, persistence, and no-bull style. This is what he asked, first to Barack Obama: "There's been a lot of discussion about the Democrats and the issue of faith and values. I want to ask you a simple question. Senator Obama, what is your favorite Bible verse?" When Obama finished his answer, Russert said to the other candidates, "I want to give everyone a chance in this. You just take 10 seconds."

. . . Russert's Bible question encapsulates everything wrong with him, and with our political coverage more generally. It seeks to make candidates look bad rather than finding out something important about them (if you want to explore a candidate's religious beliefs, you don't do it in pop-quiz form and give them just ten seconds to answer). It substitutes the personal anecdote for the policy position, the sound-bite for the substantive answer. It distills the debate into a series of allegedly symbolic, supposedly meaningful moments that can be replayed.

This type of debate question is not about what the candidate believes and would actually do in office, but about how clever the moderator is for cornering the candidate. And above all, it takes a genuinely relevant matter (a candidate's view of the universe) and crams it through a channel by which the thoughtful candidate will be pilloried and the shallow, pandering, overly rehearsed candidate will garner praise

Comments

[Chris]

Why are we assuming that the MSM is giving the American people anything other than exactly what they want? The article excerpted here and a few others I've read recently seem to lament the "sound bite" and "gotcha" nature of the debates, but is it unfair to say that that's all most people have the patience for at this stage?

News is a market, after all. If more consumers demand substance the media outlets will supply it. As is, people who want in depth coverage can find it in websites like this and at the American Prospect. If the idea is to make people want more substance then you're better off trying to create demand then trying to create an unwanted, excess supply.

[Don Bacon]

US Constitution
Article VI. - Debts, Supremacy, Oaths

"...no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."

[Neil]

You describe Pumpkinhead's method of operation well and why it is so disgusting. He doesn't seem to have any relectve perspective on what issues are important. He is limited to the topics about which he can formulate a gotcha question, relevence nowithstanding.

On one hand, he ploys the gothcha question and on the other, every phone call from Scooter Libby and any other White House official is OFF THE RECORD until Pumkinhead asks permission to report it.

[J. shaw]

Tim Ressert would served the public better during the democratic debates if he asked each candidate the same questions so differences among responses can be assessed.With regard to immigration let's ask a tough question how to deal with illegal imigrants whose young children are American citizens. I have not imporesssed with any of the debate quesitons few if any address real solutions to our problems.

[Vera]

Hi, can someone help me? I loved Tim Russert and is Journalism. My heart goes out to family and freind's. Can someone let me no the name of the song he had on his I-pod, Some where over the rainbow. I had a sister die of cancer one Friday morning, as I was getting into my car, a rainbow appeared. I new she was with peace. Thank you, please let me no. Vera :o)

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