Tim Russert: The Fatter He Gets The Nastier He Gets ?

[Casablanca]

Has anyone noticed that as Tim Russert begins to resemble more and more each day the potato of the same name "Russert" the nastier and more disagreeable he has become.

I noticed this in last night's Democratic debate. His questions and the way he expresses them and more specifically his body language seem less designed to elicit an answer and elucidate an issue than to put himself in the spotlight.

He does this with all candidates but it seems more noticeable when he questions Hillary Clinton. He thrust his whole body forward when he asks her a question, puffs up his face and gesticulates when he asks her a question which is usually framed with a blind quote from her husband made years ago.

Russert may have a thing against woman as well. This came up after he wrote several books honoring his father but practically dissed his now late mother. And when Russert responded to those criticisms he did not seem to comprehend that his disrespect for his mother came through loud and clear in his books.

Wonder if this carries over to his questioning of Hillary Clinton which rises far beyond the politics of the day?

It appears that Tim Russert is a bit of a sexist who perhaps unconsciously places women on a lower leadership level than men.

Certainly there is more than enough issues to go after Hillary Clinton but his approach to her is clearly different than the approach he takes to all the male candidates from president in both parties.

 

[BRNout]

Are you actually mad because he tossed her a legitimite question, rather than the usual media softball? A question for which she forgot her talking points and we saw the true Hillary? In the case of Russert, that's called doing his job - and well.

I guess she really stepped in it last night because you are agitated and this entire post is smelling of sour grapes! And, I'm loving it! ;D

 

[Casablanca]

Guess you did not comprehend my post. It has less to do with Hillary and more to do with Tim Russert. I make his Meet The Press on Sunday appointment television and catch the replay if I miss the original broadcast. Nonetheless, Russert has taken on this agitated persona within the last few month that makes him difficult to watch. It is coming across the screen that he is an unhappy person. I noticed that his weight has increased considerably during this same period and that he really doesn't look all that well. If that is the case it is affecting his presentation. He can dump on Hillary all he wants but he is coming off as if it is something personal with him and Hillary. I like his tough questions and want him to continue but it cannot come off as some personal vendetta. And I have noticed that Russert is more confrontational with women generally than he is with men. As noted above Russert practically dismissed his mother in his book praising Old Russ his father and when brought to his attention he really fumbled an answer. So, if Tim Russert has a history of dismissing women as second tier individuals it will color any tough questions he has for Hillary or Condie Rice or Nancy Pelosi to name three.
Don't take my criticism of Tim Russert as an endorsement of Hillary Clinton because it is not. If I had to vote in a primary today she would not be my choice. More likely it would be Joe Biden who judgment of foreign affairs and the world I think is the most sound of all the current candidates.
The point is that Tim Russert's change in his behavior is coloring everything he is now doing and someone should confront him with it which I guess I just did. Okay!

Are you actually mad because he tossed her a legitimite question, rather than the usual media softball? A question for which she forgot her talking points and we saw the true Hillary? In the case of Russert, that's called doing his job - and well.

I guess she really stepped in it last night because you are agitated and this entire post is smelling of sour grapes! And, I'm loving it! ;D

 

[BRNout]

No need to pretend to be elitist here. I have complete comprehension of your post and zeroed in on the obvious issue that lit your fuse. Russert did a good job in firing questions in a critical way. That's his job. Perhaps you are accustomed to the softball questions that others frequently toss to their Democratic friends. But, Russert is an equal opportunity inquisitor. He's being critical of both sets of candidates - equally. For that, he gets kudos from me.

Sit on the other side of the aisle for a while and you'll see nasty and critical questioning of Republicans from pretty much all members of the Washington/NY based press. They justify this as being necessary to get to the truth. So be it. But, for Heaven's sake, apply that level of critical questioning equally.

Well, at least one of their members is now taking the same tact with the Dems. And that's a good thing. So, I do not agree with you at all - in my view, Russert is getting older and better. However, it is clear that some of his hardball questions took certain candidates by surprise and left them looking.....disheveled and stupefied.

If that disturbs you, don't blame the messenger - he's just doing his job. Check out today's Drudge Report: it's clear that many others of your political stripe are crying foul as well. To quote Martha Stewart: "it's a good thing!" ;D

 

[Casablanca]

May I politely suggest that you take a refesher course... or perhaps an initial course in reading comprehension. Nothing you posted is relevant to my observation of Tim Russert's aggitated behavior of late.

No need to pretend to be elitist here. I have complete comprehension of your post and zeroed in on the obvious issue that lit your fuse. Russert did a good job in firing questions in a critical way. That's his job. Perhaps you are accustomed to the softball questions that others frequently toss to their Democratic friends. But, Russert is an equal opportunity inquisitor. He's being critical of both sets of candidates - equally. For that, he gets kudos from me.

Sit on the other side of the aisle for a while and you'll see nasty and critical questioning of Republicans from pretty much all members of the Washington/NY based press. They justify this as being necessary to get to the truth. So be it. But, for Heaven's sake, apply that level of critical questioning equally.

Well, at least one of their members is now taking the same tact with the Dems. And that's a good thing. So, I do not agree with you at all - in my view, Russert is getting older and better. However, it is clear that some of his hardball questions took certain candidates by surprise and left them looking.....disheveled and stupefied.

If that disturbs you, don't blame the messenger - he's just doing his job. Check out today's Drudge Report: it's clear that many others of your political stripe are crying foul as well. To quote Martha Stewart: "it's a good thing!" ;D

 

[chuckydoll]

No -- just another Beltway media hack

He is all too eager to be a waterboy for the corporados at GE. They're too content to have NBC be the #3/#4 network depending on which night it is.

The difference is Russert is not as openly right-wing as Rush Limbaugh.

 

[BRNout]

Oh please, Tim Russert is a Democrat. He worked for Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Mario Cuomo prior to his employment with NBC/GE. Hardly a Rushbot. And, if working for GE required a conservative bent, a good 90% of NBC's news staff would be shown the door. That being said, Tim Russert is very professional and usually plays it down the middle. Quite unlike Chris Matthews or David Gregory, who do let their personal biases slip into their reporting.

I know that, to a liberal, that may make Russert seem like a rightie - but he surely isn't. He is every bit as critical with the R's as with the D's.

And, Casa, yes I did comprehend ALL of your rant. However, I chose to address the flashpoint that precipitated it. And, I do not agree with your analysis. He's just doing a job. And, after reading what you wrote, I must conclude that his unexpectedly difficult question for Clinton (and her resulting misstep) is what drew your ire toward Russert.




Board Editor's Note: Some posts in this thread have gone off topic and have been moved to Take It Outside.

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