Topic: Media
Who is Tim Russert? A first time viewer's reaction to the Meet the Press so-called interview with Dr. Ron Paul.by Jahfre Fire Eater
(Libertarian)
Sunday, December 23, 2007
I am a political junkie. That probably conjures up a different image for every new reader. Similarly, my self image is probably not what the reader is thinking right now. I had to start this article way out here in the weeds to deal with an apparent contradiction that I'm sure some readers might identify. I'm a political junkie who has just seen Tim Russert on Meet the Press for the first time. I saw Mr. Russert on a late night talk show once promoting a book. So I knew of Mr. Russert but not much about him or his show, Meet the Press.
The first thing I noticed is that for Mr. Russert, the only context that matters is the commonly expected reaction to statements and actions when they are taken completely out of context. So, within just a few seconds of my first glimpse of this show I knew the host had no intellectual integrity and therefore no hope of having any credibility in my eyes.
Since I knew all of Dr. Paul's answers by heart I focused my attention on Mr. Russert. What I saw was fascinating and led directly to the title of this article. Who is Tim Russert? I made a list of who he is not. I hate going through other people's lists so I'll not go there myself. The point is that after listing a whole bunch of characteristics and motivations that do not apply to Mr. Russert the only thing I could conclude is that I have no idea what accounts for Mr. Russert’s ignoble behavior.
Maybe I am guilty of missing the context though. That is why I phrased this article's title as a question.
How is it that a 47 year old self-described political junkie has no idea who Tim Russert is? It really isn't a great mystery to me. Until today he hadn't yet interviewed anyone I was interested enough in to make a point of viewing. I'm a contrarian political junkie. I don't believe television shows are a vital or interesting part of the political process. Granted, some may be important, but I'd like to see that importance diminished to nil over time. They are driven by too many powerful influences from outside the domain of politics. The result is of indeterminate credibility based on the filters those outside influences have managed to apply to the content. This result is not acceptable to me. Politics is too important to leave one’s impressions and ideology up to marketing and lobbying professionals.
I turned off my television a decade ago so I must take an active role in seeking out my next political fix. For me, quotes, speeches and articles directly from politicians are the basis for politics. I also pay attention to the context; the individual context of each new input. Who was the audience? What legislation was in play? Where in the election cycle did it occur? Who else is taking this position? Who isn't? Why? This is the nature of my political addiction. I want the good stuff, not some version that has been cut and diluted and mixed with filler and fluff by people I don't know and certainly wouldn't trust after the first few seconds of hearing them.
Politics, the art, the business and the tool of individuals who endeavor to exert their personal influence on our government is, to me, a tool that deserves deep study and consistent practice for it, politics, allows me to wield my maximum potential for influencing our government with my personal values.
What works? What doesn't? Why? When? These are the filters I apply to the information I proactively connect myself with over the internet and radio (XM) waves. I rationalize my addiction and self-centric motivations with a nod to utility and altruism. My goal is to increase knowledgeable participation in the political process. One way to promote this is by pointing out the blatant mechanisms used by Mr. Russert and the rest of the media to control information and, they hope, perceptions; rather than to merely provide information so the public can form their own perceptions.
Mr. Russert now represents for me a caricature of everything a credible information source should NOT be. Now that I have seen Meet the Press I will actively avoid including anything from Tim Russert in my daily intake. The best thing I can say about him is he sure is a good sport about being made out to be an ignorant, belligerent buffoon. I can only assume that is the role he plays on every show. Boring. I felt a little sorry for him because some of Dr. Paul’s gentle put downs really struck at the core of Mr. Russert’s intellect. I don’t think he would have noticed even if he had been listening to a word Dr. Paul said. His attack is of a fire-and-forget nature. Once he launches he has no ability to deal with feedback or a changing body of information. He just continues on, oblivious to how ridiculous (very) he looks. Then I realized the guy has a great job and he makes big bucks to be the village idiot and I started to envy him instead of feeling sorry for him. Not really. I value my integrity too much compete with the Mr. Russerts of the world at their own game, for any reward.
The worst part of my Meet the Press experience was realizing that perhaps some people do trust and respect Mr. Russert. Gasp. Even if they only number a handful it would be a dreadful circumstance. I’m in a unique position because my wife is a self-accredited Ron Paul scholar and grass roots activist extraordinaire. Keeping up with her has forced me to do seemingly endless research on Dr. Paul; reading as much of his writing and listening to as many of his speeches as possible. So, due to my not wanting to be found lacking in a discussion with the Mrs. Fire Eater, I find myself equipped to spot Mr. Russert’s misuse of information and detail by taking it out of context and playing to the common misconceptions that such manipulation is aimed at fostering. Well, everyone has to be responsible for their own actions eventually. No wonder Mr. Russert showed no shred of conscience with regard to his attack on Dr. Paul; his livelihood depends on his being able to create any version of truth he desires. His days are numbered as a source of political perspective if the attitudes that inspired the Ron Paul Revolution catch on. He has no choice but to beat frantically about them but as Dr. Paul demonstrated so elegantly, bluster and fraudulent implications from words and actions taken out of context are no match for truth and decency.
Finally, give my thanks to Mr. Russert, whoever he is, for having the spine to go against a man who he must have known would clean the floor with him. That has to smart, just a little, no matter how numb you are. It was just as well that he didn’t hear any of Dr. Paul’s answers because it isn’t likely he would have understood them anyway.
Jahfre Fire Eater
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2007 Jahfre Fire Eater, all rights reserved.
Published: Sunday, December 23, 2007
Last modified: Sunday, December 23, 2007
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Posted By: Louis Nardozi
Date: 2007-12-23 16:23:05
Tim Russert is really something. He investigates OTHER people back to what they said 20 years ago, but does Mr. Russert disclose his OWN conflicts of interest? No, instead he silently plans his character assasination attempt. Well, you kind of have to expect that type of hatchet job from someone who in bed with the status quo. I did my OWN little fact checking expedition and found the advertisers for Meet The Press.
GE lists 824 items regarding defense contracts on their website for 2007. http://www.ge.com/search/index.jsp
Boeing lists 72,200 items regarding defense. http://tinyurl.com/2nm5y8
Fidelity Investments - tax and 401k services, need I say more?
Hummer - child company of AM General the company that makes all the HMMWV's for the Army
UBS - Another banking company, certainly they have nothing to fear from Dr. Paul, right?
Toyota - makes cars which are CURRENTLY cheaper to make in Japan (and then assemble here).
Aleve - you think Bayer Pharmaceuticals has a reason to fear Ron Paul - who wants to allow yound adults to opt out of SS and Medicare and is vehemently opposed to socialized medicine?
ABE - (shill for coal companies) do they have nothing to fear from Ron Paul's desire to deregulate nuclear power so we have safe, clean unlimited power?
CVS - A Pharmacy whose bread and butter is insurance and Medicare. Dr. Paul wants to remove the incentives for hospitals to overbill us.
Xerox - another defense contractor. Here's a link to their defense contracts of 2006. http://tinyurl.com/2wjzbb
MasterCard - Huge banking coop.
Why didn't Mr. Russert let us know that he had a HUGE conflict of interest BEFORE THIS SEGMENT AIRED? When half of your advertisers are in defense, the other half split between banking and Big Pharma doesn't that constitute NEWS? I mean, Mr. Russert dug back 20 years or more on Dr. Paul to try to find "dirt". Why not look in your own mirror? I find the FACT the Mr. Russert did NOT disclose this relationship highly disturbing.
Posted By: Jahfre Fire Eater
Date: 2007-12-23 16:59:06
Holy cow.
Thanks mom. LOL I'm just kidding.
I don't know who you are Chich but thank you for the wonderful compliment.
I'm sure there is no way I can continue to live up to such an assessment but I'll just keep doing my thing and you let me know how much you appreciate it as often as you wish. Even better, tell me when I suck just as often. Not that I really care either way but balance will keep my head from getting too big. As my wife says, I've nearly exceeded maximum hatcapacity as it is.
Posted By: John from Warren, MI
Date: 2007-12-23 19:47:24
I never saw a Russert interview before, either.
My take was a little different. What I saw was an accidental confession on Russert's part. I saw naked contempt for the constitution and the freedoms it was enacted to protect. Naked contempt for the kind of integrity it takes to go against the current in Washington all those years. Cruelty of the lowest kind towards a kindly, intelligent, profoundly principled man.
And I was surprised, as you were, at the total disregard for his own credibility, bringing in crap from a disgruntled former employee who has discredited himself all over the web, which Russert had to know.
I think Russert admitted a lot more than he intended, though not being familiar with his program, perhaps he doesn't care.
Thanks for an insightful analysis.
Your Tim Russert recognition is unique. I have often wondered how he stays on. He most be glued in by his loyalty or maybe it's just his good looks. But he is not a reporter but as hae appears to be a looser.
Posted By: Mrs. Fire Eater
Date: 2007-12-24 20:39:08
I got you some bigger slippers for Christmas. Had I known, I'd have bought you a bigger chapeau, as well.
Thanks for the compliment, yourself, babe. As to the article, I am a little disturbed at how many folks do not seem to understand that a majority of the people who regularly watch Russert have NO idea what you are talking about. News. That's funny to me and to you and to several, but .... well, this holiday for example, I was blessed to have a conversation with a die hard Democrat who thinks our national debt is "just accounting" and they "will fix it" and that my "opinions" (that's the funniest part) about monetary policy are "interesting, but naive". Naive - okay, maybe that's the funny part. I offered her a plane ticket to China or Saudi Arabia to explain that to those who are far more invested in our "accounting" than she is. Didn't get the joke. At all. This is the kind of mentality we're talking about - the emperor's naked? What are you TALKING about? He's dressed just like I would want him to be!
It's just mind numbing babble to these folks and they have already made up their minds and only hear and see what they want to. The same applies to me and you, to a degree, but we have the added benefit of wanting to see how we have been personally fooled. I find my ignorance more interesting than anything I think I know. Russert? I doubt he remembers a word of the interview, either Ron's words or his own. You hit it on the head there. I liked the interview because, unlike everyone else, I just love it when Ron gets mad. :)
What I really want to know is what is wrong with Russert's eyeballs? My apolitical mom said, "I don't trust people when you can see the white all around their eyes." Frickin' hysterical.
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2007 Jahfre Fire Eater, all rights reserved.