Informed Speculation

…with the passing of Tim Russert.  I’m sure there are some on the right who will, if not welcome, at least not be too upset at the death of a man they viewed as biased.  I’m not one of them…as with the passing of Peter Jennings, I view this as a huge loss.  There are certain personalities who form such a large part of our cultural backdrop that they become a presence that we can take some sort of solace in – Peter Jennings will be there doing World News Tonight, Jerry Garcia will be touring with the Dead, Charles Schulz will be drawing Peanuts, and Tim Russert will be doing Meet the Press.

When they face the inevitable, and pass on from this mortal coil, it’s a reminder of the fleeting nature of life, and the absurdity of all the pathos that we pack into our oh-so-short lifespans.  If I sound like an existentialist, well, this kind of thing puts me in that sort of mood.  Our lives are packed full of self-inflicted doubt, pain, regret, sorrow, and sure, joy and contentment, though seemingly never enough of the latter two – and then, boom.

Dead of a heart attack at 58…and it’s all gone.  Of course, it’s not all gone – if you’re religious, you can take comfort in the promise of the afterlife, but even the most secular atheist can point to the memories we leave behind with the living, and the accomplishments and mementos of a life well-lived (or squandered, whatever the case may be).  In Russert’s case, he set the standard for a certain type of confrontation, a tastefully-done game of ‘gotcha’ where he would use his guest’s own words to probe for inconsistencies, inaccuracies, and, at times, outright lies.  It was a tough grilling, but seldom an unfair one…he also had a number of roles behind the scenes throughout his career, and he was by all accounts a fine family man, and that always serves you well in my book.

So a fond farewell to another touchstone…it will be very strange watching Meet the Press from now on, that’s for sure…