| Thursday, March 10, 2005 |
| Ratherisms |
I didn't watch the fnal Dan Rather broadcast on CBS last night. I watched "That '70s Show" instead. That's not to say I don't care about Dan Rather. I am truly sorry to see him go. It just would have been too depressing.
The first live television newscast I ever watched was with Rather at the helm. I was 18 years old, taking a year off after my freshman year of college and working at Black Rock -- the CBS non-news building several blocks from the news studio on West 57th Street in Manhattan. I got the chance to watch Rather do a broadcast one afternoon and jumped at the opportunity.
Rather was in full command. His presence permeated that news room and it was clear that he ran things -- setting the tone for the broadcast and almost directing it from the floor. Rather was awesome. He still is.
Rather has taken a lot of flak over the years from right wingers who resented his constant challenges to their favorite leaders -- Nixon, Reagan, Bush I and Bush II. Perhaps they've forgotten that that's supposed to be a reporter's job, to challenge power, to tweak it, to piss it off by asking tough questions and to hold leaders to account.
Today's news men -- the soft, genteel prompter readers who pose questions but only in a way that doesn't offend anyone -- could learn something from Rather. There aren't many like him, and the questions asked of power will be softer, mushier, and blander with him gone.
Rather also brought much-needed personality to the news business. I've worked in a few newsrooms in my time, and I can tell you there aren't many anchors who are also aggressive reporters and top-shelf personalities. Was Rather arrogant? Hell yeah, but that made him interesting, something not too many other hair-do news guys can claim.
I for one will miss you Mr. Rather. And as for crotchety-Cronkite and nasty Mike Wallace and all the FReepers in FReeperville who kicked you on your way out the door, they're just jealous because they're boring. Dan Rather never was that. Now we'll have fewer pros to rely on: Aaron Brown, Ted Koppel and Seymour Hersch, please don't retire any time soon!
For nostalgia's sake here are some great election night Ratherisms courtesy of the Kansas City Star:
Election Night 2004:
"This race is hotter than a Times Square Rolex."
"His lead is as thin as turnip soup."
"This race is humming along like Ray Charles."
"The vote's been closer than Lassie and Timmy there all night long."
"Ohio becomes like a sauna for the two candidates. All they can do is wait and sweat."
"This situation in Ohio would give an aspirin a headache."
"One's reminded of that old saying, 'Don't taunt the alligator until after you've crossed the creek.'"
"If you try to read the tea leaves before the cup is done you can get yourself burned."
"We had a slight hitch in our giddy up, but we corrected that."
"In some ways, George Bush's lead is as thin as November ice."
"John Kerry's moon has just moved behind a cloud, as far as Florida is concerned."
"To use a metaphor, he's gotta draw to an inside straight. But hey, sometimes you get lucky and hit that straight."
"No question now that Kerry's rapidly reaching the point where he's got his back to the wall, his shirttails on fire and the bill collector's at the door."
"No one is saying that George Bush is not going to win the election, and if you had to bet the double-wide, you'd have to bet that he'd win."
"In southern states they beat him like a rented mule."
"Is it like a swan, with every feather above the water settled, but under the water paddling like crazy?"
"Do you hear that knocking? President Bush's re-election is at the door."
More here and here.
Oh, yeah, and Michael Jackson really screwed up today (and it's "dazed," not "dazzled" MSNBCers...). Could it be that he didn't want to face his accuser again? Dunno... Happy weekend. |
posted by JReid @ 12:09 PM   |
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