So what was Tim Russert, politically?

[begin_within]

Poll question: So what was Tim Russert, politically?

[gateley]

1. It was mentioned several times today that he was Independent --

(although he'd worked for Dems previously). A couple of the people made a point of saying they didn't know what his political beliefs were.

(I'm guessing moderate with maybe a little lean to the left.)

[robinlynne]

2. bluedoggish?

[Frank Booth]

3. I always got the feeling that he was a strong supporter of Lee Mercer, Jr.

Russert seemed to appreciate how Mercer wasn't afraid to speak up about Eye Spy Community-Military Intelligence (all three).

[tularetom]

4. He was a carbon based life form

That's as far as I'm willing to go at the moment.

[TahitiNut]

5. Capitalist.

:shrug:

[BrotherBuzz]

7. Or perhaps a Corporatist

:shrug:

[TahitiNut]

9. Yup. One of Jack's boys.

Welch doesn't just mean grape juice. :shrug:

[MadBadger]

6. I always saw him as a moderate.

He was tough to all sides and both sides thought he was biased when they watched him ask tough questions to people on their side.

[ToeBot]

8. A tool.

and he was well used, or at least used often.

[curious one]

10. I only know the way he treated Dems and it was not good. He gave free pass to Repub.

So figure it out for yourself!

[Swamp Rat]

11. Russet Buffalo Potato

:D

[unhappycamper]

13. Good one.

Whenever I saw him, 'Mr. Potatohead' came to mind.

[Mind_your_head]

12. Sold himself out in certain ways

in order to 'play the game' and PERHAPS have the opportunity, from time to time, to present the 'other side'. :shrug:

on edit to add: it never seems to "go well" when one compromises oneself.

[H2O Man]

14. Other.

He worked for Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a conservative democrat; and then Mario Cuomo, a liberal democrat. When he became a journalist, he believed he was obligated to be neutral; in my opinion, he often was prone to accept the lies of both political parties.

In this year's primary, on a personal level, he favored Barack Obama. He was looking forward to Obama being elected in November.

[old mark]

16. I believe he did remain mostly neutral;

Whatever his personal views.
I don't think there is anybody else working in the rfield now who will be as fair to both sides as he was.
Personally, he was a Catholic conservative working class Democrat.
mark

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

23. I'm very surprised by this as you could never tell this during his interviews.

He never followed up when wrongwingers spewed obvious lies. Although, to be fair, he might have been threatened by the archangels of death. The same ones who threatened Chris Matthews.

[alphafemale]

15. He seemed like a nice guy. And he really loved politics,

I think he was fair enough, for the most part.

More importantly, his sheer joy at his job absolutely beamed out of him. He got paid - handsomely - to tell people about the politics he loved.

[MiniMe]

17. He used to work for Sen Moynihan (D-NY)

The right thinks he was a flaming liberal, the left thinks he is right wing. To me, I take that as he is pretty much down the middle.

[Algorem]

20. and Moynihan worked for Nixon

[DailyGrind51]

18. He started out as a Democrat and operative for

Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37798-2004May18.html

[KG]

19. lapdog.

[FarCenter]

21. Opportunist

No other way to make it to his level in media.

[bunkerbuster1]

22. Conservative Dem

Probably a lot like Pat Moynahan.