Personality Zone

Tim Russert

Was he a Guardian or a Rational?

Boy oh Boy, Tim Russert will be missed this political year. Just about everybody agrees he has been among the most objective of all of today’s TV journalists. 

So was Mr. Russert a Guardian or a Rational? He nailed the “right”, the most responsible, and most appropriate approach to every interview – as would a Guardian. He made Meet the Press a project that consumed his entire week, every week, dug very deeply, and often came up with unique and some of the most creative questions of all the week’s journalists – as would a Rational. 

Much of his private life bubbled over with traditionalism, e.g., his Catholicism, intense loyalty to sports teams, profound family values, enormous attachment to childhood home and town – as would a private life expected of a Guardian. On the other hand, many of his career choices might require a clever Rational, e.g., campaign manager for two major U.S. figures, news director, researcher. 

I teeter toward Guardian, however, because I cannot imagine most Rationals today unwaveringly attending Sunday services, or insisting that their religion actually taught them right from wrong. In addition, the sort of conversation he served up on Meet the Press and elsewhere hands-down dealt with the concrete over the abstract. Although I’m sure Russert could have engaged in theoretical discussions at any level, I’m convinced his preference was facts and figures. Any other thoughts, folks?