After uttering his infamous "Courage" for the last time, Dan Rather's gone fishing...
Where to start (or finish) with Dan Rather?
As a journalist Rather was a tough-nosed, pompous, arrogant, stiff, and partisan... and those were his good qualities. He's that last of a dying breed, so perhaps its best to just relegate him to the history books rather than obsess over his failings or glorify his triumphs. At heart I think he was a reporter stuffed uncomfortably into the shell of an anchorman, and it showed.
I'll close the Rather era with an analogy. In his 21-year major league career Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson had nearly 5 strikeouts (2,597) for every home run (563) he hit. Which of those two numbers do you think he is best remembered for?
Video - Dan Rather's sign off (4.4MB MPEG)
Elsewhere: RatherBiased, Rathergate, The Moderate Voice
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Media, Rathergate
Tags: media, rathergate
Comments (18)
Retire? He's just taken ano... (Below threshold)1. Posted by julie | March 10, 2005 1:15 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Retire? He's just taken another job with the same company. Cut in pay doubtful. He has yet to take responsibility for using forged documents to try to throw an election. He should be heaving under a hail of tomatoes, banana peels, and other assorted garbage.
1. Posted by julie | March 10, 2005 1:15 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on March 10, 2005 01:15
2. Posted by julie | March 10, 2005 1:17 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Make that leaving. And I don't remember Reggie Jackson being a pompous arrogant asshat.
2. Posted by julie | March 10, 2005 1:17 AM |
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Posted on March 10, 2005 01:17
3. Posted by Ray Midge | March 10, 2005 1:27 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Julie: Are you sure you remember Reggie Jackson then?
3. Posted by Ray Midge | March 10, 2005 1:27 AM |
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Posted on March 10, 2005 01:27
4. Posted by bullwinkle | March 10, 2005 4:06 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
He's not really fishing, he's dragging that creek for the body of Lucy Ramirez, much the same way O.J. hunted for the real killers on golf courses all over the country. He knows that Rove stashed body somewhere......
4. Posted by bullwinkle | March 10, 2005 4:06 AM |
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Posted on March 10, 2005 04:06
5. Posted by Rob Hackney | March 10, 2005 8:08 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Dan Rather.
Turd.
5. Posted by Rob Hackney | March 10, 2005 8:08 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on March 10, 2005 08:08
6. Posted by PTG | March 10, 2005 8:36 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Brings to mind the feeling that goes with taking a dump after being constipated for days. Very satisfying, but you aren't really relieved until the turds clear the trap without clogging.
6. Posted by PTG | March 10, 2005 8:36 AM |
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Posted on March 10, 2005 08:36
7. Posted by bsp | March 10, 2005 9:02 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Methinks Rather should have been given a handheld GPS by CBS as a going away present since he's clearly in a land that reality forgot....
7. Posted by bsp | March 10, 2005 9:02 AM |
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Posted on March 10, 2005 09:02
8. Posted by lawhawk | March 10, 2005 9:09 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Kevin,
That Reggie Jackson analogy is as good as one can think of. Rather bumbled and stumbled consistently in his reporting, but will probably be best known for breaking some stories - Abu Ghraib, instead of his bullying of Bush 41 or baiting Nixon or the Rathergate scandal.
8. Posted by lawhawk | March 10, 2005 9:09 AM |
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Posted on March 10, 2005 09:09
9. Posted by Kurt | March 10, 2005 10:02 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
It's really a shame that such a career has been marred by politics (much of which I will admit is Rather's own doing). Despite that, though, it was emotional to see him sign off for the last time yesterday. It's similar to the passing of Johnny: he's been a part of so many people's lives for so long that regardless of the circumstances, his departure feels like the end of an era and the dawn of a new, uncertain one.
9. Posted by Kurt | March 10, 2005 10:02 AM |
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Posted on March 10, 2005 10:02
10. Posted by firstbrokenangel | March 10, 2005 10:20 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Man, every station is ripping this jerk apart and they keep playing his last words, especially "courage." One of the Fox news reporters said he blew coffee out his mouth and nose when he heard that work. The MSM are killing whatever was left of Dan Rather. Loving it.
Cindy
10. Posted by firstbrokenangel | March 10, 2005 10:20 AM |
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Posted on March 10, 2005 10:20
11. Posted by Rod Stanton | March 10, 2005 10:36 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
He should have been fired in Oct for Rathergate.
Despite what Bush hater Dick said it was a clear attempt to smear American and give JFK the election. But then that was why Dick was hired by Viacom in the first place; as I said in Oct. No conflict of interest on Dick's part, absolutely none.
11. Posted by Rod Stanton | March 10, 2005 10:36 AM |
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Posted on March 10, 2005 10:36
12. Posted by crapbuffer | March 10, 2005 10:46 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Interesting sign-off.
"To my fellow journalists working in harm's way, I say: Courage.
Courage. What makes a King out of a slave? Courage.
What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage.
What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist or the dusky dusk?
What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage.
What makes the Sphinx the 7th Wonder? Courage.
What makes the dawn come up like THUNDER?! Courage.
What makes the Hottentot so hot?
What puts the "ape" in ape-ricot?
Whatta they got that I ain't got?
(off camera) Courage!
Dan: You can say that again.
12. Posted by crapbuffer | March 10, 2005 10:46 AM |
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Posted on March 10, 2005 10:46
13. Posted by kgowen | March 10, 2005 11:00 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
The national TV evening news were never a big part of my family life when I was growing up. Never watched Cronkite, never watched Huntley and Brinkley, never watched Eric Severeid. So I simply don't care about Dan Rather, who has always struck me as a pompous asshat.
Although, given his past history with Nixon I think it would have been funny if Danno had said "well you know, those conservatives who complain about liberal bias won't have Dan Rather to kick around anymore."
13. Posted by kgowen | March 10, 2005 11:00 AM |
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Posted on March 10, 2005 11:00
14. Posted by AnonymousDrivel | March 10, 2005 11:22 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Hey, nice pic! Is that an aspersion at the end of that hook? Too bad he'll have to reminisce about the whopper that got away.
14. Posted by AnonymousDrivel | March 10, 2005 11:22 AM |
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Posted on March 10, 2005 11:22
15. Posted by Mike | March 10, 2005 11:40 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I'm sorry but I think the Jackson analogy doesn't work at all. When I think of Jackson, I think of # home runs in one World Series game, Mr. October, his fights with Billy Martin, and more monster home runs. When I think of Dan Rather I think of arrogance, the Bush 41 confrontation, and the scandal of the Bush documents. I think Jackson is remembered for his ability to hit a home run not inability to consisently make contact and Rather will be remembered as being shamed out of a position because of fake documents.
Of course I was only 7 years old in 78 growing up in Jersey with Yankees posters all over my walls, and I'm now a conservative with a distasted for Rather so that may be coloring my judgement.
15. Posted by Mike | March 10, 2005 11:40 AM |
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Posted on March 10, 2005 11:40
16. Posted by Mike | March 10, 2005 11:41 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
sorry distaste, what's distasted?
16. Posted by Mike | March 10, 2005 11:41 AM |
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Posted on March 10, 2005 11:41
17. Posted by Macker | March 10, 2005 6:46 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
His name is Rather...and he's a Dick!
17. Posted by Macker | March 10, 2005 6:46 PM |
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Posted on March 10, 2005 18:46
18. Posted by apostropher | March 10, 2005 7:08 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I don't remember Reggie Jackson being a pompous arrogant asshat.
Oh my. You should get to a neurologist about that.
18. Posted by apostropher | March 10, 2005 7:08 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on March 10, 2005 19:08