Luke Russert, Child of Privilege

Pareene takes him down, hard:

But our target here is Russert, and he is not personally responsible for NBC’s decision to bequeath him a broadcasting job. If we focus on the work and not the means by which Russert got the job, things don’t look much better. Initially, at least, the grown-ups on the air always seemed to be holding Russert’s hand as he tried to remember his lines, as if he were a child and not a fully grown college graduate and professional. It’s obvious that everyone who knew his father loves Luke. But everyone’s affection for the kid is not transmissible through a television set, alas, and Russert’s appearances seemed like some rich guy’s kid’s piano recital suddenly taking place in the middle of a professional orchestra’s concert.

I could stand Russert doing weather, or telling me how not to confuse Olivia Munn with Olivia Wilde, but politics? Nope.

16 Comments

Never really thought much of his old man either. Especially during the run up to the 2003 Iraq War.

As for the Olivias… can’t it be both?

@ManchuCandidate: Olivia Wilde can act, the other one not so much. Wilde was terrific as Thirteen on House.

His father was a greasy little troll. The paeans he received after his death really annoyed the crap out of me. Like father like son.

@karen marie still has her eyes tight shut: not so much a greasy troll as someone who, like Chris Matthews, fetishized process. They move the pieces around on the board to keep track of the players but don’t realize that bad policies, mostly GOP policies, hurt people.

@blogenfreude: It’s not that they don’t realize that bad policies hurt people — they simply don’t care, because they and theirs aren’t adversely affected.

@karen marie still has her eyes tight shut: you may be right – who knows what’s in their heads. I grew up in and around DC, lived there during the 90s, even dated a couple lobbyists. My sense was that they didn’t think of people beyond how something “tested” or whether they could keep a particular politician in office.

In his case, the apple didn’t fall that far from the tree. However, Mike and Chris Wallace? He fell off the tree, rolled down the hill and was eaten by a FOX.

@ManchuCandidate: Wasn’t his dad big on space? IIRC and he was, I loved that stuff. Otherwise, meh. I mean, it kinda sucks to be working with someone and have them drop dead, but I don’t think it requires you hire their hack kid.

@I’m passing for white:
That was Mexican hating/baiting orange tinted yet married to a Mexican woman Lou Dobbs, I think.

@ManchuCandidate: I’ll take both Olivias, a couple of shots of vodka, and shout “Martini Hour”!

@I’m passing for white: Shirley Temples are on me. Now go do your homework.

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