I know most of you don't care for Rather, but his essay was beautiful and his reaction genuine.
He had the entire week off, so it surprised me when I saw him pop up today at all.
I read your transcript and watched it as well. At the end did you catch the bit about "we mourn his presidency...........and death." I was pissed when I heard that.
This is just a brief abberation. Rather will back to undermining the ideals Regan fought for the day after the funeral.
*ping*
Words are empty unless they are full and sincere. I think you give too easily a bow to Rather's sincerity in this instance. You see, I recall every smirk and nuance, every way of saying something about Reagan while he was president, that invited his audience to take a diminshed view of the president. His attempt to poison America about Ronald Reagan failed. Now, as a constant grasper after the crowd's approval, Rather mouths words with tears and heaviness which, if he has no other skill, he has perfected in delivery regardless of the inner bile at the success and acclaim of a man Rather despised and only wished the worst.
Sorry, WE WERE THERE. We know Dan Rather.
All the ideals Rather hates....
However,the story of winning the Cold War would be told much better if they included the short clip when he called the Soviet Union an "Evil Empire". There is a good reason that the media, who really don't like telling the truth, and people who do, refrain from showing this clip, which would be excellent in telling in a quick clip just how the Cold War was won.
I think Dan rather does not like Reagan and conservatives, but is enough of an American to respect the office, and is sincere in his mourning of a passing of a President.
And he is a Marine, so I give Rather the benefit of the doubt.
yeah...he was genuinely upset that he had to actually read something in favor of Reagan...
Well, too bad that when Reagan was actually fighting those battles for freedom ol Dan was there dogging him and opposing him every step of the way. Maybe if he gets up there some day and apologies for all the damage he's done, and is STILL doing, I may reconsider my opinion of him.
Wishful thinking on one's part sparks hope that the Rather tears are tears of regret for being wrong for so many years.
Folks, you all must have missed the part last evening when Rather was reading a list of Ronaldus Maximus' achievments and when he came to the Strategic Defense Initiative, he deemed it the "Star Wars Scheme."
That put me off big time. Couldn't let the opportunity pass for one last jab at a man whose shoes he was unfit to shine.
This says more about Pres. Reagan than it does about Dan Rather.
The tears were from pain. Biting one's tongue does that...
I agree, he was truly moved. However, he also cried on Letterman after 9/11 and said he stands with President Bush.
Rather gets a glimpse of the good and is drawn to it, I dare say, but is easily swayed to move away from it after the moment has passed.
But again, I agree that his emotion was real.
Rather is mentally unbalanced. I wouldn't be surprised to see him choking up during reports on tax policy or literacy programs.
He wouldn't dream of missing this opportunity to get on camera and pull a Walter Cronkite moment.
Genuine tears? From Rather? Puhleeze.
Tom Brokaw also remembered Reagan very favorably. It was as the media are now confessing what they refused to acknowlege while he lived... Reagan won the cold war, his economic policies worked, and the world was better off for our strength. God Bless this special man of liberty.
Ronald Reagan was sooo beloved by the people of The USA and the world it is probable very hard for the three stooges to say any thing bad about him without getting tons of critizism.