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"The Education of Dan Rather"- Peggy Noonan captures Rather's rise, arrogance and dastardly fall
Opinion Journal ^ | 12-2-04 | Peggy Noonan

Posted on 12/01/2004 10:05:53 PM PST by STARWISE

Excerpt .. balance at link

The Education of Dan Rather

From the golden age of network TV to the end of its hegemony.

Thursday, December 2, 2004 12:01 a.m. EST

Life is complicated, people are complicated, and most of us are a jumble of virtues, flaws and contradictions. I like to try to understand the past, try to put it together in a way that makes sense to me. This can involve judging not only your own actions and decisions but those of others, which can be hard. I have a friend who once said in the middle of a conversation, "Don't understand me too quickly." Don't categorize me; don't decide you broke the code. Sit back and watch; it's more interesting than you may know.

Which gets me to Dan Rather, who was once my boss, and who of course has announced his retirement from the anchor chair at CBS News. Everyone I know is asking me what I think of it. I think a lot of things.

I'm going to use the past tense in speaking of him because I'm speaking of his career, and speaking of when I knew him in the past.

My first thought: It is a hard world. We all know this in the abstract, but it can take you aback in the particular. In public life the entire body of your work--an entire career of almost 50 years--can now essentially be summed up and dismissed by the last headline on your career, which in this case is "Rather Retires Under Cloud After Forged Documents Story." If Dan had retired of his own volition a year ago, that would not be the headline. "Long Career Reflected Stunning Rise of U.S. Media" would be more like it.

(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government
KEYWORDS: arrogance; biased; cbs; dan; elite; fool; frog; hubris; liberalism; likeabloated; noonan; peggy; peggynoonan; puffedup; rather; ratherbiased; rathergate; rathernot; seebs; texas
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To: Trepz

That's just exactly what the disease of arrogant malignant narcissism is: the inability to accept ill intent on one's own part. Hmmm .. wonder what Mary Mapes is plotting these days.


21 posted on 12/01/2004 10:51:04 PM PST by STARWISE (America has spoken- what part of Bush won AGAIN don't they get? Pray for the troops)
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To: JanetteS

and so elegantly put . .. she's SO gifted.


22 posted on 12/01/2004 10:52:03 PM PST by STARWISE (America has spoken- what part of Bush won AGAIN don't they get? Pray for the troops)
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To: STARWISE

23 posted on 12/01/2004 10:54:08 PM PST by Grampa Dave (Writers of hate GW/Christians/ Republicans Articles = GIM=GAY INFECTED MEDIOTS!)
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To: Bonaparte

Come again?


24 posted on 12/01/2004 10:57:47 PM PST by STARWISE (America has spoken- what part of Bush won AGAIN don't they get? Pray for the troops)
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To: Richard Kimball
It's funny that Mary Mapes desperately wanted to destroy Bush, but ended up destroying Rather.

And, when all is said and done, herself.

Not that she couldn't write her own ticket at Pacifica...

25 posted on 12/01/2004 11:01:35 PM PST by okie01 (The Mainstream Media: IGNORANCE ON PARADE)
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To: STARWISE; Buckhead
which in this case is "Rather Retires Under Cloud After Forged Documents Story"

Or, as we like to say it, "Buckhead nails and exposes arrogant self-important Talking Head who thought his every utterance is The Word Of God"

26 posted on 12/01/2004 11:03:26 PM PST by freedumb2003 (When does the Revolution start? I'm going for a bike ride for a while. Please fill me in later.)
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To: Trepz
Although he knows he has shown a deliberate liberal bias to his reporting, dannyboy will never admit to having done so.

Rather always described himself politically as a "common sense moderate".

And Lenin was a "middle of the roader"...

27 posted on 12/01/2004 11:04:11 PM PST by okie01 (The Mainstream Media: IGNORANCE ON PARADE)
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To: STARWISE
Screw these ambulance chasers with microphones. They have always slanted the story to fit an agenda which has only of late, become highly visible. Hate America, hate the constitution, hate the second ammendment, promote egalitarianism, affirmative action, socialism, humongous centrally planned and controlling government, etc, etc.

If my power steering were ever to go out, I would only hope that Rather, Brokaw, and Jennings were doing lattes on a sidewalk in front of my 3/4 ton Silverado, rather than some dude trying to eke out a living on something less than $7Mill a year.

America deserves better than this. Much better. We're f***ing paying for it.

And every tin-pot dictator or mullah had better get it right this time. 'Cause there's a lot riding on it. Our once cheerleading newscasters for your causes are now vanishing. What say ye? Tough sh*t, it's a new world now and we've got your number. We're coming for your asses and, quite frankly, don't care how it'll be covered on the 6 o'clock news.

28 posted on 12/01/2004 11:04:15 PM PST by budwiesest
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To: STARWISE
Excellent. Reminded me of things that I had forgotten about Dan (good things like the earthquake moment of silence). Summed up fairly his political bias. Left me with a good taste in my mouth about both the way media is headed and the passing of Mr. Rather.
29 posted on 12/01/2004 11:08:15 PM PST by Talking_Mouse (Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just... Thomas Jefferson)
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To: Billthedrill

Perforce. Well stated, mate.


30 posted on 12/01/2004 11:12:23 PM PST by dk/coro
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To: STARWISE
"Don't understand me too quickly."

Could've been my motto at one time in my life.

31 posted on 12/01/2004 11:12:54 PM PST by GVnana (If I had a Buckhead moment would I know it?)
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To: Grampa Dave

Excellent, GP.


32 posted on 12/01/2004 11:17:11 PM PST by STARWISE (America has spoken- what part of Bush won AGAIN don't they get? Pray for the troops)
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To: Talking_Mouse
Nice tag line (#26). I'm hospitible to Jefferson quotes.

Only wish today's 'leaders' could come up with 1/4 the substance in half the space they are given. Their daftness leads me to believe we are truly in some sort of trouble. And I'm an optimist.

33 posted on 12/01/2004 11:18:15 PM PST by budwiesest
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To: STARWISE
How would you like your whole career to be judged by one mistake?

Wasn't just a rhetorical question, was it? but a curse worthy of Hawthorne.

34 posted on 12/01/2004 11:18:55 PM PST by Graymatter
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To: STARWISE

BTTT


35 posted on 12/01/2004 11:21:52 PM PST by Fiddlstix (This Tagline for sale. (Presented by TagLines R US))
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To: Talking_Mouse

Uh, make that post #29.


36 posted on 12/01/2004 11:22:11 PM PST by budwiesest
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To: STARWISE

excellent...the arrogance of the left is shown quite well


37 posted on 12/01/2004 11:24:47 PM PST by woofie
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To: Graymatter

Truly so .. and this whole debacle reinforces ever more my confidence in karma and God's clever justice...revenge is *His* .. a good lesson for us all. Nixon, Bush Sr., Bush and who knows who else .. all vindicated in one selfish act.


38 posted on 12/01/2004 11:26:17 PM PST by STARWISE (America has spoken- what part of Bush won AGAIN don't they get? Pray for the troops)
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To: STARWISE

"The Education of Dan Rather"- Peggy Noonan captures Rather's rise, arrogance and dastardly fall
Opinion ,Gee how long did it take.


39 posted on 12/01/2004 11:26:21 PM PST by fatima (Pray for our troops.I voted for tomkow6,Change your tagline now Petronski.)
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To: STARWISE
Terrific column, well worth reading in its entirety.

Rather's downfall is a lesson to us all ... Don't go wanting things to be true so much that you think they are true.

40 posted on 12/01/2004 11:30:55 PM PST by Hetty_Fauxvert (http://sonoma-moderate.blogspot.com/)
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