Actually, children did cheer at the announcement. I was 12 at the time and our principle called all the students at our school to the auditorium to make the announcement. Quite a few of the children cheered the news. It's one of those things you never forget, like where you were and what you were doing on 9-11.
Rather sure has been a POS for a long time.
My disdain for Rather began in 1972 at the Democratic Convention.
At the 1972 Dem Convention, cub floor reporter Rather was continually racing between the mic/camera and the Edward Kennedy camp. Lil ole Dan was trying to hard to be the one to break the story that Kennedy had decided to go for the nomination. The pitter-patter of lil ole Dan's feet, and the smell of burning shoe lather, and the smoke rising from his buring shoes didn't daunt him in his ever-ending task. Back and forth between Kennedy camp and cameras. But always the same tale of woe from the nearly breathless Danny: 'Not just yet. They are close. His people have about convinced him. He should be ready to announce just any moment,' [ sthuuuuummmmm pitter-patter pitter-patter .....sound of pitter-patter fading rapidly into the distance as lil ole Dan scampered back to the Kennedy camp.]
But the announcement never came, cub floor reporter Dan missed his big one.
[I got so sick of watching him run back and fourth until McGovern (IIRC) locked up the nom. Rather was so deflated. Even years later when he became CBS anchor, I never watched the former lil ole cub floor reporter who didn't get his big one at the 1972 Convention. I got the impression watching that 1972 Convention/Rather that he was trying hard to 'make' news happen, not just report it.]
I was in 4th grade in 1963, and I will always remember in those very early hours, my teacher told us to pray for the president (in those days, this did not cause anyone to have fits). At the end of a short prayer, one wisea$$ said "I hope he dies" and she got detention.
I was probably in my early 40's before I came to understand that Kennedy was significantly more conservative than was Nixon, one of the most liberal presidents we have ever had.
Dan Rather has body odor.
Last week, and perhaps other times, MRC out out that litany of Ratherisms throughout his career. There really isn;t any difference between Rather and Michael Moore.
I love long goodbyes.
Wonder if Dan Rather feels humiliated?
Nah!
Ol' Dan has been living in a self-constructed fantasy world for 42 years.... "reporting the news" as he himself created it.
CBS must surely be pained. Reference to the retirement tribute is not easily located on the CBS website.
Apparently, it will be narrated by Rather himself. Dan is least likely to say anything negative about his career.
The famous Nixon interchange with Rather answering Nixon's question "Dan are you running for something?" with "No Mr. President are you?" was only tolerable because the entire country had doubts about Mr. Nixon's veracity at that moment. But when you think about it - it was an absurd confrontation. Nixon wasn't running for anything - he was in the middle of he is second term. Rather was just saying, politely by stating "Mr. President", that he felt he was, egoistically, on the same ground as Richard Nixon. Despite all his faults, Nixon was never as base as Dan Rather.
I think Auletta's piece is excellent, and leaves you with an uncomfortable feeling about Rather - portraying awkward moments with his show's producers who don't even look away from their computer screens when conversing with Rather, like he was this embarrassing old fart who feels he's still a crusading reporter (answering the phone "Rather here...This is Dan Rather"). I think there will be a lot of people inside CBS who will be glad when Wednesday is over.
I say good riddance.