Russert's death leaves big shoes to fill

Political news coverage took a big hit recently when NBC's Tim Russert died on June 13 of a heart attack.

It was a big hit not just because Russert was an extremely popular journalist, but also because he was one of the best.

In an era where personal bias and opinion stains a lot of political reporting, Russert had a well-earned reputation for being one of the fairest journalists in the business.

Despite starting his career as an important figure in Democratic politics, he exhibited little personal bias after changing careers and becoming a member of the media.

When a guest appeared on "Meet the Press," it mattered little whether he was a Democrat or a Republican. Russert would relentlessly research his guest and pound them with questions.

However, Russert's influence at NBC carried much beyond "Meet the Press." Despite Brian Williams’ anchoring of "The Night News" and Tom Brokaw still occasionally appearing on the network, Russert was the dominant force when it came to the network's political coverage.

Under normal circumstances, he would be difficult to replace, but his absence will be felt even more at NBC because this is a presidential election year.

Because of this, the big question is: How will NBC handle his loss? This question was at least partly answered when it was announced that Brokaw will handle "Meet the Press" for the election season.

However, don't expect a permanent host to be named for quite a while. Out of respect for Russert, that announcement will likely not be made soon.

Additionally, the show is the most prestigious political talk show on television. Though there will be lots of pressure to quickly name a permanent successor, I doubt it will be a decision made hastily.

Within the network, there doesn't appear to be someone who can match the tone that Russert set for the show. After Brokaw fulfills his duties, options appear to be wide open when it comes to selecting a permanent host.

Some folks have floated Chris Matthews as an option, who currently has a show on MSNBC. Even though Matthews eats and sleeps politics, he would be a bad match for the show.

Russert's trademark was keeping his questioning down the middle while grilling his guests. It was objective journalism that allowed viewers to draw their own conclusions.

Matthews, however, doesn't hesitate to interject his opinions on his show. Like Russert, Matthews' career began in Democratic politics, but unlike him, it is usually pretty easy to tell what politicians he favors. For example, it is painfully clear that he is touting Sen. Barack Obama in this year's presidential race.

If he got involved with "Meet the Press," objectivity would be thrown out the window, and the show would take a severe credibility hit.

The bottom line is he just wouldn't be a good fit.

After him, it is pretty much anybody's guess at this point.

This year's election is already taking shape as a hotly contested race. It will be interesting to see how Russert's absence will impact the reporting of it.

Often times, it is the media that sets the tone for a political race. In losing one of its most important members, the tone will definitely be different.

Though it is a cheesy analogy, Russert's loss is almost like a football team that loses its quarterback before the big game. Somebody will have to step forward to fill his void.

And that will be one of the most interesting sub-plots this autumn.