Cheers Tim!

It's been about 4.5 months since Tim Russert died, but on a day such as today, the loss seems measurable.

Today is Election Day in the US. Today, as a citizen of my country, I have the right and priviledge to vote for the candidate of my choice. Knowing that right is not given to everyone in the world, I think it's important to exercise my civic duty to vote for the person that I think should lead the country. I also think that if you don't vote, then you don't get to complain about how the leaders are doing things. (Since I'm currently out of town, I voted via absentee ballot a few weeks ago.) But I did cast my ballot!

For as far back as I can remember watching The Today Show in the morning, Tim Russert was always a guest commentator on the political situation. While I never watched Meet the Press, I'd catch bits and pieces and always think, "aw, that guy's from Buffalo and he never sold out." He was so proud to be from Buffalo and it was awesome to see. I read both of his books last year and thought they were so great. It was so nice to see that he loved his dad and wasn't ashamed to write a book about it, either.

Sadly, Tim died in June of a heart attack. I have the funeral DVR'd and I can't bring myself to delete it yet. I think that I should probably do it when I get home.

Ever since then, political news coverage just doesn't seem the same. I can't get over hearing The Today Show introducing someone new. Nightly News had multiple contributors. But everytime I hear them introduce someone, for a split second, I can imagine it being Tim Russert. And my heart breaks after the realization that it's not him.

On a day like today, such a monumental and historical, it seems terribly unfair that we are here and that Tim isn't. How are we to know what is going on in the election without him to guide us through it? I know that somehow we'll manage.

And we'll remember and imagine what Tim would say if he were here with us.

Cheers, Tim! From one Buffalonian to another, we miss you and wish you were here!