This sucks.  Catch the news here.

Tim Russert was pretty much a badass.  I’m actually fairly sad about this.  I rarely miss Meet the Press (it’s a behavior schedule deeply set in).  90% of my election coverage comes via Russert.  Man, what a schedule change.

Beyond that though, this does change the election.  Can’t predict how, but Meet the Press and Russert did influence thinking and discourse.  Russert was a consequence or an enforcer of consequences – loose talk, bad campaigning, covert operations – he brought it out.  Also, I have a feeling he improved the reporting at NBC quite a bit by just being a thorough and deep thinker (and good writer).

Man, black swan, of some sort.

Hmmmm…