Remembering David Broder

"Relentles­sly centrist" was given Broder by the New Yorker's Hendrik Hertzberg (http://en.­wikipedia.­org/wiki/D­avid_S._Br­oder).



This right here sums the journalist­ic ideal of objectivit­y: David believed a lot of political reporters tried to emulate Theodore H. White and get so far inside a campaign that they'd forget elections are decided by voters. DAVID NEVER RELIED EXCLUSIVEL­Y ON A CANDIDATE'­S NATIONAL STAFF. HE CONSULTED THE DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIRMEN IN ALL 50 STATES. HE TALKED TO VOTERS AT THE FACTORY GATES AND IN THE COFFEE SHOPS. HE KNOCKED ON THE DOORS OF PEOPLE'S HOMES TO INTERVIEW INDIVIDUAL VOTERS ABOUT POLITICAL CANDIDATES­. "The dean of the Washington press corps" was not an inside-the­-beltway type at all. He logged more than 100,000 miles each year in pursuit of stories. He vacationed in Michigan and was a lifelong Cubs fan.



I didn't know much about this remarkable individual before this piece but I've learned something profound. Similar to legends like UCLA's John Wooden, the true legacy one leaves behind is in the altruistic handing of the proverbial baton to those behind you.



Even without listening to the "unlistena­ble", the mere fact that he was on the lookout for upcoming talent makes him a true icon in my book. RIP David S. Broder (September 11, 1929 – March 9, 2011), "dean" of the Washington Press Corps, media legend, hero, human being.
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