Dan Rather’s “Courage”

I didn’t watch Dan Rather’s final “performance” last night, but read this morning he ended it with the “same closing exhortation”: “Courage.” I was sure that Scrappleface — or some other satirical source — had to be behind this. But now I’ve confirmed it in no less a Rather-enabling source than the New York Times. This embarrasses me for Dan, as little sympathy as I have the unrepentant man. First, how could he possibly consider the admonition, especially considering the degree to which he’s run it into the ground, anything other than trite? How could he not be self-conscious about making a Saturday Night Live parody of himself? There’s only one answer: he must be completely oblivious to what the outside world has been saying about him — a bit of a sad commentary for a man who is supposed to be on top of things. I just didn’t have the courage to watch the broadcast, but I admire the strength of those who did.