I will really miss Mark Shields
Every Friday night for almost two decades, I’d look forward to watching the “Shields and Brook” segment on the “PBS NewsHour.” On December 18th, Liberal Mark Shield, 83, retired and has been replaced by Jonathan Capehart a Washington Post and MSNBC anchor. David Brooks wrote a moving tribute to Shields in his opinion column in The New York Times. Entitled “Mark Shields and the Best of American Liberalism,” it described “the affection, friendship and respect” that David Brooks has for Shields. The column captured Mark’s “conception of politics,” which was “different than the conception most people carry in their heads these days.” Mark believed, and it was reflected in his weekly discussions with David, “that politics is a deeply noble profession, a form of service, a vocation.”
Mark Shields loved politics and loved politicians. He admired folks who would enter the fray and run for office. He would frequently talk about how politics should work when the system works. He recognized that politics could be a tremendous force for good and that government should be there to provide a helping hand to Americans and those in need throughout the world. He’d frequently refer to Franklin D. Roosevelt efforts to lift us out of the Great Depression, the enormous positive impact of the G.I. Bill, the huge differences the “War on Poverty” made and the nobility of America saving Europe from the spread of Fascism. He’d be very much in favor of Joe Biden’s big bold attempts to address the growing gap in income inequality in our nation.
Both Brook’s column and Mark’s parting comments on the show brought tears to my eyes. Even after a few months, I still miss Mark Shields — his humility, wisdom, ability to turn a phrase, oozing integrity and most of all, his habitual optimism. I’m a real negative Nelly and it was reassuring for me to hear Mark, a person I really respected, find a silver-lining or slivers of goodness in the growing darkness of American politics.
2020 was a lousy year from a variety of perspectives. I can remember being really down in the day’s following the election and I was beginning to have doubts as to whether the system would hold-up to the President’s multiple assault on the electoral process. During Mark’s November 6th segment, he very plainly said that Joe Biden would be the winner — and I felt better because I believed him. His even-keeled demeanor helped calm my fears about the future of our democracy. I slept better that night.
Mark Shields was my Walter Cronkite. There was no phoniness to Mark Shields. He was genuine and had a great sense of humor. He was smart and had a sweeping encyclopedic understanding of history and practical politics. In addition, he possessed a unique ability to recall tidbits of political history and use them to help him illustrate his point about today’s politics.
Mark Shields was completely different that shouting gasbags and dirt bags on the other stations. He tried to look on the positive side of things and people. If he called someone a scoundrel he deserved it. During the Trump years, Mark Shields frequently would speak passionately about his concerns with the manner in which President Trump was conducting himself both domestically and in international affairs. He was genuinely disturbed about President Trump encouraging divisiveness, demeaning the Office of the President and flaunting fundamental democratic norms. Suffice to say, Mark is not a big fan of Donald Trump who he once called “criminally uncurious.”
It was not at all unusual for Mark, to disagree with David. In fact, as David Brooks wrote they “had thousands of disagreements over the years, but never a second of acrimony.” Their disagreements were always civil. I never heard a personal attack during their many disagreements over 19 years. The way they communicated and disagreed was the complete opposite of the belligerent nature of political discourse that takes place on daily basis in Washington, DC.
It struck me that in many ways Donald Trump is the exact opposite of Mark Shields. Donald Trump was totally self-absorbed, small-minded and devoid of a moral compass. Donald Trump is always angry and bitter and believes that politics is about divisiveness and division.
Mark Shield’s epitomized what an exemplary nationally syndicated liberal columnist should be — honorable, honest, and historically grounded — and as David Brooks wrote willing to “criticize Democrats when they are snobbish, dishonest or fail to live up to the standards of decency.” It’s a standard that this non-syndicated liberal columnist will try harder to emulate.
I’m surprised at how upset I am about losing my time with Mark Shields. I think it is a reflection of a real dearth of authenticity, thoughtful insight and decency in the media. I’m hoping for some cameo appearance by Mark Shields.