>>> THE REPOSITORY OF AUTHORITY,
THE THINGS PEOPLE TRUST,
BELIEVE IN, THE FAIRNESS OF THE
GAME IS DOUBTED BY LARGE
MAJORITIES OF AMERICANS.
A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH
STAGNATING WAGES IN THE MIDDLE,
BUT YOU SEE THAT PLAYING OUT IN
TRUMP’S CLOSING MESSAGE RAILING
AGAINST PHARMACEUTICAL
COMPANIES AND THE LIKE AND
BERNIE SANDERS MESSAGE FROM THE
BEGINNING.
>> IT HAS BEEN ALMOST A DECADE
SINCE MY BRIEF FLIRTATION WITH
INTERNET IMMORTALITY.
THERE WAS EVEN A VIDEOGAME
CREATED OUT OF THAT.
IN MY DEFENSE IT HAD BEEN A
VERY LONG DAY COVERING THE NEW
HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY AND WE WERE
DOING MY SHOW WHERE WE DID SO
MANY MSNBC SHOWS THAT YOU’RE AT
JDS TAVERN.
IN THAT VERY MOMENT AS I WAS
SPEAKING, IN MY LINE OF SIGHT,
HOWARD FEYNMAN SITTING IN A
BOOTH ABOUT TO TAKE A BITE FROM
A HUGE PASTRAMI SANDWICH.
THE LEGENDARY POLITICAL
JOURNALIST WAS WITH US AT ALL
OF THOSE POLITICAL MOMENTS ON
EVERY PRIMARY, CONVENTION,
EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN GOING
BACK MORE THAN 20 YEARS.
HE WAS A NEAR CONSTANT PRESENCE
ON MSNBC, SHARING REPORTING AND
INSIGHT FROM HIS CAREER
SPANNING FOUR DECADES AND
SEVEN PRESIDENTS.
>> YOU CONFESS YOUR WEAK SPOT
UP FRONT, BUT THEN YOU TURN IT
INTO A VIRTUE AND MAKE WHAT YOU
HOPE IS A DRAMATIC AND WINNING
CONTEST WITH YOUR OPPONENT.
IN THIS CASE AS YOU SAY YOU
CANNOT OUT FLAMBOYANT DONALD
TRUMP.
YOU CANNOT BE MORE, IN MANY
WAYS, IRRESPONSIBLE THAN DONALD
TRUMP.
>> HOWARD FINEMAN WAS MORE
CONNECTED IN POLITICS THAN JUST
ABOUT ANY JOURNALIST HAS BEEN.
IT WAS A FORCE OF NATURE WHO
KNEW EVERYBODY IN WASHINGTON.
I WAS SO SADDENED TO LEARN THAT
HOWARD DIED TODAY AT THE AGE OF
75 AFTER A LONG BATTLE WITH
CANCER.
I KNEW HIM WELL.
I KNEW HIM TO BE EXCEEDINGLY
CLEVER AND EXCEEDINGLY KIND.
AND HOWARD HAD THIS BRAVADO
THAT THEY DON’T MAKE ANYMORE.
OUR THOUGHTS ARE WITH THE
FAMILY TONIGHT INCLUDING HIS
SON NICK, WHO IS A SENIOR
PRODUCER HERE AT MSNBC.