Why should I believe you?

I was a huge fan of Tim Russert. I watched politicians on all sides of the aisle sweat under the hot lights of his show. He was thorough. Did his research and I perceived him as fair.

After his death, I was really impressed with the poise his son, Luke, showed. Clearly he's intelligent, mature and well-spoken.

But, is he qualified to be a political commentator for MSNBC? I saw him on the cable outlet this week discussing which states the presidential candidates were likely to win. Does he really know the answer or did some MSNBC staffer feed him the data?

I know this happens in newsrooms across the country. Journalists can't be expected to know everything. But, what makes me bristle is the fact he's being painted as an expert. Luke just graduated from college in May with a degree in history and communications. Is he really qualified to speak with authority on the presidential election?

I'm not slamming Luke for being young. I wish him success. And, if he aspires, I hope he reaches the level his dad did. But, his lack of experience raises a good question: In an era of bloggers and a 24-hour news cycle, at what point do we take a critical eye to the experience of those reporting "news?"