McCain and the Media: The Gift That Keeps on Giving
Is Republican John McCain's unique relationship with the liberal media a liability or an asset for his presidential run? Sheryl Longin wonders.
Today’s murky New York Times front page McCain hit piece comes at an interesting time, to say the least. Hot on the heels of the first visible chink in the Obama campaign (a mother of a faux pas, mostly ignored by the MSM, but merely exacerbated by the “apologies” of the offender and newly revealed Achilles heel of the candidate, his wife Michelle), the McCain story has ignited the press, public and blogosphere like almost nothing since this interminable race began. Almost nothing, I say, except for the obvious — Obama-mania. For the first time in recent history, we are facing an election where both political parties’ frontrunners are actually liked by the media. Watching how this plays itself out is truly bizarre.
While drawing attention away from Mrs. Obama’s problematic and polarizing views, to the temporary advantage of the Obama campaign, with this one story, the NYT has singlehandedly managed to do for the McCain campaign what the candidate and a host of articulate advocates was unable to do for himself — rally the conservative base. That they haven’t lost their political influence must be cold comfort for the powers-that-be at the “paper of record.” Especially when their efforts are so transparent even a “View” host questions their integrity.
Ironically, precisely because both men are genuinely admired (for different reasons) by journalists as much as by the people, McCain and Obama are perfect candidates to preside over the demise of the MSM. If they are rubber, the press is glue. Accusations tend to bounce off these candidates, and stick to the accusers. Even worse, they rally the supporters against the media, at a time when public trust in the press is at an all time low. It’s odd to be at a place in history when journalists are held in lower esteem than politicians. But it’s sure starting to look that way. Suddenly, campaign ‘08 may truly be all about “change.”
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12 Comments
1. Lem:This ’story’ stretches the six degrees of separation rule.
That’s the highest compliment I can give it.
A former McCaniac says that 8 years ago a female lobbyist (that worked for a company for witch the senator may have had pending legislation) accompanied or was seen with Mac one two many times and both were told, all told to cut it out.
Unless this is the NYT version of political water boarding, I’ve just been so hurriedly flashed; all I think I saw was what appeared to be a London Fog Woman Winter Coat not worthy of Basic Instinct.
Feb 21, 2008 - 12:52 pm 2. Edmund Jenks (MAXINE):NY Times & McCain – Secures Expected “Flatline” Response
Nobody really thinks that the New York Times … or any mainstream newspaper … actually pursues reporting (just the facts) or working in a professional journalistic manner any more. Especially on topics that involve the Government and Politics. What the MSM has trouble doing is separating the liberal, socialist agenda biases and activism with the job of providing useful information based upon true investigative and written journalistic ethics.
John McCain is a target for the New York Times because he holds his attitude and character out to be hallmarks of un-impeachable behavior.
The New York Times sat on this “story” until now because John McCain, for the first time just this last week, took off after the Democrats in their bid to become the preferred candidate for the office of President of the United States.
It is the opinion here, at MAXINE, that the New York Times wanted to place the first “brush back” move on John McCain in order to have him shrink back into his familiar “Maverick” territory and move back to his more liberal center positions.
Again, this week, on the campaign stump, John McCain began to position himself with a little more of the conservative base perspective when he spoke against the prospects of a Democrat controlled Presidency. What better way to have John McCain become more beatable than to have him become more supporting of liberal policies of the Democrat Party? By hitting McCain and smearing his character, McCain will go back to being more McCain like! If all we have is liberal policies and agendas to vote for … WHY NOT JUST VOTE FOR A DEMOCRAT – or not vote at all.
When John McCain came out for his first news conference in front of reporters to answer questions, what we were treated to was a flatline response from John McCain. It was DEAD and without passion … one word responses without a clear indignation of the tactics of the New York Times. He was agitated, but without edge.
It is just this motive and response from John McCain we think the New York Times has moved this week with this smear story against John McCain.
The NYT got exactly what they wanted without much of a mark on them because this is what WE, the reading public, come to expect.
You know, when one has a chance to reflect:
That since it is well known that the New York Times editorial staff was “sitting” on this story for several months now (according to the New Republic) and that the paper had just given their formal endorsement as their choice as the Republican Party candidate they would like to see as President (if it had to be a Republican, presumably) before the New Hampshire primary …
… This whole episode of a smear story about John McCain, of eight (8) years ago, published by the New York Times says a lot more about the character of the New York Times than it does about the character of John McCain.
Original Posting:
Feb 21, 2008 - 2:03 pm 3. RE:http://tinyurl.com/2nrbvt
I find it highly amusing that Mr. McCain has been bitten by his beloved pet pit viper.
Feb 21, 2008 - 2:11 pm 4. moderate:This story is the first story that has ever motivated me to give money to a politician.
I donated 25 bucks to McCain via the net.
Just ’cause of that Times’ story.
Now I hope Hillary loses too ’cause they endorsed her.
Feb 21, 2008 - 3:45 pm 5. cfbleachers:Sometimes I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I would like to stop calling these Euro-Socialist rags the “Mainstream” Media, starting today and forever forward.
Moribund Sophist’s Media would suit me just fine.
I see nothing about them any longer that would compel me to join their main or swim in their toxic stream.
The Euro-Socialists engage in a now predictable and tiresome attempt to move the electorate via fabrication, deceit, Leftist McCarthyism, and a destruction of the playing field against anyone who is not in the fold.
This has been going on for too long. Handling our information stream is a public trust. Where once the complaint may have been a lack of objectivity, it has now been thoroughly diseased to a point that lack of objectivity is a foregone conclusion and expectations of basic honesty and honor are not.
The “paper of record” is today nothing more than a broad farce. McCain was not just slimed, he was “rathered”.
And anyone who calls them the “mainstream” media from this day forward, lends them a credence and honor they no longer deserve.
Feb 21, 2008 - 4:35 pm 6. Edmund Jenks (MAXINE):I have looked at many other takes on this NYT smear and most miss the real effect this stuff will have on McCain.
To watch McCain is a little like watching a turtle drawing back into its comfortable, equivcating, liberal shell.
All hail the NYT!
John McCain needs to embrace the base because the base will NOT leave him high and dry as did the NYT after their ENDORSEMENT!
Feb 21, 2008 - 5:15 pm 7. Bill Bradley:Fascinating.
Feb 21, 2008 - 8:20 pm 8. David Thomson:“I would like to stop calling these Euro-Socialist rags the “Mainstream” Media, starting today and forever forward.”
I’m sorry, but the MSM is still the dominating news source for most Americans. It is admittedly losing subscribers and influence on a daily basis. Nonetheless, the MSM will remain a powerful force for a little bit longer. My guess is the bottom will fall out in 2004, or at the latest sometime in early 2005.
Feb 21, 2008 - 9:09 pm 9. David Thomson:My guess is the bottom will fall out in 2004, or at the latest sometime in early 2005.
I was interrupted while writing my previous post. This is what I should have said:
My guess is the bottom will fall out in 2009, or at the latest sometime in early 2010.
In other words, I don’t think the tipping point will be reached before this year’s crucial election. This should worry all of us.
Feb 21, 2008 - 11:21 pm 10. Webutante:Good post, Sheryl. I agree with David Thomson above, it won’t happen soon enough for most of us, though the good news is it is imminent. The bad news is the darkest hour is often just before dawn.
New Zealand for the next four years anyone?
Feb 22, 2008 - 6:14 am 11. cfbleachers:David, you may be right, however like Jason in a hockey mask, they seem to never die.
My position is that we feed the beast by giving it credence. “Mainstream” implies precisely what they would like it to imply…that anyone not subservient their Worldview, is “outside the mainstream”.
Mendacious Socialist Media would be fine with me if we need to keep the acronym.
And when do we start truly fighting to get our information stream back from those who have seized it for the purposes of daily bombardment of leftist indoctrination?
2009, 2010? When we have Jimmy Carter redux in the White House?
Quite the combination. Obama with his “big stage” persona, the old media and their groupie fawning and the Jimmy Carter redux on foreign policy and the economy.
Ham and cheese, hold the malaise.
Feb 22, 2008 - 10:00 am 12. RE:We should no longer call it Mainstream Media.
It’s leftist media and should be called out as such explicitly in its name.
Feb 23, 2008 - 5:16 am