With some press outlets now pointing out that John McCain's dishonest ads are dishonest, I got a few commenters wondering if I'll stop complaining about McCain's cozy relationship with the press. I think I'll do that when reporters stop crediting him with "irrepressible candor" for the most banal Q&A interactions imaginable. The press is still treating him the way proud parents treat their kid, perhaps willing to discipline him gently when he gets out of line but still eager to swear that his every ordinary action is magic.
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Defining Candor Down
31 Jul 2008 05:18 pm
Comments (15)
Bravo Matt!
I agree. You should only stop pointing out that the press is protecting McCain when the press stops acting like different rules and standards apply to him than do to everyone else.
I will stop complaining about the way that the press treats McCain on the day that they call for his arrest, trail, and execution.
Personally, I think we are approaching the point where it would make sense to treat this as a case-by-case issue, because it really does seem to me the press has started to do its job a lot more frequently.
And when they stop saying the lies aren't McCain's fault, he really is so filled with integrity, etc.
Also, the press still acts like the fault is with his campaign aides, not with him. See this post from Kevin Drum on the subject.
That is a good analogy, Matt. I also think Steven Smith's point is well taken. There's a certain "if only the Tsar knew" quality to criticism of the McCain campaign.
With some press outlets now pointing out that John McCain's dishonest ads are dishonest, I got a few commenters wondering if I'll stop complaining about McCain's cozy relationship with the press.
There will always be members of the press who leave any semblance of journalistic integrity at the door, and become cheerleaders. These people must be continually shown as what they are, the political version of stock market pump monkeys.
but my child's every ordinary action is magic!
on the other hand, he just turned 4.
john mccain is supposed to be an adult....
The press isn't going to stop as long as they're owned by people who want McCain to be President.
In the TV dramas (think Law and Order) the proud parents of the guy who raped, murdered and dismembered the neighbor girl is always referred to by the parents as 'just a good boy that everybody loves and gets good grades'.
Then it turns out the boy has done this three times before, and the parents alibis for the boy being in his room studying are bogus.
What I'd like to know is why the press is so infatuated with what the McCain campaign and surrogates have to say but literally ignore the words that actually come out of the man's own mouth.
I could give a rip about what his campaign manager thinks about policy...I'm not voting for him. I want more face time with the actual candidate.
As far as their coverage of Obama, his overseas trip forced the media to actually pay attention to what the man himself was saying or doing, but now he's home we don't even hear what his campaign thinks...it's all what McCain's campaign guys think Obama has said or done.
Keep fighting the good fight Matt...I can only hope that there are more of us voters that at least want to change our politics from personal to policy, but it sure is an uphill climb when all you hear from the media is the smut.
There's a certain "if only the Tsar knew" quality to criticism of the McCain campaign.
Part of me agrees, but the other part remembers that sorry performance in front of the green backdrop.
It's pretty obvious that he's the monkey, not the organ-grinder, in this campaign. To the point of foolishness on occasion.
Thank you for that post. My reaction to the right-wing chortling comments was that they're premature. We can hope that the aura around McCain with his base, the press, is starting to be dispelled, but we need to see a lot more. My gym still greets me with a business mag cover story of both candidates' economic plans, but with a reassuring image of McCain to show how his will make it all better.
But my child's every ordinary action is magic!
Comments closed August 14, 2008.
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Heads in the Sand
Bravo Matt!
I agree. You should only stop pointing out that the press is protecting McCain when the press stops acting like different rules and standards apply to him than do to everyone else?
Posted by Jim Crozier | July 31, 2008 5:37 PM