Who Didn’t See This Coming?

Since 2000, part of my suspicions about John McCain centered on the fact that the liberal establish seemed to idolize him. Rarely does the media grant a free pass to a powerful republican as often as McCain received one. For years, we’ve read editorials and watched left winged pundits point to John McCain as the epitome of what all good republicans should aspire to be. Curiously, we even heard whispers back in 2004 about how McCain should abandon an ungrateful GOP establishment to team up with John Kerry.

Fast forward to last month. In a move that surprised no one, the New York Times endorsed John McCain for President. At the time, many viewed the thumbs up by that institution as the final blow to any chance of a McCain presidency. Somehow, John McCain weathered the storm and can likely clinch the republican nomination on March 4th. Predictability, being the presumptive republican nominee also means one can no longer be a media darling.

Yesterday the New York Times, an organization that once revered John McCain like a member of their elite group. abruptly decided to end their love affair. Quoting mostly unnamed sources, The New York Times insinuated that back in 2000, McCain may have engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a lobbyist. The story stops short of suggesting an extramarital affair, but clearly the article created a window for readers to use their imagination.

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This whole charade reminds me of Rather Gate. Hopefully, it serves a wake up call to McCain that he cannot trust the media. In other words, he shouldn’t let the potential for favorable press coverage affect the way he governs. From here on out, he’s a marked man.

This incident may backfire on the New York Times. Despite his front runner status, McCain still couldn’t woo conservatives in high numbers. Now, he may have earned his badge with conservatives. If he really wants to endear himself, perhaps he ought to denounce last month’s New York Times endorsement.

Crossposted



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