McCain Freezing Out Press On Campaign Trail

John McCain has historically courted and cultivated relationships with reporters of the traveling press corps, so much so that BBC's Katty Kay once referred to the press as McCain's "base." That may be changing, according to a report from Michael Shear of the Washington Post, who observes that McCain's "new press strategy" is to "avoid them":

McCain today held a 10-minute press conference, complete with podium, microphones for the questioners, network-quality audio and a camera for a local television station, which allowed CNN to carry it live.

And where was the national press corps?

Sitting on the runway 27 miles away, having been ferried to McCain's charter plane, totally unaware that a press availability was about to take place until one of the handful of "pool reporters" sent an e-mail alert.

Shear speculates that McCain's shift in his stance toward the press may have something to do with his campaign's recent acquisition: "The new approach may reflect the growing influence of the newly-powerful Steve Schmidt, a top adviser and protege of Bush political guru Karl Rove, who was famous for his desire to control the press's access to his candidate."

But! If you are willing to be a dedicated flack for the McCain campaign, it's a different story entirely. David Corn explains:

During a July 1 McCain campaign call featuring Senator Lindsey Graham and Orson Swindle (who was a Vietnam POW with McCain), only two questions were taken--both from conservative bloggers. The first came from Ed Morrissey, who asked Graham and Swindle, "Can you explain the significance of John McCain's command experience in the Navy...as well as whatever leadership he has shown in the Senate....and can you address...that Barack Obama doesn't have any executive experience at all?" The next query came from Matt Lewis. Referencing retired General Wesley Clark's recent comment that McCain's military service and POW experience did not qualify him to be president, Lewis asked Graham and Swindle if Clark's remark was part of "a concerted effort by the Obama campaign, or can liberals simply not keep themselves from attacking the military?" Then the call was over.

Corn asks: "Had it been merely a coincidence that the only questioners had been rightwing bloggers who had served up soft balls?" Naturally, we have no idea! But that trademarked "straight talk" is becoming a notably scarce commodity.

Comments

[loax]

It is because he is terrified that he won't remember what position he held from day to day. This man is no hero, he is a coward who hides behind the thugs that are the Republican Party and likes to claim his hands are clean.

[robodweeb]

Also he says things like SS is a "disgrace" and sending Iranians cigarettes to k i l l them is a good idea.

[rabprevent]

WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING ABOUT IT?

YOU GUYS HAVE ALLOWED THIS DUDE TO GET AWAY WITH PRACTICALLY EVERYTHING AND LIKE HIM, THE PRESS HAS NO BACKBONE

[dentuso]

HUGE mistake on McCain's part. The press are the only powerful people that are still being fooled, and still spinning free of charge. If he loses his ferrets, they'll start reporting accurately and completely, which would doom the Republicans.

This will last for two weeks. We'll see a few negative (aka complete) MSM reports, and BOOM - they'll start getting the press to suck up so they can sit in first-class again.

[Clarabell]

It's not the press that's being fooled - they are the foolers, it's the American people who are the fools.

[andyboy]

By Novenber John Mccain will be exposed for the buncombe artist he really is.

He and Obama are the two best examples of professional job seekers who will, for a vote, change any and every position they ever held on 10 minutes notice.

What a pair of phony screw pantsed shysters. These rock stars get everything. Fame, Wealth, Ease.

We get nothing. Or rather we get buggered over and over ad-infinitum whilst suffering the indignity of being bombarded with the super-heated oral flatulence radiating from these two cardboard cut-out characters who have no intention of doing anything much at all save assist in the wholesale looting of what little is left to abscond with from Mother America.

[Seattlelite]

Good I'm glad he's peeved them off perhaps now they'll stop kissing his a$$ and do their jobs. All this crap last week that Obama was flip flopping while McCain was switch positions faster than pancake cook at IHOP with hardly a mention.

[dukeitout]

McCain says "avoid the press." I say "way to go John." Has it occurred to anyone that this nominating process is not primarily about selecting candidates. It's about the press, the media, ratings and advertizing dollars. The press knows there must be at least one issue a day to talk about. The issue will usually be created by the media, occasionally by the political candidates. Example-there's an issue today created over whether Obama's cute kids should have appeared yesterday talking on TV. I know Sen. Obama commented on this, but he didn't make it the issue, the press did. Come on press people. Get real.

[ggmome]

Yeah, that's the ticket! Only talk to the 29 percenters! They won't report or rebel against what you say! The will keep goose stepping to the cadance of the dead!

[JiminNC]

McKeating is starting to reap his rewards.

[GypsyMan]

I'd avoid the mainstream media too if all these liberal journalists did was write negative stories about me and positive ones about my opponent.

That's why we have to rely on sites like www.notwrightforamerica.com to get the truth out--Obama is not WRIGHT for America!

[robodweeb]

Correct. He's not Wright.

But he is right. Just as he was right on what would happen if we invaded Iraq.

Of course McC was WRONG when he said success would be fairly easy.

[Marcl]

Gypsyman, search your Johnny Mcflipper on utube. If you're an smart gypsy, you'll see the truth, in action !! If you're not, who care what you say.

[CuriousPerson]

What is your issue with Rev. Wright?

[Marcl]

Gypsyman, go do a Johnny McFlipper search on Utube, and view some. If you're that smart and care for the truth, you'll find it, In Action !!

[RatgurlSD]

Or do you mean "Obama is not WRIGHT"?

Two separate people.

[thepoliticalcat]

Given that the press has collectively spent its time licking his boots, I don't see the problem. They're just going to warble on about how his kicking their butts makes him a total, like, maverick, yaknow.

[ObserverinVancouver]

Geez, I hope you're wrong, but that sounds awfully profound.

[thegreatgiginthesky]

It would be a better strategy if he shut up and did not say a word.

[trollsbwild]

Sorta like-

"I told you to tell them you were in a sanitarium, not in sanitation. You should have just shut your mouth, they would have thought you were a horse and would just let you go."

[bikerdude]

If I was advising Mc cain I'd also advise him to shut up and stay away from the press. He has a tendency to make GWB look smart when he speaks. Wadda buncha dolts!

[PixieThis]

So he gets a couple of softball questions from political supporters and he still can't give decent answers? I would have thought the current admins had dropped the bar so low that anyone could rise above it, but mc can only seem to reach the lowest part, which certainly doesn't inspire confidence.

Are they worried not only about his stupidity, but his attention span?

[trollsbwild]

Nice to know that this site is worried about bruised egos. Too bad there is not one post about the FISA bill about to be passed by the Senate and saying goodbye to the fourth amendment.
Good job!

[marinade]

Honestly, the message control is freaky.

[trollsbwild]

Yeah, and it started right around the time Obama was declared the presumptive Dem candidate to go vs. McCain.
Hmmmmm....

[123andy]

This is vitriolic BS we could do without. What is the story here really? One local press conference screwed up and you all are making a federal case. Come on....

[pattio66]

"...screwe­d up?" Come on...