Kurtz: Journos Checking Their Tongues On Palin, McCain Cracks Down On Dowd

Howard Kurtz writes today that, in advance of this week's vice-presidential debate, "some journalists say privately they are censoring their comments about Palin to avoid looking like they're piling on" the beleaguered McCain soul/running-mate, whose interviews last week with Katie Couric more-or-less oscillated between "crash" and "burn." But what gives with the journalistic self-censorship? Kurtz is probably referencing the conversation from this past week's Reliable Sources, in which ABC News' Jake Tapper suggested that the press is having a hard time cutting through the signal-to-noise ratio of the blogosphere:

KURTZ: Well, is this all just media whining, or does she have some responsibility? It's not that we want to talk to her because we want to hang out with her. We want to ask questions that presumably the public want to ask of her.

TAPPER: Jessica was talking about the two lines of attack that you're getting from Republican partisans and Democratic partisans -- the press has been too mean to her, the press is not being tough enough on her. It's possible that those are both correct.

But the difference is the press defined largely, as the McCain camp did early on, which is liberal blogs, tabloid media, "US" magazine. They were mean to her. They were inappropriate to her. But that's not to say that the mainstream media was.

But I think that the McCain campaign has successfully taken all of the inappropriateness of that initial coverage of Palin and turned it around so that the media is now boxed in and can't really push back to say, well, I don't understand what she's saying here, or I don't understand, is this person actually prepared for this job?

Frankly, I don't know what the point of having a press is if they cannot cut through the fog of conversation to offer a sincere assessment of Sarah Palin's acumen. As Kurtz notes, it's not a problem that conservative columnists have been having of late: "...pundits on the right are jumping ship. MSNBC's Joe Scarborough says Palin 'just seems out of her league.' National Review Editor Rich Lowry called her performance 'dreadful.' Dallas Morning News columnist Rod Dreher described the interview as a 'train wreck.' Conservative columnist Kathleen Parker urged Palin to quit the race, saying: 'If BS were currency, Palin could bail out Wall Street herself.'" That said, we are talking about the same media that went hog-wild in dissecting the phrase, "lipstick on a pig." That was a pile-on of undampened enthusiasm.

Actually, the larger bombshell about "censorship" comes earlier, and off-handedly, in Kurtz's column, where he notes that New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd has apparently been "barred...from [McCain's] plane" by the campaign.

Comments

[Zofomofo]

11:53 AM on 10/03/2008

Come on this is not some frivolous discussion of Britney Spears! This is the vice-president of the US!
Journalists are supposed to go easy on her because it might look like they are piling on?!
If someone is dead wrong for the job there is nothing left to do but pile on, that is not bias it is the fact of the story. Just cause some Americans are too stupid to know the difference between a statesman and a soccer mom who is un-qualified doesn't mean the press has to bend over backwards to "not sound mean."
BTW - if we have another 4 years of someone in charge of nuclear policy who can NOT PRONOUNCE it, I am going to kill myself.
It's Nuc - LEar NOT Nuc U lar, please.... what is she Bush in drag?

[wayoutleft]

10:48 AM on 10/03/2008

the press believes its role in elections is to be the human resources department for candidates running for office. the assumption has carried throughout that they are conducting job interviews and pronouncing various candidates fit or unfit. palin brilliantly exposes not only the fake democracy ideals of david brooks; but also the presumption that drawing a blank in front of the delightful katie couric is a virtually constitution level disqualifier from office. no dice media elitists.
also liberals et al., you own the junk: the vegas lounge type crap about palin that obama pretends to be above. i love you guys- but i think the government should maybe stay with the family ppl and old ppl. no offence. i know how easily offended snarky writers and comics get when they're on the other end. hell hath no fury... (that's a remarkably easy call when you never GET peace, tolerance, and health care. all you get from anybody is enough inflation to refloat bad debt obligations.)

[ffny]

08:28 PM on 10/02/2008

DOWD HAS JOHNNY MC COWED!!!!!!!!!!

Mc Cain gives new meaning to the word LOSER!!!!

He is lucky his Mommy Cindy is there to nurse him along.

[DeepTruth2008]

02:45 PM on 10/02/2008

Sen. McCain is NOT a rich man. It has been obvious over the last 4-5 years he has mortgaged his soul to gain respect within his party culminating with his nomination of Republican Presidential Nominee. I feel bad for John. I think he would be a lot happier if he just retired at the GOVERNMENTS recommended age of 65-66.

Riddle me this: WHY is there a floor (35 years of age to run for president) and not a ceiling (65-66 like all other men and women who have jobs in the American Workforce)?????

35 minimum age for the office of Presidency
_______________________________

66 maximum age for the office of Presidency

******* DeepTruth2008 ******

[hopefullee]

04:04 AM on 10/03/2008

I thought you had be 40 to run for president.

[Zofomofo]

12:06 PM on 10/03/2008

Not rich? Rich is a relative word. McCain is very rich compared to the the world AND to everyone else in the US. Spend your sorrow capital elswhere my friend.

I love people who name themselves Truth.

[berrycooda]

12:02 PM on 10/02/2008

It's about time....Start reporting the news and quit all the comments about the candidates.

It is easy to tell which side they are on....when they are so biased.

They keep getting people on the shows to give their opinions.....WHO CARES.
Is it just to fill up the air time that they are on.

[rhettisha]

12:15 PM on 10/02/2008

What, on earth, is "about time"? What are you talking about? There are five or six points made in this article. What are you agreeing with? You say "which side they are on," who is they and which side are you talking about? I think you read the headlines without reading the entire article. I'm going to have to give you a C-.

[berrycooda]

12:45 PM on 10/02/2008

Sorry, I am not reading headlines....I am watching the news shows.

try it sometimes, maybe your grading scale will change.

[JibeJibe]

03:41 PM on 10/02/2008

The "news" is that this woman is unprepared and unqualified.

She should have NEVER been chosen. McCain either miscalculated the intelligence of the American people or miscalculated Sarah Palin's ability and intelligence.

This is indeed the news and, while it may not be currently aggressively reported, it is very apparent to anyone with a brain.

[evekendall]

11:00 AM on 10/02/2008

The Vicki Iseman story has disappeared. The Rick Davis story has disappeared. The gambling story, with some very disturbing casino connections, has disappeared.

[LHoney]

10:25 AM on 10/02/2008

Let's not forget that the Republicans spent $54 million dollars so that Ken Starr could investigate Bill Clinton, and all they found was a little "quickie" in the oval office!

[berrycooda]

12:03 PM on 10/02/2008

A lot of little quickies and a lot of cigars.

The whole Gov't is constantly wasting money.....
Need some oversight people who know what they are doing...

[HuntedDown]

04:30 PM on 10/02/2008

Actually it was perjury...

[lakat]

08:02 PM on 10/02/2008

OOOOOOOOOoooo a man lying about cheating on his wife, how RARE! Don't give me that perjury crap when the Republicans have made a cottage industry out of lying and cheating! Shame on you.

[wml209]

10:23 AM on 10/02/2008

"Banning" Dowd, what is this, China!?

McCain is sinking all by himself... just look at the polls!

I'd still love McCain's medical/military & his wife's (cayman island) tax returns to be reported on!! Oh, & Palin's too...

Obama/Biden already gave full disclosure.

[BeltwayBette]

10:20 AM on 10/02/2008

I suggest that any American who wants to know how McCain tames the press read:

"Free Ride, McCain and the Media" by David Brock and Paul Waldman

Dowd is to be congratulated. Soon there will be a Medal for journalists banned by McBush. Does this all sound familiar? .

[brandon102]

09:29 AM on 10/02/2008

I don't get why the press is so delicate with Ms. Great White North. Rove is keeping her away from everyone & the press just lets it all go--maybe thinking the debate will even things out (it won't). Remember what the press did to Bill Clinton? John Kerry? Hillary Clinton? My god, if they did 10% of that to Sarah Palin she would dissolve in front of our eyes.

And how in the world have we not heard the words "Keating 5" at such an opportune time? Or Pelosi bringing the S-CHiP bill back up for a vote to let the Repubs show their compassionate conservativism? Or McCain voting AGAINST the GI bill? Or the Fundamentalist lady with the pregnant out-of-wedlock daughter running with the Man of Principles who seems incapable of telling the truth and who had a very public affair with the stereotypical "rich blond" while his wife was watching it from her hospital bed?

I think the Dems better take some of those buckets of money Obama is raising and persuade Karl Rove to bring his brand of evil to our party. 16 more years of Republican rule, don' cha know?

[LHoney]

10:16 AM on 10/02/2008

Geeze - now I'm going to have nightmares tonight! Hadn't thought of the 16 years!

[elr50]

08:23 AM on 10/02/2008

Why was it ok when the media was throwing crap at Hillary Clinton, but now it is NOT ok when this Alaskan Bimbo gets the same treatment?

The media in this country SUCKS, especially Faux Noise.

[jedi21]

02:53 AM on 10/02/2008

If these journalist had any integrity they would walk away from the McCain campaign and refuse any type of coverage until they allow proper press release with Sarah Palin...Especially in this time of economic stress we have not heard a word about what she thinks about all this mess...

[MIVOTE]

08:30 PM on 10/01/2008

Well if they got rid of all the press and media, no one would cover them and I think that would be a marvelous idea! Leave them - the entire campaign - on the side of the road and start to cover real news like the TRUTH.

[Azrblogger]

05:42 PM on 10/01/2008

Censor ship is a warm gun and a cheap shot. The press especially journalist who write opinion columns tend to hold views that promote a version of reality that tends to skirt reality. And speaking of skirts I think Maureen needs to shop somewhere other than a thrift shop.

[Azrblogger]

05:38 PM on 10/01/2008

Censorship is a Warm gun.

The fact Maureen got booted doesn't actually mean we won't get the news or inside scoop. It only means we won't get her version of the story and her opinion which has been borderline Obama mania.

[pam125]

11:09 PM on 10/01/2008

No. What it means is you only get the pretty pics and the POW stories. Get real!
And Dowd has written lots of columns that satirize Obama. He's just a bigger man and can roll with the punches instead of having a meltdown and throwing another tantrum