McCain Thinks the Media is Out to Get Him...Try Not to Laugh

Observers of politics know they can count on at least one constant in presidential campaigns: Whenever the Republican candidate is down in the polls, he begins to complain about the media (Democrats do it sometimes too, but not nearly as often). But when that candidate is John McCain, one would be forgiven for believing the current race has descended into some parallel universe where everything is upside-down.

After all, for more than a decade, John McCain has been the media's favorite politician. Even conservatives have long acknowledged that McCain enjoys a special place in the hearts of the Washington press corps.

In a press release that elevated feigned outrage to high art, McCain's campaign distributed a letter it had written to the president of NBC News complaining that on last Sunday's "Meet the Press," chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell repeated a criticism from the Obama campaign without questioning its veracity. The fact that this happens a hundred times a day in newspapers and on television news with criticisms from both campaigns didn't much matter; the point was to put pressure on journalists to change their coverage in order to avoid further complaints.

No politician in Washington understands journalists better than McCain does. For years, he has courted, flattered, and cooperated with journalists in an attempt to win their affections. The results have been impressive. Literally thousands of times, reporters have written or said that McCain is a "maverick" who delivers "straight talk," the Arizona senator's campaign slogans infusing his coverage.

While some politicians seek legislative accomplishments to rise up the ladder, McCain's strategy for advancement was built on press relations. Were it not for his unique relationship with reporters, it is unlikely that McCain would be his party's nominee for president. It was the media's favorable treatment of McCain -- putting him on the front pages, penning fawning profiles of him, and inviting him on the network Sunday morning talk shows 154 times over the past 10 years (more than any other political figure) -- that made McCain a national figure.

And in this campaign, it is no exaggeration to say that the media saved McCain. Through much of 2007, his campaign was low in the polls and struggling to raise money. But when he began to show the barest signs of life, many in the media reacted as though their hero had returned, and put him back at the center of campaign coverage. "There's something genuine here, something selfless, even quietly grand in his campaign," gushed MSNBC's Chris Matthews. Jon Meacham of Newsweek declared a McCain comeback "good news for all of us, whatever our politics." When McCain came in fourth in Iowa with a mere 13 percent of the vote, the press treated it as a grand victory, propelling him into New Hampshire and beyond.

In the general election, the most important benefit McCain has reaped from his special relationship with the press is that for so many reporters and pundits, the conclusions about him are already made. When another candidate commits a series of foreign policy gaffes -- saying Iran is training al-Qaida in Iraq, saying the "Anbar Awakening" happened as a result of the surge when in fact it predated it, referring repeatedly to countries that no longer exist -- reporters say the mistakes "raise questions" about how much the candidate understands foreign affairs. When another candidate stocks his campaign with corporate lobbyists, pundits wonder whether he is too tied to special interests and too much a part of the corrupt Washington culture. When another candidate changes his positions on a whole series of issues in order to curry favor with his party's base, commentators use the dreaded "flip-flop" term and question his integrity.

Many journalists decided long ago that McCain is just different from other politicians. They declare McCain innocent of all the sins they associate with other members of his profession, no matter how often he commits them. They testify that McCain is too modest to mention his POW experience in Vietnam, but McCain now brings it up all the time. They ask whether his opponent's poor bowling skills make him an "elitist," but never wonder whether McCain's (at least) seven homes and $520 Italian loafers disconnect him from the average Joe. They seem to believe that McCain is the one politician who never does anything for political reasons, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

A few months ago, McCain's campaign manager was quoted in the New York Times calling him "the best earned-media candidate in history." For those unfamiliar with the lingo, "earned media" means press coverage. It's something people in Washington have known for a long time. This campaign has already had more than its share of absurdity, from flag pins to Paris Hilton. But the idea that the media aren't being nice enough to John McCain may be the most ridiculous thing we've heard yet.

This column was originally printed in Newsday.

Paul Waldman is a senior fellow at Media Matters Action Network, a progressive media watchdog, and is co-author of the recent book "Free Ride: John McCain and the Media" (Vintage Anchor, 2008).

Comments

[waynesmyer]

"One can never underestimate the intelligence of the Amerikan News Media! Lwayno

[Middleclassvotingbloc]

By the way he has a whole outlet, FOX News, trying to get him elected. What more does he want?

[Middleclassvotingbloc]

The media runs McCain's free ads every chance they get, saving him millions of dollars on purchased ad time. The guy has it made in the shade. The only one they try to define is Obama. When will someone ask who is the real McCain?

[thefringecenter]

The media is out to get him (elected).

[Middleclassvotingbloc]

Thefringecenter, I totally agree with your statement.

[birdandcat]

seems to me whether we're talking about the rigged "quiz show" at saddleback church, the shenanigans over public financing, or his dalliances with extramarital liasons, one word descibes Sen McCain, cheater.

I wonder how long before the boys on the newsbus figure this out'
won't hold my breath

[NavyMom44]

Yeah right, he wouldn't last one HOUR with some of the crap so called journalists has written about Obama. In my opinion, he has received a free pass by 95% of ALL MSM by not questioning him as they do Obama, when he is wrong an ANY issue they only report he made a "gaffe".

He wants to be taken seriously, fine take off the gloves, ALL media should treat him the same as they do Obama or any other candidate for that matter

[soonerdru]

John, hey buddy, where's your sense of humor. We were just having some fun. Isn't that what you and your trolls spout out? Truth is John McCain is out to get John McCain, and doing an excellent job of it.