John McCain's Free Ride

You had always known, more or less, that John McCain's natural constituency was the Beltway media. With press darling Joe Lieberman, it's been the buddy movie that never ended.

Did you know how extensive it was, though, or did you sort of wonder if it was just you and your liberal friends imagining things?

Wonder no longer. Media Matters' David Brock and Paul Waldman decided to investigate McCain's relationship with the press, cataloging just how much slack our Gotcha! journalistas have cut the Smooth Talk Expressionist. They have the goods. They've documented the atrocities.

It would always have been easy to prove McCain's hypocrisy, to sound out McCain's love affair with the lobbying community and his passion for the telecoms. But the talking heads always seem to have such delicate sensibilities about their maverick political rock star, and that's always been one of the more interesting aspects of fame ... some people are stars just because the media pays attention to them, not because they really stand out from their peers. I mean, isn't Less Jobs, More Wars basically the Republican Party platform now? What's so very original about that?

Anyway, if you're inclined, check out Free Ride: John McCain and the Media, and find out just how poor a job the media has done of vetting the Republican nominee after all his years under their adoring spotlight. I expect it'll be an infuriating read, ripe with outrage overload, so practically candy for your typical political blogosphere denizen ;D

"The press loves McCain. We're his base." - Chris Matthews, MSNBC, Sept. 10, 2006



Display:


A subject that needs to be discussed (none / 0)

Its actually gotten worse lately, as the press shamelessly went to private retreat of McCain's where he fed them BBQ.  Just unreal.

I'm going to buy this book, but I was wondering if there was any plan to try to push it to the top of Amazon's ordering (as was done with Greenwald's "How Would a Patriot Act?").  


Imagine if the government took David's sling and gave it to Goliath. Now you understand tort reform.
by bosdcla14 on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 01:25:54 PM EST

Re: John McCain's Free Ride (none / 0)

I diaried this Book on Sunday. There was zero interest in it here.

Important New Book - Free Ride: John McCain and the Media


"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
by Lefty Coaster on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 01:26:19 PM EST

Re: John McCain's Free Ride (none / 0)

We know this, but WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT IT?

Seriously - it is URGENT that the damned media be forced to be HONEST about things, or none of it matters.  It doesn't matter that McCain is a joke of  a candidate.  The press creates perception.  If the entire propaganda machine spends the next 9 months combing Obama's speeches looking for words to take out of context and beat him with; while IGNORING the genuinely horrible stuff coming out of McCain's mouth, we're doomed.

The TOP PRIORITY of progressives MUST be to change the media narrative.  If that doesn't change, nothing else matters.


by ignatz on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 01:33:44 PM EST

america must love free-riders (none / 0)


The current president is the emperor of free ride.

Obama and McCain make HUGE mistakes but ca do no wrong.

Edward has dropped out and Hillary is about to.

interesting


by TaiChiMaster on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 02:16:10 PM EST

Why are we surprised? (none / 0)

Most of blogsphere is too busy ripping itself apart.

Obama is twofaced says a prominent diarist here. Hillary is a liar screams the rec list on DKos.

Democrats are far too busy forming a circular firing squad to worry about our real opponent.

What is pathetic is to express when we see the effects.  


by fladem on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 02:18:34 PM EST

Re: John McCain's Free Ride (none / 0)

Has anyone said these things in the MSM?  Have there been ads?  Debates?  Anything other than posts on progressive blogs about the '100 years' thing?

McCain has received virtually no real coverage in months because of the protracted Dem primary and the total collapse of the rest of the republican campaigns early on.  Things will change.


by Brillobreaks on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 02:20:49 PM EST

Free Rides (none / 0)

Sorry, I was busy watching the MSM carrying Obama on their shoulders that I forgot to notice. [Hint, hint, maybe the MSM has an agenda - bait and switch].


by grlpatriot on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 02:44:09 PM EST

Re: Free Rides (none / 0)

Your comment made me laugh out loud!! Thank God we all still have a sense of humor after all this.  Tx


by Pat J on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 11:26:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Free Rides (none / 0)

Glad to oblige. This primary has taken on such an absurd quality. I like to step back and watch the parade sometimes.


by grlpatriot on Wed Mar 26, 2008 at 12:11:39 AM EST
[ Parent ]

If Hillary is the nominee... (none / 0)

The press will cannonize John McCain. They hate Hillary and love McCain...


by Sinbad Sinbad on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 02:49:54 PM EST

Re: John McCain's Free Ride (1.33 / 3)

No one else has ever had a greater free ride than Barack Hussein Obama.  No one else, certainly not John McCain, who at least has been vetted through a previous presidential contest.

The Clintons have been savaged by the MSM for sixteen years and counting.  The MSM is savaging them today, as they did yesterday, and the day before, and--well, it has been so long one forgets the kind words for the Clintons from any news outlet inasmuch as they are rarely heard.  But then again, getting rid of the Clintons has been the MSM's #1 objective, since Bill was "the one that got away" from their wrath as early as 1992.

I believe that in the end Hillary Clinton will astonish her many critics, and like her husband before her prevail, either by winning the Democratic nomination or by bolting the party and running independently.  Her epitaph has been proclaimed some dozen times by the MSM just in the past three months alone.

Barack Obama's candidacy was never more serious than his conspicuous and well-funded proponents would have wanted the rest of us to believe.

So despite his very free ride, a fawning press, thousands of newspaper endorsements, and the Howard Dean machine behind him, he is at best polling tied with Senator Clinton and about to lose yet another key major state, Pennsylvania.

If the contest becomes McCain versus Obama, this lifelong Democrat, and his family of lifelong Democrats, will gladly be in the McCain column come the fall.  This would all be our first time voting for a GOP candidate; my mother in sixty years, for myself in thirty-seven years, and for the rest of our family also representing many years.

John McCain, and even George Walker Bush before him, never savaged the Clintons the way Barack Obama's group has.  This is the first time in the history of American politics that a sizebable chunk of one major party has savaged its own past President and First Lady.  Before this year, that was an absolute no-no.

Contrast this savage treatment of the Clintons from the Howard Dean Democratic machine with the GOP contests, not any of which savaged George Walker Bush, although he had the lowest approval record of any recent president.  The Republicans, bless them after all, still understand propriety and have a measure of loyalty to their own.

If one is a Clinton supporter, believing the Clintons were mostly superb--presiding for the longest peacetime expansion in United States history, in their eight years in the White House--one has no reason whatsoever to vote for Barack Obama.

When I regard Obama, I see an unseasoned pol who wants the brass ring, at any cost, and long before he's ready for it.  His affiliations with all manner of poisonous anti-Clinton forces terrifies me, and his Pastor Wright affiliation terrifies me even more.

Many a non-African American will be equally terrified come the fall.  If it's McCain versus Obama, expect a landslide defeat for the Democrats that will make McGovern, Mondale, and Dukakis losses pale by comparison.

Sadly, the Barack Obama supporters must learn the hard way what we Greek-American supporters also had to learn the hard way about Mike Dukakis.  

Some candidates just can't be sold in a presidential election--whatever the passion of their own crowd.


by lambros on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 02:58:24 PM EST

Re: John McCain's Free Ride (none / 0)

I have no idea why this comment was hidden.  


by mlr701 on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 06:23:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: John McCain's Free Ride (none / 0)

Because this isn't a Republican blog, which makes that a troll comment.

Exercise some judgment.


by Natasha Chart on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 11:27:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: John McCain's Free Ride (none / 0)

I very recently cancelled my subscrip. to Sunday NYT. Why? The " free ride" Sunday Times magazine featured an interview with the Rev.Hagee. He says "nope" nothing to all that anti-semitic rapture stuff. And the anti gay stuff? Nope, he says not worth your time to even talk about. Sickening  


Penguins In Burma
by Penguins In Burma on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 03:00:28 PM EST

Re: John McCain's Free Ride (none / 0)

MYDD is ridiculous. I'm done.

I saw a McCain post and though that since there were only like 12 comments I would goof around and post some Obama-bad, HRC-great BS that I see all over MYDD. As a joke. Because that's what all the other threads here become; Obama-hating, blind Hillary love.

But alas, my joke can not be.  Because from comment 1, the commenters turned this into an Obama-hate-fest.

McCain thread!?! Screw that!  What about Rezko? Obama's not ready! Obama has skeletons!

You people are pathetic.


by danfromny on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 03:09:03 PM EST

Re: John McCain's Free Ride (none / 0)

http://www.johnmccain.com/.....
No government program is a substitute for a good job, and fast job growth requires easing employers' burdens. The most obvious cost is taxes; McCain would oppose Democrats' plans to impose damaging tax increases. He would improve our international competitiveness with a tax credit for research and development, investment incentives and a lower corporate tax rate. He would propose comprehensive health-care reforms that would change the practice of medicine to reward quality, high-value care, as well as tax credits and insurance market reforms to stop the erosion of health insurance. Such a combination would attack spiraling costs, ease pressure on family budgets, permit firms to pay better wages and reduce the number of the uninsured. His commitment to low taxes, controlling government spending and honoring international agreements would reassure investors and strengthen the dollar, helping to ease inflation and oil prices that are hurting American families."

But hey...
The words Clinton or Obama are not here...
so please ignore..go directly to GO BS and collect
200 comments...


"If you want to end war and stuff, you gotta sing loud"...Arlo Guthrie
by nogo war on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 07:30:59 PM EST

Re: John McCain's Free Ride (none / 0)

Oh yeah lambros
"Barack Hussein Obama."
This site has at least finished H.S.
Even if there are passionate disagreements
over our candidates should not be misconstrued as
we are as dumb as Bush...
...go visit your usual watering holes, where they are impressed that at times you construct a sentence with subject/verb agreement.
"If you want to end war and stuff, you gotta sing loud"...Arlo Guthrie
by nogo war on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 07:37:28 PM EST

Re: John McCain's Free Ride (none / 0)

Oh dan f...
maybe you have not noticed this is a DEM place..
McCain is our opponent.
McCain sold YOU out with his immigration stance.
...as you probably told your Republican friends and posted after 2000...get over it..
McCain is YOUR candidate...(too bad about Fred eh?)
WE know that each day...every day...
McCain will be mentioned here in
a derogatory manner....
Do not believe the give and take here means
that YOUR candidate will be held accountable...
"If you want to end war and stuff, you gotta sing loud"...Arlo Guthrie
by nogo war on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 07:50:25 PM EST


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