McCain's "cred" gives him a free ride with fawning media.

[BurtWorm]

Not news, I know, but Kevin Drum expresses the outrage fairly well:

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_03/013394.php

McCAIN'S CRED....Via Steve Benen, MSNBC analyst Chuck Todd tells us why John McCain can get away with routine demonstrations of abject ignorance, like his recent proclamation that Iran is supporting al-Qaeda in Iraq:

Even if he gets dinged on the experience stuff, "Oh, he says he's Mr. Experience. Doesn't he know the difference between this stuff?" He's got enough of that in the bank, at least with the media, that he can get away with it. I mean, the irony to this is had either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama misspoke like that, it'd have been on a running loop, and it would become a, a big problem for a couple of days for them.

Italics mine. Let's recap. Foreign policy cred lets him get away with wild howlers on foreign policy. Fiscal integrity cred lets him get away with outlandishly irresponsible economic plans. Anti-lobbyist cred lets him get away with pandering to lobbyists. Campaign finance reform cred lets him get away with gaming the campaign finance system. Straight talking cred lets him get away with brutally slandering Mitt Romney in the closing days of the Republican primary. Maverick uprightness cred allows him to get away with begging for endorsements from extremist religious leaders like John Hagee. "Man of conviction" cred allows him to get away with transparent flip-flopping so egregious it would make any other politician a laughingstock. Anti-torture cred allows him to get away with supporting torture as long as only the CIA does it.

Remind me again: where does all this cred come from? And what window do Democrats go to to get the same treatment the press gives McCain?

[acmavm]

1. Goddammit. This is the shit that will doom us all to another 8 years

of corrupt republican lies, bullshit and war. And all we got are two low-level squabbling idiots running on our side who play fast and loose with the truth.

[LoveHC]

3. free ride?

People like Chuck Todd and MSNBC (especially) have been giving Obama a free ride for months.

[Shae]

5. Yeah...

Use this opportunity for a dig at the Democratic frontrunner.

[LoveHC]

8. yeah

I used the opportunity to take a dig at the press. And to tell the truth. "Fawning media" for ex in the context I gave it was the truth. How is telling the truth "opportunistic" anyway.

[Shae]

9. McCain's "free ride" with the press was the subject of the OP

Your statement was only objecting to OBAMA'S "free ride" with the press.
Actually, Obama has had a little flak from the press recently concerning a sermon given by his pastor.
If you missed it, google "Jeremy," "Wright," "Obama," and "sermon" and catch up.

[LoveHC]

12. My statement wasn't "only" objecting to anything.

It was "including" an objection to Obama's free ride. MSNBC is the last place that should be complaining about "free rides". Wright was obviously abnormal, considering Keith Olbermann took it upon himself to insinuate Clinton had something to do with passport-gate, in order to shamefully defend Obama.

I noticed Wright and so did America. But that kind of thing was a LONG TIME COMING.

[calimary]

2. Kick!

Yes, they're doing what they're good at: giving another warmongering and THOROUGHLY undeserving republi-CON a free pass.

Go figure. 'Cause I can't.

[rusty_parts2001]

4. Why didn't it work with Kerry who was challenged on everything.

[spanone]

6. NPR was just discussing this...how he was against torture before he was for it

it's called corporate media choosing our next president for us.

[Supersedeas]

11. advertisers and marketeers demand to have THEIR news front and center

[mulsh]

7. these are the same bozo's who "want to have a beer" with

a candidate? I think it's sad that folks listen to what these cretins, erm, I mean pundits have to say.

[Solly Mack]

10. The Press is treating McCain as if he's already President

and that Clinton and Obama are merely a side-show.

McCain's "tours" and speeches are designed to make him appear presidential and the press is covering it just that way.

It's sickening