Washington Post’s Balz: Media will scrutinize McCain ‘once the general election really begins.’
Washington Post’s Balz: Media will scrutinize McCain ‘once the general election really begins.’
During a Washington Post online discussion today, a questioner wondered why Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is running close to Sens. Barack Obama (D-IL) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY) in polling despite “discontent” with the direction of the country and President Bush “at an all time high.” Post reporter Dan Balz cited McCain’s “maverick identity,” and — echoing one of his colleague’s sentiments — added that press scrutiny of McCain will come in time:
It’s been said repeatedly that McCain may be the only Republican who could win the White House, given the public’s disaffection with the president and the GOP. Both he and the Democratic nominee will get renewed scrutiny once the general election really begins.
NBC’s Tim Russert has also acknowledged that McCain has avoided press scrutiny because of a “grace period” the media have given him. As Atrios patiently noted, we’re “still waiting.”
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35 Responses to “Washington Post’s Balz: Media will scrutinize McCain ‘once the general election really begins.’”
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McCain will get one free pass after another all the way through November, you mark my words.
May 13th, 2008 at 1:41 pmyou should put up a chart noting the day of the chattermonkeys' promises and the day one of them finally does ask st john a contrarian question.
May 13th, 2008 at 1:42 pmGeez -- first Russert, then Balz. Did these guys all have a meeting and plot this strategy?
Somehow I doubt that this "grace period" will end after the conventions. The corporate heads of the media want a third Bush term (the first two worked very well for them), and they will give the marching orders to their mouthpieces accordingly.
Russert and Balz are just attempting to dispell the reality of how slanted they are.
May 13th, 2008 at 1:42 pmThis the same "scrutinizing media" that just whored for the pentagon 4,500 times without disclosure?
Yeah, we can trust them......
May 13th, 2008 at 1:43 pmGuess ol' Straight Talk Johnnie will get a hall pass all the way through the elections. Any bets against it?
May 13th, 2008 at 1:44 pmLeave the poor, feeble, senile old coot alone, media! Too much scrutiny might cause him to have a stroke and break a hip. McAncient proves that old people are still useful and revered in our society. If this whole president thing doesn't work out, he can still be a Wal-Mart McGreeter.
May 13th, 2008 at 1:46 pmBoth he and the Democratic nominee will get renewed scrutiny once the general election really begins.
Translation-
We will swiftboat the shit out of Obama and give a free ride to McSame.
May 13th, 2008 at 1:46 pmHe's a maverick. A maverick, I tell you!
May 13th, 2008 at 1:46 pmYou know those hardballs that are actually soft rubber, but just look like a real hardball, with all the stitches & such?
May 13th, 2008 at 1:47 pmThat's what they'll be lobbing at McIIIrd all the way thru November 5th.
Questions about his tax proposals, lifting the SS Insurance cap, corporate welfare, not a peep...
What's there to scrutinize. He's that American president everyone -- E V E R Y O N E -- has been waiting for.
May 13th, 2008 at 1:48 pmSure, we'll all hold our breath waiting for those tough questions to be aimed at McCranky.
May 13th, 2008 at 1:50 pmpromises are a comfort to a fool.
May 13th, 2008 at 1:51 pmWhere on earth does one obtain a
'Get out of Scrutiny Free' card, anyhoo?
May 13th, 2008 at 1:53 pmOT:
TP has seemed increasingly troll-free lately. How did that happy situation come about? They all move back to Fox and Friends?
May 13th, 2008 at 1:54 pmDenny Crane.
May 13th, 2008 at 1:55 pmFrosty Cupcake - The RNC ran out of funds to pay them per post and asked them to do it for free...so only 'Themanthatcan'tspell' shows up to show us how stupid he is.
And Mr. P gets kicked with his first post every time.
May 13th, 2008 at 2:00 pmMcCain commercial aired in March --
Take your meds. Keep your rage. Stick together. Stay strong. Do not yield. Stand up. We're maniacs. And we'll never surrender," the Arizona senator says in the ad to fellow mental patients.
May 13th, 2008 at 2:00 pmShould someone mention to the MSM that the presidential election race began months ago, or should we let them snooze in peace?
May 13th, 2008 at 2:02 pmSpeaking of Mr. Pee, he isn't BlechDude, is he?
May 13th, 2008 at 2:02 pmyeah the media will be scrutinizing McCain's BBQ recipes...
that's their idea of scrutiny...
May 13th, 2008 at 2:05 pmThe difference is Denny Crane KNOWS he has "the mad cow" disease.
May 13th, 2008 at 2:07 pmRUC, the same place they get their "ignore all subpoena" cards.
May 13th, 2008 at 2:08 pmHow in the f*** does some guy that's been in Washington since Lincoln was assassinated get a "grace period" on anything?
A "grace period" is now defined as 25+ years? Please.....
May 13th, 2008 at 2:09 pmMy friends,
Free pass.
Zero scrutiny.
Forget about it.
He didn't mean that.
He didn't really say that.
It didn't mean what you think.
We didn't understand what you meant.
He's changed his stance since the vote.
He's just an old man, so leave him alone.
John Sidney McCain III would never say that.
There you have it; press coverage of McGeritol-'08
May 13th, 2008 at 2:29 pmThe media's mission to to spin MyCane as an agent of change. They will post numerous articles about him taking positions against the Bush WH. They will endlessly call him a maverick and a senator who reached accross both isles.
May 13th, 2008 at 2:31 pmAll well in good. Until you look at his voting record. He voted in lockstep with Bush 95% of the time.
MyCane is an enemy of peace, the environment, and the middle class. Don't forget that this November.
Send a message loud and clear to DC and the MSM. The game is over. Time for some payback.
Definitions of scrutiny on the Web:
examination: the act of examining something closely (as for mistakes)
a prolonged intense look
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
Scrutiny (Fr. scrutin, Late Lat. scrutinium, from scrutari, to search or examine thoroughly) is a careful examination or inquiry.
May 13th, 2008 at 2:37 pmen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrutiny
What is that guy on? McCain will get the same kind of scrutiny Bush received in 2000, which is to say, next to none. Why would the media whores take a hard look at their own? They won't or they would have by now. This clown is part of the problem, not part of the solution.
May 13th, 2008 at 2:43 pmSo, pump up the volume. Call and write the media, print, radio and TV. Stick a burr under their saddles. Demand they start discussing and reporting Issues.
May 13th, 2008 at 3:36 pmEnough of the fluff.
NBC’s Tim Russert has also acknowledged that McCain has avoided press scrutiny because of a “grace period” the media have given him. As Atrios patiently noted, we’re “still waiting.”
Grace period? Are you kidding me? Like the one they gave to Hillary Clinton? Or how about the Obama/Wright controversy that's been a non-stop top news story since the beginning whereas the very similar McCain/Hagee issue hasn't gotten much press at all.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
May 13th, 2008 at 5:22 pmBalz admitted what Russert admitted recently: they HAVE given McCain a pass, excused his flip-flops, pardoned his gaffes, dismissed his contradictions, ignored his similarity to Bush, paid no mind to his association with right wing nut preachers and bigots -- all because McCain is a supposed "maverick" -- he hasn't been a maverick in many years -- he has become a whore who sold his soul to the devil -- but yet the media unashamedly admit they will scrutinize him "later."
May 13th, 2008 at 6:24 pmDear Mainstream media...
May 13th, 2008 at 6:36 pmhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oA11ElI0FM
misshusseinmolly Says:
Russert and Balz are just attempting to dispell the reality of how slanted they are.
Mr. Potato Head and No Balz.
May 13th, 2008 at 7:05 pmYeah, and I am going to hold my breath.
Can you say, NOT GONNA HAPPEN? Yeah, I thought you could.
Brought to you by the totally useless, bought and paid for Corporate Media.
o/t: Did you know that many in the Bush Administration have been charged with war crimes? Read it now!
May 13th, 2008 at 8:51 pmClinton takes Indiana by a razor and Obama wins North Carolina by a huge margin. Nevertheless, Kentucky, Montana and West Virginia are still to come.
The Democratic race for nomination is still very much alive and most likely to be decided by superdelegates If you haven't done so yet, please write a message to each of your state's superdelegates at http://www.lobbydelegates.com
If youre tired of waiting around for those super delegates to make a decision already, go to LobbyDelegates.com and push them to support Clinton or Obama
May 14th, 2008 at 3:05 amIf the MSN took 1/10th of the time spent bashing Hillary and LOOKED at what McSame is saying . . . the cry would go out for MCSAME to drop out IMMEDIATELY. . .
"Free Pass" my ass, they're looking forward to the next weenie roast at the McSame Rancho . . .
May 15th, 2008 at 2:24 am