Matthew Yglesias » Defining Candor Down

Jul 31st, 2008 at 5:18 pm

Defining Candor Down

With some press outlets now pointing out that John McCain’s dishonest ads are dishonest, I got a few commenters wondering if I’ll stop complaining about McCain’s cozy relationship with the press. I think I’ll do that when reporters stop crediting him with “irrepressible candor” for the most banal Q&A interactions imaginable. The press is still treating him the way proud parents treat their kid, perhaps willing to discipline him gently when he gets out of line but still eager to swear that his every ordinary action is magic.

Comments
37

37 Responses to “Defining Candor Down”

Jim Crozier Says:
July 31st, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Bravo Matt!

I agree. You should only stop pointing out that the press is protecting McCain when the press stops acting like different rules and standards apply to him than do to everyone else?
Jim Crozier Says:
July 31st, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Bravo Matt!

I agree. You should only stop pointing out that the press is protecting McCain when the press stops acting like different rules and standards apply to him than do to everyone else.
voice of reason Says:
July 31st, 2008 at 5:44 pm
I will stop complaining about the way that the press treats McCain on the day that they call for his arrest, trail, and execution.
DTM Says:
July 31st, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Personally, I think we are approaching the point where it would make sense to treat this as a case-by-case issue, because it really does seem to me the press has started to do its job a lot more frequently.
John McCain: More of the Same Says:
July 31st, 2008 at 6:00 pm
And when they stop saying the lies aren’t McCain’s fault, he really is so filled with integrity, etc.
Steven Smith Says:
July 31st, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Also, the press still acts like the fault is with his campaign aides, not with him. See this post from Kevin Drum on the subject.
John Says:
July 31st, 2008 at 6:22 pm
That is a good analogy, Matt. I also think Steven Smith’s point is well taken. There’s a certain “if only the Tsar knew” quality to criticism of the McCain campaign.
LFC Says:
July 31st, 2008 at 6:25 pm
With some press outlets now pointing out that John McCain’s dishonest ads are dishonest, I got a few commenters wondering if I’ll stop complaining about McCain’s cozy relationship with the press.

There will always be members of the press who leave any semblance of journalistic integrity at the door, and become cheerleaders. These people must be continually shown as what they are, the political version of stock market pump monkeys.
howard Says:
July 31st, 2008 at 6:46 pm
but my child’s every ordinary action is magic!

on the other hand, he just turned 4.

john mccain is supposed to be an adult….
Richard Steven Hack Says:
July 31st, 2008 at 7:23 pm
The press isn’t going to stop as long as they’re owned by people who want McCain to be President.
JimPortlandOR Says:
July 31st, 2008 at 8:22 pm
In the TV dramas (think Law and Order) the proud parents of the guy who raped, murdered and dismembered the neighbor girl is always referred to by the parents as ‘just a good boy that everybody loves and gets good grades’.

Then it turns out the boy has done this three times before, and the parents alibis for the boy being in his room studying are bogus.
G Davis Says:
July 31st, 2008 at 8:31 pm
What I’d like to know is why the press is so infatuated with what the McCain campaign and surrogates have to say but literally ignore the words that actually come out of the man’s own mouth.

I could give a rip about what his campaign manager thinks about policy…I’m not voting for him. I want more face time with the actual candidate.

As far as their coverage of Obama, his overseas trip forced the media to actually pay attention to what the man himself was saying or doing, but now he’s home we don’t even hear what his campaign thinks…it’s all what McCain’s campaign guys think Obama has said or done.

Keep fighting the good fight Matt…I can only hope that there are more of us voters that at least want to change our politics from personal to policy, but it sure is an uphill climb when all you hear from the media is the smut.
joe from Lowell Says:
July 31st, 2008 at 9:04 pm
There’s a certain “if only the Tsar knew” quality to criticism of the McCain campaign.

Part of me agrees, but the other part remembers that sorry performance in front of the green backdrop.

It’s pretty obvious that he’s the monkey, not the organ-grinder, in this campaign. To the point of foolishness on occasion.
JohnH Says:
July 31st, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Thank you for that post. My reaction to the right-wing chortling comments was that they’re premature. We can hope that the aura around McCain with his base, the press, is starting to be dispelled, but we need to see a lot more. My gym still greets me with a business mag cover story of both candidates’ economic plans, but with a reassuring image of McCain to show how his will make it all better.
PiriketSeverler Says:
August 1st, 2008 at 5:10 am
But my child’s every ordinary action is magic!
Htmlcentre Says:
November 22nd, 2008 at 4:33 am
Bir kod da Sen Koy!
İnternetin Sosyallaştığı Site
http://www.htmlcentre.tr.gg
steven a smith Says:
December 5th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
NEW YORK (Associated Press) – Land management company Alico Inc. said Tuesday that Dan L. Gunter has resigned as president and chief executive as part of restructuring efforts. Steven M. Smith, the senior vice president of
Htmlcentre Says:
February 14th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Bir Kodda Sen Koy!
İnternetin Sosyallaştığı Site
http://www.htmlcentre.tr.gg
cialis Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 6:06 pm
cialis
If you have to do it, you might as well do it right
buy mesos Says:
March 7th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
Interesting site, i have bookmarked your blog for future referrence
htmlkod Says:
March 10th, 2009 at 7:51 am
asdasd
kraloyun Says:
March 10th, 2009 at 7:51 am
ooo
viagra Says:
March 11th, 2009 at 4:28 am
If you have to do it, you might as well do it right
zyban Says:
March 12th, 2009 at 11:12 pm
I bookmarked this site. Thank you for good job!
xanax Says:
March 14th, 2009 at 5:08 am
If you have to do it, you might as well do it right
xanax
tramadol Says:
March 22nd, 2009 at 6:08 am
tramadol
I bookmarked this site. Thank you for good job!
ethinfelt Says:
April 9th, 2009 at 5:40 am
FANTASTIC!
Ex Back Says:
April 9th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
I can tell that this is not the first time at all that you write about the topic. Why have you chosen it again?

Matt Yglesias

Defining Candor Down

37 Responses to “Defining Candor Down”

Blogroll