That John McCain is getting a free ride from the media hardly seems controversial anymore, so it was encouraging to see the Washington Post’s Shailagh Murray concede yesterday that reporters haven’t subjected the Republican nominee to the kind of scrutiny he deserves. (via ThinkProgress)
St. Paul, Minn.: Hi Shailagh — thank you for taking my question and for chatting with us. Does that fact that Sen. McCain has had access to his wife’s private jet for free undercut the widely reported view that his campaign was limping along, broke and on life support, followed by his amazing rise from the ashes to where he is now — essentially tied with both the Democrats? Will we see more scrutiny of his campaign finances and practices, or will Obama/Wright continue to suck up all the oxygen?
Shailagh Murray: This is driving Democrats crazy right now, but just wait. Once the primary battle is over, Sen. McCain will get his fair share of scrutiny.
Satyam added that the WaPo’s Howard Kurtz is also aware of the problem: “We don’t have unlimited resources, but I think we need to be covering McCain as vigorously now as in the fall. I mean, it’s not like he’s laying on a beach somewhere, he’s out there campaigning. One pet peeve of mine is when reporters don’t cover an issue because the candidates are avoiding it, thus allowing them to set the agenda.”
If all of this sounds kind of familiar, there’s a good reason.
Reading Murray’s take, I was reminded of a similar online chat with the Washington Post’s Lois Romano last October, when she was asked when the media might start scrutinizing Rudy Giuliani’s record of wildly exaggerating his record.
“He hasn’t been really challenged on every word yet. That will come. Right now, there are so many people in the race trying to get footing, and the media is trying to illuminate facts about all of them. As the field starts to winnow, you will see more and more scrutiny of what candidates say and do, and what they have done or said in the past.”
I find all of this rather odd. Reporters will scrutinize Republican candidates once the campaign begins in earnest. Scratch that, once there’s a GOP frontrunner. Or maybe once there’s a GOP nominee. Or perhaps after there’s a Democratic nominee.
I realize that the Clinton-Obama race has plenty of drama and personality, but major news outlets have plenty of reporters covering McCain every day. This is the point at which candidates are defined with impressions that will remain with voters for the rest of the year. Why not start scrutinizing him now? Isn’t that what this period is for?
Instead, we’re told, voters should “just wait.” Once the Dems have a nominee, reporters will start to scrutinize McCain — as if the Democratic nomination fight has some relevance to the media’s ability to question McCain’s mistakes, gaffes, and woefully ridiculous policy proposals.
It’s one of the more frustrating side losses of the prolonged Democratic fight — the media allows the Clinton-Obama confrontation to suck up all the oxygen, leaving McCain to screw up with impunity.
Though, I have a sinking suspicion that if the Democratic race was already over, news outlets would find some other excuse to give McCain a pass.