The media, of course, has anointed him Arbiter of All That is Right and Good and Virtuous. He's the favorite Republican of most liberals because he's a "thoughtful conservative." "Finally!" the gist goes, "A Republican who's not a stupid caveman!"
What this actually means is that McCain holds a scant handful of positions that could be considered moderately conservative (which makes him "conservative"), and a whole bunch of positions that are nothing more than warmed-over liberalism (which makes him "thoughtful" and "not a stupid caveman"). In their view, McCain is not a hunchbacked Neanderthal insofar as he's not actually conservative.
Because he relentlessly courts them and because they are oblivious to their own narcissism, the media have been snookered into portraying McCain as a "straight-shooter" and "the kind of politician we need more of" simply because he's willing to talk with them day or night and tell them what they agree with.
In reality, McCain is is the biggest media whore to come out of either party in a generation. Just watch an interview with him--any interview.
NEWS DITZ: Senator, why can't more politicians be like you?Oddly, it was never referred to as "straight talk" when Spiro Agnew would call them a bunch of idiots or Jesse Helms would give his unvarnished view of alternative lifestyles. But McCain, by giving them his phone number and saying "Call me whenever you need a Republican to badmouth conservatism," has become the poster boy for "straight talk."
MCCAIN (beaming with self-satisfaction): Well, I think, unfortunately, too many people put politics ahead of the good of the country, which you--as the best reporter in America--know I would never do. (Chest broadening)
NEWS DITZ (eyes closed, breathing heavily): Oh, yeah. Say that again....only slower...
Anyone see them calling Zell Miller's rebel-against-his-party speech at the Republican Convention "straight talk?"
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