Does the MSM have the vaguest clue about what makes Republicans tick? For months the liberal media has been propounding the absurd notion that John McCain's quest to obtain the Republican presidential nomination has been undermined by his support for the Iraq war. The Washington Post's Jonathan Capehart seems a good guy, but he has now added a clueless coda to that misperception, suggesting that McCain's efforts to repair his relations with the religious right has done him in.
Capehart was part of a panel on this afternoon's "Hardball." Mike Barnicle guest hosted for Chris Matthews, and asked the question "is John McCain gone?"
Opined Capehart:
WASHINGTON POST EDITORIALIST JONATHAN CAPEHART: At least for me, as a member of the press, when John McCain . . . called Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell "agents of intolerance," I thought now there's straight talk, that's someone standing on his own two feet. But then, when he walked away from that recently, I thought wait a minute, what happened to straight talk?
Fortunately, the Weekly Standard's Matt Continetti was there to set him straight.
CONTINETTI: Jonathan may be disappointed, but the press doesn't decide the Republican nominee for president. Republicans do.
CAPEHART: But it does talk about character. How can someone go from "agents of intolerance" to suddenly being hey, OK, let's sit down and . . .
CONTINETTI: I'm not sure that that's the argument that John McCain needs to worry about [with Republicans]. McCain's maverick problem is his support for Bush on immigration, and that's costing him Republican votes.
Bingo.
Contact Mark at mark@gunhill.net
