There has been significant speculation in the MSM that an upshot of the NYT's McCain piece could be to rally support for McCain from conservatives like Rush Limbaugh who heretofore have been, shall we say, less than enthusiastic about the Arizona senator.
Typical was this exchange from today's Good Morning America, which followed an appearance by McCain campaign advisor Charlie Black.
View video here.
DIANE SAWYER: Let me ask you about Mr. Black saying a half-a-dozen times at least "liberal New York Times, liberal New York Times." Is this going to rally conservatives who have been a problem for Senator McCain, and he said there would be no libel suit; he certainly implied that. Short of that, what will they do with the New York Times?
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: There's not going to be a libel suit. You can't win a libel suit by a public figure like Senator McCain against the New York Times. But I've been talking to McCain strategists. They are going to go after the New York Times, in the words of one strategist, "with extreme aggression. If they are going to act like a partisan in this race," says this advisor, "we're going to treat them like partisans in this race."
And I do think that has the potential to rally conservatives who have been very critical of Senator McCain. We already saw Sean Hannity last night going after the New York Times. It's going to be interesting to see today what Rush Limbaugh and Laura Ingraham have to say.
Indeed.
