McCain’s ‘Free Ride’

Back in the late '80s he was involved in this Keating Five scandal, which essentially ended the careers of most of the politicians involved. But not John McCain. How was he able to avoid that?
By convincing the reporters to chalk it up to his wayward youth and that it turned him into the great reformer. It became a story of redemption, and they ate it up. What's interesting to note is that before Keating, McCain didn't have a great relationship with the press. He still doesn't with the Arizona press; it's very contentious. It's interesting to contrast the coverage he gets in the Arizona media with that of the national media. The Arizona coverage is much more complicated. With them McCain is warts and all.

This summer did you think he was finished when he'd run out of money and his staff was defecting?
Sure. But what was so interesting was the way it was covered. Usually when a candidate goes into a death spiral, there's this piling on. It's all about this pathetic loser reaching his end and how he deserves it. But when McCain was at a low point, it was nostalgic. You saw this great hope and as soon as he began to bump up again you could sense the excitement of the press wanting to rev up the Straight Talk Express. McCain was a big story heading into Iowa; even as Huckabee surged and won, McCain's 13 percent was a big storyline. The press gave him the wind at his back he needed heading into New Hampshire. NBC's Chuck Todd even said he thought the press was trying to pull McCain across the finish line. What a thing to say! So all the while he was down, that desire for him to succeed was lurking in the press.

So how much do you credit the media for where he is today: on the verge of securing the Republican nomination?
As I said, Iowa was a critical moment when the media gave him a big hand. The importance of momentum can never be discounted. No one wants to throw their vote away, and when people got the impression that he was viable again, that made a huge difference. The axiom that the media don't tell you what to think but what to think about is clearly at play. In this case the corollary is not to tell you who to vote for but who to choose between. So yes, the media certainly had a hand in throwing McCain back into the ring.

Do you think he's a conservative?
Absolutely. Liberals attracted to him would like to believe that he's not, but that's a mistake, and that's why so many in the national media love him. But this idea that once he's president he'll become more liberal, it's wishful thinking. If you look at his record, he's a conservative. But that gets skewed by this obsession with character. In 2000 we were assured that Al Gore was the dishonest one, that George Bush might not be bright, but he's honest. Clearly, Bush has told some pretty heinous lies. So often the press gets it wrong.

Are there any members of the national media who are particular offenders when it comes to doling out love for McCain?
Chris Matthews [host of MSNBC's "Hard Ball"] I think is his biggest fan. It's his tone more than frequency. There's an embarrassing amount of adulation for McCain with him.

How does NEWSWEEK stack up?
I'll politely abstain from making that judgment, thanks.

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