"Never Challenge the Senator"

I do not live in the United States. I have do not have the whole picture as to what narrative the pundits and talking heads are pushing. Or maybe I should say, I don't know HOW MUCH they are pushing a particular narrative. I am sure I am missing a lot in my perhaps mediocre attempts in explaining what is happening in the madhouse that is the American political theater. Still, I try.

And it appears that it is clear what direction the media is going to go in this election. Like 2000, 2002, 2004 and now 2008, the media is following the narrative of the GOP. They are reporting McCain's opinion and campaign themes like it is factual news and hitting Obama on every issue. Unlike Obama, I am not "puzzled" in the least by what we are seeing. In a race where Obama leads by 6-10 points and is remaining static amidst all of these absurd accusations, CNN likes to report that it is a "statistical dead heat". As I have explained here, the media is going to do whatever they can to create the facade of a close race and how better to do that than reporting McCain Talking Points as if they were confirmed fact. They are going to pursue any line of attack on Obama in a false and immensely unethical line of faux-journalism where fact is a distant second to manufactured dribble.

This past week and already again this week, the focus was all on Obama. Luckily, he had to wisdom to call that second press conference late on Thursday because he did not want the weekend news to be dominated by the assertion that he was changing him mind of Iraq. Refinement does not equate to change. Refinement makes something even better and since Obama has a solid take on Iraq, I can only imagine how much better it is going to be.

But I wonder: What was the media reporting about St. McCain? Well, they decided to report on his brand new aircraft. In fact, I have seen on every major network a detailed description of the inside and out of this reminder of how in-touch McCain really is. They reported on what it looks like, but did they report this?

"[McCain is] very open to people. You can come on the bus, everything is great but if he knows or if his team knows that you have a hostile line of questioning or you have a long and well documented critique, they’re not going to talk to you. […]
As a human, he’s haunted by the notion of honesty and about honor and truth. He wishes that he could speak the truth all the time. He doesn’t. I don’t think he speaks the truth any more than any other politician really, no more, no less."

He won't talk to people if they have a "hostile line of questioning or you have a long and well documented critique"? The similarities between Bush and McCain are chilling, but more importantly, how is any member of the press sleeping on this issue? Ride-along biographer Matt Welch said that right after he revealed the Golden Rule on the "Straight Talk Express".

"Never challenge the Senator."

McCain senior aide Mark Salter said that there is a special VIP area on board the plane. Who gets to sit there?

"Only the good reporters" would get to sit in the specially-configured section for interviews. "You'll have to earn it," he said."

So, you have to earn it? And that means you have to agree with McCain and push his opinion as fact while making sure the the entire Media follows this narrative. If the MSM wants to at least pretend to have some sort of integrity, the story should have been closer to this.

"Presumptive Republican nominee John McCain, upgraded to the Boeing 737-400 after deciding the image of an "elitist" was safely burned into opponent Barack Obama. The new plane features a couch and two captain's chairs, along with an area where cameras can film him. In the rear of the plane, however, is a private VIP area where, as we're told, is only for his close staffers and the journalists who have shown their ability to fluff every story, inject the phrase "Straight Talk" into every piece, feed the Senator, and most importantly, NEVER CHALLENGE THE SENATOR!"

Which one is more accurate?

Really though, the Media should have been concerned that he will not listen to criticism or take advice. Between what we just went through with Bush, McCain's documented temper and now his admitted inability to listen to anyone but himself, it seems that at least one red flag would have gone up somewhere.

My question: What narrative will the MSM go with this week?