LA Times praises the Straight Talk Express?
posted at 12:18 pm on April 26, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
Send to a Friend |
Share on Facebook | printer-friendly
The Democrats have another reason to worry about California. Not only does the Los Angeles Times editorial board go out of their way to praise John McCain’s political courage, they scold both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for their shameless pandering. I know it’s snowing in Minnesota today, but did Hell freeze over as well?
John McCain’s “Time for Action” tour of small and hard-hit towns played a bit like an extended campaign commercial, but with an important difference. Yes, there were the photo ops of the candidate in locales usually bypassed by Republicans seeking the White House, including an African American quilting hotbed in rural Alabama, a shuttered factory in a struggling Ohio town and an impoverished Appalachian community in eastern Kentucky. But instead of promising truckloads of aid if he’s elected, McCain talked up his vision of a government that helps more by doing less.
It’s not a new message from the Arizona senator, who follows an unpredictable political muse but typically favors smaller government and less regulation. Yet the context was important. Standing outside the Ohio factory Tuesday, in a state where Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton pandered to protectionists, McCain actually stood up for the North American Free Trade Agreement and free trade. The lost factory jobs aren’t coming back, McCain said, and rather than waging a futile fight against globalization, Washington should do a better job training workers for careers in the new economy.
The next day he visited Inez, Ky., where nearly a third of the population lives below the poverty line and almost half of the adults never made it through high school. President Lyndon Johnson announced his War on Poverty in Inez, but McCain was there to withdraw the troops. “Government can’t create good and lasting jobs outside of government,” he said, adding that it should focus on encouraging businesses to create opportunities for the poor and reduce regulatory barriers to improving education.
Polling in California shows that McCain could at least compete against the Democrats in the Golden State. He gained eight points on Obama in a month, going from 15 points down to seven on April 17th, which didn’t take into account Obama’s disastrous debate performance on the 16th. McCain trails Hillary by only five points. Even competing against the Democrats in California will force them to spend money in a state they’ve handily won for the last four cycles, and which they cannot afford to lose.
More significantly, it appears that the mainstream media has decided to start looking much more closely at the campaign style of the Democrats. The protectionist pandering, which would normally excite the LA Times, has instead become worrisome. The Democratic kill on the Colombia free-trade pact, which would have benefited the US more than the Colombians who already have free access to our markets, has taken the blinders off at the LAT, at least. Worse, the mixed messages sent by the campaigns on their populist protectionism has people wondering where the candidates really stand — especially after Barack Obama’s weird insinuation about bitter middle-American xenophobes clinging to “anti-trade sentiment” after he has stoked it with his campaigning for the last several months.
In the end, honesty wins out against double-speak. The dishonesty coming from the Democrats has become so obvious that even the LA Times has to acknowledge it. Perhaps in 2008, the media will engage in some straight talk themselves.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
As I have warned many time; Beware of the media baring gifts.
As ‘the maverick’ has tea and crumpets with them in trying to win them over, behind their backs they are honing their knives.
pocomoco on April 26, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Does Juan “Z-Visa” McCain support giving Los Angeles $213 million for 60 new buses to carry around the Illegal Aliens?? The catch is, Ahhhnoooode and Tony Villar will have to transform Carpool lanes into Toll Lanes, thus putting MORE drivers into the regular lanes and only the Lexus and Hummers for the Toll Lanes. What a sham! Of course ol’ “Z-Visa” McCain will waste my tax dollars to the benefit of more illiterate peasants here.
McCain/Kennedy
STAY HOME ‘08
DfDeportation on April 26, 2008 at 12:36 PM
Of course the LAT is giving McCain a pat on the head this week for pissing off more republican voters. That’s all it is.
Blake on April 26, 2008 at 12:42 PM
What’s telling is the hard and seemingly honest look at the Democrats pure unadulterated hypocrisy. For the LA Times to notice and comment on this is far more significant then any words about McCain.
dmann on April 26, 2008 at 12:51 PM
Somebody’s going to be fired at the LA Times.
profitsbeard on April 26, 2008 at 12:56 PM
As I have written here and else where, the information age provides more information for any voter who wants to know what the candidate has said in the past, last week and today; politicians can no longer speak out of both sides of their mouths and get away with it as was done in the past. There is now no excuse for any American to be uninformed; to have been hoodwinked by a national politician.
I did not support John McCain initially because of a few things such as his illegal immigration bill, campaign reform bill, his definition of torture and wanting to abandon GITMO, his belief in global warming and the spending federal money to fight it, his reported temper and his age ( I have a temper and I am very old too). But I now support him over his rivals since I at least know where he stands, know they have little experience and shift views to fit the territory, and we have seen him, in the case of illegal immigration, acknowledge that he must bend to the will of the vast number of Americans who want our borders to be secured first. He believes in cuts in spending and elimination of earmarks/pork and has demonstrated that with his own record. Historically he has shown that he keeps his word and his change on immigration policy also means that his own views can be changed when faced with realistic and concrete public opinion. And above all else, he wants our country to win in the war against Islamic fascism; with al Qaeda publicly announcing that Iraq is the central front in their attack on the West that means we must win in Iraq. Without this success, all other wants and policy speeches are meaningless.
I want one thing for sure; a strong, younger vice president able to step in his shoes if needed.
amr on April 26, 2008 at 12:57 PM
Yahr, Captain. You be a cock-eyed optimist, I be believin’.
Hening on April 26, 2008 at 12:58 PM
The L.A. Times is a dying, Lefty newspaper. Been losing readers left and right…
DfDeportation on April 26, 2008 at 1:00 PM
Dare to dream my friends! Personally, I won’t be holding my breath.
conservnut on April 26, 2008 at 1:05 PM
But that’s not what he did in this story. What Republican is teed off for what he did as reported here?
I’m not.
McCain went to these hard hit areas and specifically told that that government was not the solution. No promises, no handouts, no government largesse, no pandering.
OTOH, the Democratic candidates are going around promising ice cream and cake and pie for everyone. For free.
Who’s the serious candidate here?
SteveMG on April 26, 2008 at 1:09 PM
I suspect that McCain will likely win many traditionally Democratic strongholds while losing some Republican ones. He’s long been one of the best Democrats in congress and represents everything the party has lost over recent decades, and at some point enough Democrats are going to come to terms with this fact that McCain’s “R” will be seen as a mere technicality—that Democrats can remain true to the ideals and goals of their party even while voting for McCain. In the meantime many Republicans will come to this same conclusion, (and have already), and be reluctant to vote for him.
So while McCain is liable to win the ’08 election in a landslide, not only will he not have Republican coattails, he’ll have Democrat ones. Unfortunately, this eventuality should suit McCain’s purposes just fine.
FloatingRock on April 26, 2008 at 1:30 PM
As much as McCain is troublesome for conservatives he is going to be extremely tough to tar by the libs.
A history of annoying conservative makes the usual left line of attack by the MSM look stupid- one bright spot I suppose.
I just wonder how enthusiastic (voting wise) he can make either conservatives or he beloved “independents” come Nov.
jjshaka on April 26, 2008 at 1:48 PM
McCain apparently is going for the “everyones” President, presidency. He understands that he’s alienating a large part of his constituency, while garnering support from non-traditional voter bases. Kinda like Reagan. He will be all over the map from now, through the general. He also understands Republican contempt for the left and is counting on the anyone but a lib vote.
F’it. McCain ‘08
captivated_dem on April 26, 2008 at 1:49 PM
Reagan didn’t trade Republicans for Democrats, he brought some Democrats into the fold.
FloatingRock on April 26, 2008 at 1:59 PM
It’s a pat on the head for playing the race card on the NC GOP and giving the media another reason to call Republicans raaacists. Which certainly diverts attention from Obama’s racist-coddling, and serves to rehabilitate Wright just by comparison: “Wright’s only responding to the racism that even the GOP admits is prevalent!” They know they can rely on their pet Maverick to throw his own party right under the Straight Talk Express every chance he gets.
Laura on April 26, 2008 at 2:03 PM
But what about the substance of what McCain said?
I agree that his criticism of the NC ad was silly and unfair. And too often typical of his style.
But look at what he was advocating in those speeches. Hardly ideas that the knuckleheads at the LA Times endorse.
SteveMG on April 26, 2008 at 2:06 PM
Bingo.
MB4 on April 26, 2008 at 2:12 PM
Yep, the McCain quoted in the story is just another liberal big government type.
As they say in Syria as the bombs hit, “Oy!!”
SteveMG on April 26, 2008 at 2:14 PM
Point taken. However, there were similar responses toward Reagans attempts to appeal to the, “right of far left”, and centrist voting blocs. He was hammered for being successful at this. I don’t believe Reagan did this by design, just his natural ability to appeal to a broad range of beliefs. McCain will try to emulate this strategy, but the duplicate will never be as good as the original.
captivated_dem on April 26, 2008 at 2:14 PM
The LA Times can rely on the average voter to not retain anything of substance, like what McCain said in the speech. But they will recall (and it will be repeated early and often to help them memorize it) that McCain “verified” that the GOP is racist.
Laura on April 26, 2008 at 2:19 PM
But there’s no real sign of that yet though, is there? He’s been trashing the Republican base not building it up. McCain isn’t expanding the party, he’s amputating large swaths of it and replacing them with independents and Democrats. He’s not only trying to appeal to conservative Democrats as Reagan did, he’s trying to appeal to all but the most extreme of them.
McCain isn’t Reagan ‘08, he’s Dr. Frankenstein ‘08. :)
FloatingRock on April 26, 2008 at 2:21 PM
Why is it that people act surprised that McCain can do well in states like California. Democrats always do well in California. McCain is a Democrat in everything but party registration.
Snake307 on April 26, 2008 at 2:30 PM
California needs money. They could get it easily by drilling off their coast, but that would endanger the Great White Shark population that they have there.
They don’t want to say, it’s a Democrat win for the Golden State because then they won’t get any advertising money. If they say, ‘Hey, this is going to be a real battleground state.’ Then they might get more campaign revenue from both the D and the R.
This has nothing to do with the candidates and everything to do with the fact that they want the candidates to spend money there (at the LA Times) and TV stations during the election. Everything about California is completely fake and all for the show. To them, image is everything. If they create the image that it’s close, they’ve done their best.
ThackerAgency on April 26, 2008 at 2:37 PM
Not a direct comparison, just a kinda comparison. My main point was that McCain appears to be willing to sacrifice a “large swath” of the base, believeing that he can make it up elsewhere. My apologies to President Reagans’legacy, for making a lame comparison.
captivated_dem on April 26, 2008 at 2:40 PM
ThakerAgency, I live in CA, and if you’d know me, I’m not at all fake :) I also don’t give a damn about fakery, or faux.
I predict, and I repeat myself, Calif. will go McCain. I listed the reasons many times. There’s a huge percentage of independents here, and they do pay attention to the circus. They’ve decided the two lefties are both bad, from differente perspectives. The lefties/righties here are around a 40% group, each, at best.
Schwarzenegger, with all his pillow-influence from his wife, still supports and will campaign for McCain, and Arnold is liked, in spite of himself. He has mob appeal, and he’s Hollywood, with the touch of the common man/woman (not the life, just the reach).
Could go on, by why? You won’t believe me anyway. We’ll talk again in Nov., or sooner. This year will end with many surprises, not to the liking of the libs, and neither to many here. We live in weird times.
Entelechy on April 26, 2008 at 2:52 PM
Exactly.
juliesa on April 26, 2008 at 3:21 PM
Don’t forget the pony. I’m totally getting one of those. Obama said!
If we wanted serious candidates, none of the three we’ve got would be finalists. In fact, pretty much all of Congress would be disqualified too.
Laura on April 26, 2008 at 3:29 PM
He was saying that in MI too, remember when everyone else was saying that the jobs are coming back?
Squid Shark on April 26, 2008 at 3:59 PM
Well, of course the LA Times says nice things about McCain.
Other than on Iraq, he is pretty much in lock-step with them. And what’s a little foreign war between friends….
………….Especially when McCain-Feingold gave so much extra power to the media in deciding who would be elected to office.
Sure, the LAT would prefer a Democrat, but if you can’t get a liberal democrat, McCain will do.
LegendHasIt on April 26, 2008 at 4:02 PM
Riiiight hes a regular socialist that one….
Squid Shark on April 26, 2008 at 4:03 PM
Never said he’s a socialist.
McCain has NO core beliefs other than “Whatever McCain wants, is the right thing for the entire world”.
And the things that McCain decides he wants are usually pretty much what the folks at the LAT want too.
Pure coincidence, but wise people can draw their own conclusions.
LegendHasIt on April 26, 2008 at 4:08 PM
Sounds like “true” conservatives…
Whatever Rush tells me must be the right thing for the whole world.
First McCain gets crapped on for working with the other side, and now he is crapped on for “having his own mind”
Squid Shark on April 26, 2008 at 4:11 PM
Nobodies crapping on McCain, they’re just flinging it back at him.
FloatingRock on April 26, 2008 at 4:35 PM
MOnkey see, MOnkey do.
Squid Shark on April 26, 2008 at 4:49 PM
SY,SS
I haven’t listened to Limbaugh since ‘92
But I have known McCain since ‘75, so if Limbaugh says the same things about McCain that I do, it only proves that Limbaugh is a pretty smart guy.
LegendHasIt on April 26, 2008 at 5:04 PM
“When I was a little boy
And the devil would call my name
I’d say ‘Now who do…who do you think you’re foolin’?”
Don’t know where that came from — must have thought it was appropriate.
Carry on.
Nichevo on April 26, 2008 at 6:05 PM
Entelechy on April 26, 2008 at 2:52 PM
well, we’ll see. The LA Times seems to agree with you. I’m not there, I don’t know. But the LA I’ve been to is all about the flash and image without regard to reality.
Don’t get me wrong, I think California is beautiful and there are some great people there. But the governor is another one of those RINOs that the R party is supposed to get behind as a staunch conservative.
ThackerAgency on April 26, 2008 at 6:46 PM
ThackerA, I agree with all you wrote. Just one thing, LA is by far not all of California.
Entelechy on April 26, 2008 at 7:00 PM
As long as “bitter” loser Rush keeps attacking a good man–John McCain–we’re going to have these snotty comments about “McVain pissing off Republicans”.
Rush does what’s good for Rush.
jgapinoy on April 26, 2008 at 9:23 PM
The all-or-nothing so-called conservative hyper-purists seem to want McCain to move to the left.
jgapinoy on April 26, 2008 at 9:24 PM
My local rag, the LA Times(-Democrat)? The paper that regularly tries to blindside Republican candidates with last-minute, poorly sourced smears?
C’mon, Ed. April Fool’s Day was weeks ago!
irishspy on April 26, 2008 at 9:30 PM
You stay home and get Obama or Hillary elected, and when you do you have NO RIGHT TO COMPLAIN AFTERWARDS.
I Will Vote for McCain… (Then Complain like hell either way)
Chakra Hammer on April 26, 2008 at 9:45 PM
Pardon me, but may I ask a question. If the person who doesn’t vote for the moron John McCain is responsible for the Democrats and apparently the terrorist winning, then why aren’t you responsible for the ills that befall us when McCain does it to us. You know, all those great Democratic Party things like raising taxes, giving us liberal judges, and increasing Government power and programs.
I want Hillary in the White House. You and I know that she’ll spend the first two years destroying her political enemies, which isn’t Republicans, but Democrats who left the Clinton Tribe Reservation. After that, she’ll turn her attention to the rest of the nation, and we can prep some Republicans to stand in defiance of the Democrats, and perhaps surgically install some backbone into a few of them.
I’ve already decided. I like the idea of being a Maverick, and fighting the party leaders. Since McCain is apparently the party leader now, I’m going to fight him. I’m going to claim he’s racist, and homophobic. I’ll support him on one topic, occasionally, and claim I’m a steady party supporter because of that sporadic support. When I’m out of the popular culture, I’ll claim that everyone else is out of touch with reality.
Yeah, that’s how I’ll do it.
Snake307 on April 27, 2008 at 12:41 AM
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
*falls on floor and starts rolling*
hahahahahahahahahah
*gasp*
sorry about that. I thought you were trying to be serious.
Squid Shark on April 27, 2008 at 8:29 AM
Well, I guess the Celiacs will be okay*…
What was the name of the TV show with the “really cute” brunette Alaskan “bush” female pilot, the hippy radio guy the local Jewish doc and the retired dumbe asse aeir force major…; about ten year ago…?
Memory slides…!
J_Gocht on April 27, 2008 at 7:03 PM
Forgetabout it…!
Google says…http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Exposure
H&k’s
J_Gocht on April 27, 2008 at 7:22 PM
This guy McCain is an absolute disgrace to the Republican party !!! GWB atleast manage to hide who he was during his 1st term … atleast. I will have to vote for him … but no financial contribution for McCain. Have to save money for his GLOBAL WARMING Jihad !!! If he is defeated in Nov. … so be it !!!
aniladesai on April 27, 2008 at 10:55 PM