Wednesday, January 23, 2008

McCain supporters - David Brooks and Michael Medved

Anyone with the slightest awareness of conservative punditry will know that McCain doesn't have many supporters. APF Pundits from Rush, Mark Levin, Michelle Malkin to Laura Ingraham have come out strongly on their radio programs and have even taken to print to discredit McCain. And that's putting it lightly.

Only 2 prominent conservatives come to mind as McCain supporters, Radio talker Michael Medved and NY Time columnist David Brooks. Both pundits during the early stages of the GOP debate were supportive or at least accommodating of the then front-runner, Mike Huckabee. After McCain's victory in New Hampshire and subsequent ascendancy, both pundits were more pronounced in their support of McCain. Some have contended that their glowing editorials for Huckabee in the early stages of the GOP race was a ploy to pave McCain's path to the nomination. Hugh Hewitt, a radio stablemate of Medved's has contended as much.
The New York Times' David Brooks is gleeful that Huckabee has monkeywrenched Romney. Huck can't be president, Brooks assures us, but it was good to see the party establishment humbled and McCain's way forward cleared. "Mitt Romney is now grievously wounded," Brooks enthused. "My guess is Republicans will now swing behind McCain in order to stop Mike."

Is the picture clearer this morning for all those Iowa evangelicals on why Mike Huckabee got the gentle treatment after his bizarre news conference Monday?
Read Hugh's full post here

Anti-McCain feeling has been a staple of the Conservative pundit class. The clamour will only get louder with every McCain success in the primaries and polls. Its only been recently that I've heard hits against the McCain supporters such as Brooks and Medved.

Listen and Download Hugh talking with Medved as McCain is declared the victor in the New Hampshire primary.

This exchange is very cordial. Hugh's famed bias for Mitt Romney shows in the discussion as he downplays McCain's victory, Hugh's memes were challenged handily by Medved.
HUGH HEWITT: Michael you're a McCain guy, I'm a Romney guy. We're gonna go back and forth for the next month and we're gonna be friends after this. But I gotta say, aren't you a little disappointed.. the guy who got 60% 8 years ago is down to 37% and out of money
Michael Medved: Absolutely Not! Hugh I think you're really reaching... to beat... the first Massachusetts candidate in the history of the New Hampshire Primary to lose. I mean c'mon Mitt Romney had every advantage here, he outspent John McCain. A win is a win is a win.
Onto another Brooks/Medved rant. This time not as cordial. Mark Levin cuts a mean promo on the two pundits for their support of McCain. In signature Levin style, he calls Brooks a "foolish and almost incoherent man from the New York Slimes" and labels Medved a "backbencher".
Listen and Download Levin's promo here.
Read Mark Levin articulating his anti-McCain/anti-Brooks sentiments in print.

Whilst there is uniformity in the trashing of McCain from these pundits. Another thing is certain, McCain is held in high esteem for his service to America as a respected military man and POW in Vietnam. But as Hugh Hewitt is quick to point "McCain is a Great American, lousy senator and terrible Republican".

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