It’s true that, as Howard Kurtz notes today in The Washington Post, Barack Obama is getting some pretty adulatory press coverage lately. Still, Sen. Obama did win the first nominating contest, against what looked at one time to be pretty long odds, so a certain amount of the praise is
only to be expected.
John McCain, on the other hand, finished fourth in Iowa (though he looks likely to win in New Hampshire tonight). And yet, in recent weeks, I’d argue, he’s received equally glowing coverage, just as he did in 2000.
Here’s one explanation for why — and not one which reflects well on campaign reporters.