NBC New's Tom Brokaw Mythologizes McCain as modern Rambo

From Sept. 24, 2008, Tom Brokaw discusses McCain's recent campaign antics (the supposed suspension of his campaign and postponement of the debate) with David Gregory, and portrays John McCain as a wily guerrilla fighter laying waste to his outmatched enemies. One half-expected Brokaw to next mention a tingle running up his leg.

BROKAW: "You'll remember how many different lives John McCain has had during the course of this campaign. I think I said, in St. Paul, that he has been conducting this campaign as if it were guerrilla warfare. He sets up an ambush, he moves on very quickly, lives off the land. This is one more demonstration of that. And it's worked pretty well for him up to this point."

"Lives off the land"? Seriously?

Aside from failing to characterize McCain's actions objectively, Brokaw also failed in commenting on the relative success of McCain's campaign tactics to date, as of the segment, considering McCain was trailing in polling and falling further.

p.s. Not to mention that McCain was never a jungle fighter, but a pilot, and not a very good pilot at that -- all due respect. (I am still waiting for that intrepid journalist to report on how often students in the bottom 1% of the Naval Academy make it to flight school, and then how many trainees/pilots can lose 4 planes and retain flight status -- putting aside that final, fifth plane.)

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• news
• commentary
• analysis
• Tom
• Brokaw
• John
• McCain
• election
• 2008