Well You Gave Away the Things You Loved, and One of Them Was Me

Oh no he di-unt! From the Dept. of Do You Really Want to Go There?, the McCain campaign today sent out this note:

It's pretty obvious that the media has a bizarre fascination with Barack Obama. Some may even say it's a love affair. […]

The media is in love with Barack Obama. If it wasn't so serious, it would be funny.

Viewers at home were then asked to select from two mocking "Obama Love" videos showing journalists swooning (and, confusingly, many journalists just talking about other journalists swooning in a way that makes it seem like it's them doing the swooning). Here's the version I preferred:

Three points about all this: 1) It's totally true! Journalists do heart Obama, and they deserve to be mocked! 2) From a practical standpoint, do you really want to be taking alienating (and somewhat unfair!) potshots at Chris Matthews, one of the single biggest practitioners of the McCain man-crush? 3) Aside from the Matthews quotes, the list of panting media comments in the Maverick's general direction is long and hilarious. Here's but a brief sampling:

Michael Lewis, The New Republic, Sept. 30, 1996:

The shock of finding a Republican outside the Democratic convention is followed by a disturbingly pleasant sensation. I'm beginning to understand the war that must occur inside a 14-year-old boy who discovers he is more sexually attracted to boys than to girls. The longer I hang around McCain the harder it is to fight the feeling that just maybe I'm … Republican.

Charles Lane, The New Republic, Oct. 18, 1999:

A feeling is building up inside me, and, rather than continue trying to keep it to myself, rather than deny it any further, I think it's time finally to open up and discuss it publicly. I didn't want this to happen. I know it shouldn't be happening. But it is: I'm falling for John McCain[.]

Paul Alexander, in his 2002 biography Man of the People:

McCain has evolved over his 20-year political career into the one current politician who best articulates the hopes and dreams of the common man, the citizen out there in Kansas or Oklahoma or Alabama who wants to see a return to populism in America.

More fun quotes, and an analysis of what they might mean for contemporary politics, can be found in this book.