Beating the press

[Commentary] The Republican National Convention featured Sen John McCain's formal, foolhardy declaration of war on the press — the same press, by the way, that made him a political superstar. Now the press seems inclined to fire back. And if this dynamic continues over the next two months — and the election is as close as everyone expects it to be — it could be the factor that makes Sen Barack Obama president. Why did McCain decide to pick a fight with the press? The obvious answer is Sarah Palin, McCain's out-of-nowhere pick for V-P. When the press dug into Palin, they would play the victim card, and play it hard. In the process, they'd boost attempts to woo disgruntled Hillary Clinton supporters who think their candidate got a raw deal — from Obama, from Democrats, and especially from the press. They'd also have an excuse to keep Palin away from tough questioning, possibly for the duration of the campaign.