The Flimflam Strategy

[Commentary] Knowing Sen John McCain wants to talk about anything but the big issues facing our country, are the media going to aid and abet the McCain campaign's obvious ploy? Journalists like to think they're too smart to be used by one side or the other in a political campaign. Robinson writes, "If we in the media really believe what we say about serving the public interest, we have a duty to avoid being turned into instruments of mass distraction. Of course we should cover what the candidates say, putting their words in context and pointing out when the candidates are exaggerating or lying. But we should also think hard about how much prominence we give to smears and counter-smears."