Up-and-coming conservative candidates shy away from media analysis

Some of the most conservative and combative Republicans running for Congress are convinced that the media have it in for them. But these candidates seem to regard it as an affront when reporters challenge them on their past statements and inconsistencies, which is a basic function of journalism.

They are avoiding or limiting interviews with all but the friendliest faces as a way of circumventing the press. And some of them delight in skewering the mainstream media, a tactic that plays well with their base. The candidates, some of them political neophytes, may be facing some "gotcha" questions, but that is part of the obstacle course of national politics. More experienced politicians anticipate such queries and find ways to brush them off.