Um… What? Palin Was Picked For McCain by the Media?

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- By Warner Todd Huston

He’s kidding, right?

Sometimes a mediot (that would be media idiot for those unaware) lapses into some crazed, other world, some bizarro-land where up is down and black is white. It looks like our pal Greg Mitchell from Editor and Publisher is the latest to toke a little too hard on that wacky ciggie. Mitchell, you see, thinks he’s lighted on the real story of how Governor Sarah Palin got chosen as McLame’s running mate last year: the media is whot done it.

I know, I know, I laughed, too. But Greg is serious. He thinks the media’s attention on Hillary Clinton’s supporters, the PUMAs, convinced McLame to pick Palin because she… well, she’s a she.

You see, Mitchell figures that the media’s concerted attention on those Democrat defectors that were incensed that their “historic” female candidate was out campaigned by The Obammessiah and this attention made the female vote seem more consequential than it was. This, in turn, made McLame pick Palin thinking to cash in on the disgruntled female vote.

Because John McCain and his people bought it, hook, line and sinker, as I explain in my book "Why Obama Won." This explains the sudden (though often ill-explained) rise of Sarah Palin to the top of their VP list. The McCainites saw an opening, which really wasn't there, and went completely overboard. Not only did a female VP suddenly look like a great idea, but she would have extra appeal to the particular type of Hillary primary voters so hyped by the media.

This is absurd. Not only that, but it is no reason why McLame lost. The addition of Palin to the ticket made McLame’s rally go from boring, sparsely attended affairs to raucous, sign waving, rock-star hailing events with Palin in the middle of a swirl of enthusiasm.

We know McLame lost, of course, but he would have lost in a landslide if the choice of Palin had not brought many conservatives that were on the verge of not voting at all back to the polls.

The Olympic worthy back bends that Mitchell makes with this nutty piece is worthy of a gold medal for gymnastic contortionism.

- WTH