A Meta Post About Journamalism? How Original!

My first thoughts, like - I hope - all right thinking Americans, when I first hear things like this escape His Honor's lips are something along the lines of "Dear God, this man cannot be allowed within fifty yards of the presidency. Just what does it take to stop him and why isn't more of that being done?" Where are the hit pieces? Where are the talking heads on news shows writing him off as a serious contender? If a scream can do in Howard Dean just how much crazy ass shit has to burble forth from Giuliani before the national media notices? This is one of those "It's Okay If You're a Republican" things, isn't it? The MSM is bad! Liberalz r gud! Lizard brain outrage protocol activated, seething rage in 3...2...

But, then, I think about comments like this one at TPM. Which ask, basically, the same thing. Why isn't it that the political press has pounced on these things? And attempts to answer for their apathy with the rationale that they don't take Rudy seriously.

I'm not so sure that apathy is the correct answer, though. Not when the national media is based, largely, in New York. The very city which Giuliani has riden to the national stage. They know Giuliani. A knowledge borne from long years of resentment and distrust and set in concrete with his graverobbing adaptation of the September 11th mystique. To read what comes out of the New Yorker or other liberal bastions from the Big Apple, they realize the danger and they're out to kneecap Giuliani as brutally as they can. And, so, I think, the national media doesn't make a big deal out of these gaffes not because they want Rudy to go away but because they're trying to make it happen.

Because part of Rudy's whole stick is that of the embattled politician. He has a big chip on his shoulder and responds to attacks with indignation. With a fire, with a passion that seems to appeal to the 24% dead enders he's trying to build his campaign around. Jngoistic neocon smacktards who long for manliness and musk. And like rooting for their guy as he sticks it to the media. Skates away from one manufactured crisis, one broadcast outrage, after another. How he doesn't bow down to the forces of political correctness. If the press criticizes him he can puff his cheeks, pump his fist, and whip his base into a frenzy at the sheer unmitigated gall that someone would dare point out that the emperor has no clothes.

And the media, having had a first hand view of him during his term as mayor, has a deep institutional knowledge of this. They know that Rudy thrives on the politics of innuendo and muckraking. That he lives to fight those kind of battles and give them a Bronx cheer afterwards. It's the sort of thing he's made a successful carreer out of doing all along. So, if you wanted to crush the Giuliani campaign what would be the first thing you'd do? Deprive it of oxygen. Don't fuel Rudy's fire by playing into his hand. Instead of drumming up controversy and controversy simply chuckle and shake your head at the boy mayor trying to be king. Keeping him from using his political jujitsu to turn it to his advantage by marginalizing him.

That's what I'd do, anyway. Because His Honor's only a danger if he's taken seriously. So the right move in that situation is to make sure he's treated like a joke.