Steve Schmidt, John McCain's bald-headed message maven, made his first mark on national politics in the Bush-Cheney war room in 2004. Schmidt specialized in the generous dispersal of indignation ? like a friendly neighbor handing out Halloween candy ? to a quote-hungry press.
"It is simply outrageous that John Kerry is questioning people's patriotism," he told the New York Times in April of that year. "John Kerry will say anything for his political benefit," he told Reuters in October. "Now his campaign surrogates have taken those attacks to a new low," he told the Philadelphia Inquirer in November.
In the heat of a campaign, Schmidt understood that outrage could cut through the news clutter like a buzz saw. It didn't matter much if the outrage was fueled by fact ? better if it was fueled by emotion, which would tweak the fury of his base, leading to exciting exchanges on cable television and fresh chatter around the water cooler.
Now four years later, Schmidt and the McCain campaign have returned to outrage, and there is little doubt that the tactic is again having the desired effect.
This imbalance has caused some soul-searching and second-guessing in newsrooms, as reporters realize that they are being successfully manipulated by the McCain campaign. "Stop the madness," said TIME's own Mark Halperin, in an appearance on CNN to discuss the controversy. "I think this is the press just absolutely playing into the McCain campaign's crocodile tears."
By the weekend, many news organizations had mounted a backlash of their own, running prominent pieces accusing the self-branded "Straight Talking" McCain of deceiving voters. "The "Straight-Talk Express" has detoured into doublespeak," announced the Associated Press, while the New York Times blared, "McCain Barbs Stirring Outcry as Distortions."
The backlash has not yet had an impact on voter's perceptions of McCain's credibility though, with the press emboldened, that could change. But to date, the numbers don't show it.
In late July, the Real Clear Politics average of McCain's favorable rating stood at 53 percent, with 34 percent of voters saying they held an unpopular view of McCain. Since then, his favorability rating has gone up three points, while his un-favorability number has gone up just more than a point.
Over the same period, the favorability rating for Obama has remained constant, at 55 percent, while Obama's un-favorability has increased by more than three points to 37 percent.
Regardless of who prevails in November, one thing is certain: Steve Schmidt, lord of outrage, has a long and prosperous career ahead of him.
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