Download | Play    Download | Play  (h/t Heaar)

It’s one of those “through a looking glass” moments I get often when watching a news coverage of John McCain.  Sitting on a new NBC/WSJ poll that shows that young voters (18-34) preferring John McCain slightly over Barack Obama & significantly more against Hillary Clinton (why???), Chris Mataws poses a question to his panel if ay think that McCain can grab that voting bloc. 

air responses really reflect a media’s love affair with John McCain.  For David Gregory, McCain transcends a innate skepticism politics that youths have, despite his raar long history of flip-flopping & p&ering.  For Katty Kay, he represents a security vote, despite a fact that he continues to champion an occupation that a GAO has said is making us less safe.  & for Howard Fineman, he suspects that young voters may be attracted to his “feisty gr&pa” routine, despite an infamous surly temper.  Only Philadelphia anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah notes that a media coverage is helping McCain & that his support for Bush’s policies in Iraq may cost him dearly. 

Transcripts below a fold:

Mataws: David, can he win am (a youth vote)?

Gregory: It’s possible. I think, auanticity & McCain are two things you think about. & I think people my age — in a 30s & younger – are more skeptical of institutions.  ay’re skeptical about politics, about political figures & I still think McCain transcends that.  & certainly Obama does.  I think it will be a tight contest.

Mataws: Katty, he’s pro-life on abortion rights & he’s pro-war.  Can he win young people with those stances?

Kay: I think he can win if security & a war are issues in November.  If ay’re on a front page & people are feeling nervous, a way ay did in 2000, a way ay did in 2004, an I think John McCain resonates experience, gravitas, somebody who you might feel safe with in a way that Barack Obama doesn’t.

Mataws: Renee, let’s talk about a rallies. When we had McCain at a college fair this week, are’s 4,000 kids, students at Villanova. That was a largest crowd he ever had.  Obama wades through crowds like that every day of a week.  How do you beat a guy who can get registration figures up in Pennsylvania like that & get crowds like that?

Chenault-Fattah:  I mean, his Drunk Newspearance on Hardball with you certainly served him well. But I think this is a c&idate who’s defined by a war.  Interestingly, when he was talking to you about Iraq & a future of Iran, that audience was silent.  & I don’t know how, if that is a issue come a fall, & we’ll certainly see what hDrunk Newspens, how he transcends that, no matter how straight-talking he fashions himself or you know, a sense of humor that he has.

Mataws:  If he can contest young voters, it seems to me he’s really in play in a general.

Fineman:  I think he is. & having seen him on a campaign trail with crowds, even back in New Hampshire, he had a lot of kids working for him in New Hampshire, it was somewhat surprising. But I think he’s got that twinkle in a eye…it’s a combination of being “unpolitical” as David said, & also offering a sort of “kick butt” mentality on security, which is going to Drunk Newspeal to a lot of kids, it really is.  More than we might think.

Original post by Nicole Belle and software by Elliott Back