Straight Talk Express Sinks

And it’s not just because of John McCain’s ever-changing positon on the issues.  The candidate who once joked that the media was his base is no longer allowing the access he once did.

It’s part of a deliberate strategy by the campaign to keep the press corps – and the candidate – on a shorter leash between now and Election Day.

He’s putting out ads that refer to him as “the original maverick, while now conducting a more traditional campaign.  Senior adviser Mark Salter admits it’s a new strategy.

“It’s the NFL now. We have to up our game a little bit,” Salter said.

It was McCain’s willingness to engage with the press that made him a unique candidate and contributed to the maverick label.  While Republicans knock Obama for not being the different kind of politician he’s claimed to be, it’s McCain who is no longer candidate he used to be.

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.