Politico points out what a lot of us in here have been saying, Matt Drudge seems to be an Obamacan. In recent months, nearly all of his coverage of Obama has been glowing while openly mocking the HRC scandals and McCain's age and health...will it continue into the General, quotes from the article and some commentary after the jump...
Most of us remember and openly despised Drudge for the Lewinsky scandal and really painting Gore and Kerry in a bad light but a lot of people have noticed a shift in his site...
The Drudge Report is no ordinary compendium of news stories. It is a heavily-trafficked gateway to all corners of the Internet, a portal composed of links largely to breaking news from traditional media like the New York Times (as well as newer entrants like Politico). Most of the content is without any obvious ideological attachment, But operatives of both parties have long believed that his choice of links — along with occasional posts of Drudge's own reporting — have reflected a rightward tilt, and they assumed a preference for Republican candidates.
Drudge himself is reviled by many on the left, but his news instincts are undeniable—and he has an uncanny ability to drive the national conversation with what he chooses to highlight on his site.
Many here noted Drudge hardly covered the Wright fiasco, JMart and Smith noticed as well
More important have been the dogs that didn’t bark: Drudge showed comparatively little interest in the controversy around the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama’s pastor, ignoring his "God Damn America!" sermon for a day after the story of it broke, then linking only to the news that he’d left Obama’s campaign. Among Drudge’s next scattered forays was the story of a McCain aide was suspended for promoting the story. Then, with more fanfare, he posted an image of Wright with...Bill Clinton.
When Obama addressed the story in a major speech, Drudge – uncharacteristically – simply posted Obama’s words in full.
He’s similarly shown little interest in the trial of former Obama patron Tony Rezko on corruption charges: Again, his first recognition of the story, this January 25, came when he posted a photo of Rezko and Clinton that political sources were circulating. He also paid far less attention to Obama’s "bitter" comments than others on the right and most in the mainline media.
I personally have thought throughout this campaign that it was just more CLinton than pro-Obama, that Drudge still has some deep rooted hatred for the Clintons...looks like the Politico folks agree...
More recently, Drudge almost single-handedly elevated Clinton’s reference to Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination into a campaign crisis and helped fuel her demise by leading with a YouTube link of the declaration by NBC’s Tim Russert following the Indiana and North Carolina primaries that the Democratic nominee had been chosen.
The Clinton campaign at one time attempted to establish a relationship with Drudge, to little avail. The site has been energetically ushering her offstage and even Clinton's victory in Puerto Rico Sunday won only another gloomy headline: "THE END."
Many also believe that Drudge is an arrogant egotistical narcissist, and there could be some truth in that as the article points out..
Drudge, who in keeping up his Salinger-like air of mystery declined to comment for this story, was quick to tout his trans-national appeal in a rare interview with the British Sky News late last year.
"It’s become sort of a international clearing ground of news –- not just American news, not just British news, not just European news -- anywhere news," he said. "This to me is the future, no boundaries."
Chris Lehane, who was Al Gore’s spokesman in 2000, analyzed Drudge’s mindset in those business terms.
"Drudge can count," he said. The campaign, Lehane noted, is an opportunity for the site "to position itself as less of a partisan and more as an equal opportunity muckraker.... [The site] may not be able to afford to be seen as explicitly partisan for its long-term growth purposes - especially given the potential electoral re-alignment the country may very well be going through."
SO will Drudge remain on Obama's side because that is where the winds blow or does he as other have suggested something huge on Obama that he is just waiting for the right time to unleash (the long rumored Roger Stone Michelle Obama video?) Personally I think he really likes Obama and his message of hope and change but I also think he knows the world loves Obama and he hopes to bring in a wider audience