McClatchy debunks VP hype

Yet another reason you should be reading the fantastic journalism of McClatchy's Washington bureau -- they debunk silly media hype rather than repeating it:

Excited about VP picks? In November, they rarely matter
By David Lightman | McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — Despite all the hyperventilating about whom they're likely to be, vice presidential candidates rarely make much of a difference in the fall elections.

"They can only make a small difference at the margins," said James Riddlesperger, an associate professor of political science at Texas Christian University, in Fort Worth.

They don't get much news coverage after an initial burst when they're selected, and they often lose their own states.

Where else have you read that in a news story in the last two months?

Comments

[Rob]

My respect for McClatchy has grown in recent days as they've been one of the very few mainstream media outlets to report on John Edwards and his apparent baby-mama in two stories last week. (The second story is here.) That's a marked contrast with the silence at the New York Times (except for a mention in its online political blog) and the Washington Post. Readers who rely on the Times and the Post for their news, as well as those who rely on the networks, must be wondering what Jay Leno is talking about when he makes his jokes about Edwards every night. McClatchy seems to remember what the job of journalists is.