Tackling an issue head-on and showing both the Dem and GOP view is always a good subject, and this story brings in poll results to not show public opinion instead of being focused on just experts. Nice touch.

Kurtz's "Media Notes" is a hodgepodge of summaries of stories explored in other articles by other journalists. "Age-Old Question" (referring to McCain's age as an issue) is a misleading title, since Kurtz doesn't make it the central focus of a journalistic study. If one wants a fuller exploration of the various issues Kurtz mentions (and I always do), one would be much better off in reading the original journalistic pieces, not Kurtz's superficial summaries that has no time or space for inclusion of sources, sides, or nuanced reasoning.

In a not too good story Howard Kurtz just rambles on about all sort of media stuff. This is a long article that basically says nothing. The jist is that the Dems are saying McCain is too old and the Republicans expressing righteous indignation are calling foul. Any moment they will stick their tongues out at each other and McCain will give Obama a wedgie.

Although the format of Kurtz's column clearly suggests to the reader that it will be simply a laundry list of general issues, it still disappoints because of the superficiality of the coverage. Too many topics are left with unanswered questions or worse, references to events or issues that are not known to the general reader, even those in D.C. This kind of piece is not very good journalism since it suggests a lazy and superficial approach to whatever topic is being covered. As far as the headline goes, the age issue provides absolutely no new information or insights.

Have to admit I am prejudiced towards the Washington Post and New York Times and they are just a shadow of what they used to be at the time of Watergate. They have good writers on both papers, and maybe even some of the editors are fair, but the publisher(s) are Republicans or give that impression. As for McCain's age, I am four years older and I work hard every day and I need my rest at night. I'm not sure if McCain is just tired or showing the onset of mental problems. He's always had emotional ones and remember, none of his psychiatric records have been released this time around. When you have a Republican senator saying that McCain scares the heck out of him, that says a lot. I'm betting McCain will not make it to the end of ... More »