How much backlash will there be to the 8 days of McCainapalooza?

I don’t know about you, but when the video coverage of the death of Senator John McCain began a week ago Saturday, I reached satiation well before the live coverage concluded with his burial at the United States Naval Academy. Yes, he was a brave war hero that endured years of brutal captivity in North Vietnam, and all of us honor that. But as a politician, his main legislative legacy is a failed campaign finance act, one of those bipartisan feel-good efforts that backfired and made things worse.

So, how is it that his passing and a week’s worth of scheduled events merited wall-to-wall coverage? President Kennedy’s assassination required two days of live coverage for the death and funeral. I am hopeful that the Media Research Center will tabulate the total hours of coverage and compare it to the live coverage of events around the death of President Ronald Reagan. My impression is that McCain received more hours.

Or, compare the passing of Admiral James Stockdale to that of John McCain. Admiral Stockdale was a POW in Hanoi for over 7 years, a year-and-a-half longer than McCain. Like McCain, he was a very special prisoner in the eyes of the North Vietnamese, for he was the senior officer among the POWs. His prominent status was based on his achievements and consequent promotion, whereas McCain was regarded as important because of who his father and grandfather were.

Like John McCain, Admiral Stockdale ran an unsuccessful campaign on a national presidential ticket – as Ross Perot’s running mate. Unlike McCain, Admiral Stockdale was a Medal of Honor recipient.

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