GOP Rules A Fawning Mainstream Media

What's with all the bowing and scraping lately? As John Cole asks regarding South Carolina's Nikki Haley:

She was barely the most popular Republican candidate for Governor, having had to win a run-off to even become the nominee. She’s spent less time as a Governor than Sarah Palin, because… she has not even won the race yet.

But still, the Washington Post's Chris Cilizza writes:

South Carolina state Rep. Nikki Haley cruised to the Republican nomination for governor tonight, a victory that makes her not just the frontrunner for the office this fall but a likely national GOP star.

And there's more. Last weekend's Haley Barbour profile in the New York Times was just embarrassing:

As he nears the end of his eight-year stint as governor, Mr. Barbour’s performance could help shift his political image from that of an insider party boss to an out-front crisis manager — and possible presidential candidate in 2012.

Mr. Barbour, 62, is proof that if you hang around long enough, even a good old boy lobbyist and political party animal can come back into fashion — or at least be recast by circumstance.

Mr. Barbour seems to conceive all political challenges as being inside matters. External challenges, like hurricanes and oil spills, are simply beyond his ken - just like the mayor from "Jaws", whose boosterism just provided evidence of his incapacity.

And now that General Petraeus is now in charge of Afghanistan matters, you can count on his amen chorus to reappear instantly.

I know what it is! It must be an election season, and the MSM knows that it must curry favor!