Is Drudge on the Obama bandwagon or just looking to shaft McCain? Analysis from The Politico:
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 who was suspended for promoting the story. Then, with more fanfare, he posted an image of Wright with … Bill Clinton.
… He’s shown similarly 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.
… Explanations vary for Drudge’s apparent embrace of Obama and coolness to McCain — as do answers to the question of whether Drudge has changed, or whether he’s simply responding to a changed landscape and a new set of candidates.
Some Drudge watchers note an ideological element, even if they can’t agree on the direction. Drudge’s public statements have long suggested that he has a strong libertarian streak, often linking stories detailing the latest developments in video surveillance or encroachments on speech. McCain is no libertarian, and indeed regulating political speech — campaign finance reform — is one of his signature crusades.
“A big part of Drudge is libertarian and First Amendment and McCain’s not all there,” said a top Republican strategist.