RedState's streiff writes that the romance between the media and John McCain has ended.

It occurs to me that this actually increases McCain's chances of winning a GOP Primary Election ...

There are many reasons why conservatives haven't trusted John McCain. Some of the reasons are legitimate and substantive (such as campaign finance reform) -- but some of them are really a matter of style. For example, Chuck Todd has made the case that McCain is too morose for conservative voters. While it is true that conservatives value optimism, that doesn't speak to political philosophy. In fact, prior to Reagan, conservatism had a tradition of being somewhat pessimistic.

I would also add that conservatives harbor a natural suspicion against anyone whom the media adores. Of course, you could argue that, in order to attract positive media attention, a conservative candidate would have to sell out. But one of the main reasons McCain received positive press attention during the 2000 race was that me made himself so available. In short, it may not be fair to punish a candidate for being a "media darling" -- but then, who said elections were "fair"?

McCain has learned the lessons of 2000. This time around, he knows that he must do two important things: 1. Appeal more to conservatives, and 2. Woo Bush donors and operatives.

In accomplishing these two goals, he was sure to anger the media. But it could possibly be that an adversarial media was always third on his list of things he must do, anyway.

Once again, John McCain proves to be a master at manipulating the media. By criticizing him, they are playing into his hands.