Drudge Report keeps campaigns guessing...

[dkf]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/10744.html

May 19 was a fairly typical day in the recent life of the Drudge Report.

There was a breathtaking picture of Senator Barack Obama’s rally in Portland, Ore., framed by the words “AS FAR AS CAMERA'S EYE CAN SEE… THE OBAMA MASS.”

And there was thinly veiled mockery of two other candidates: “Clinton Sits Through Sermon About Adultery,” was one headline. “State GOP chair: McCain ‘kind of like Jesus,’” was another, closely followed by “McCain’s national finance co-chair exits over lobbyist ties…”

The day, and the weeks before and since, capture what may be the most striking new feature of the 2008 media landscape. Matt Drudge has upended the conventional wisdom that he and his powerful online vehicle are stalwarts of the conservative message machine.

After skewering Al Gore and lampooning John Kerry, he’s emerged as an unreliable ally for the GOP, while trumpeting Obama’s victories and overlooking his scandals.

“It’s clear to us that Barack Obama has won the Drudge Primary, and it's one of the most important primaries in this process,” conceded a senior Clinton aide, who also acknowledged that Drudge’s treatment of Obama could also make the Illinois senator more electable in November.