The Politico's David Levinson Wilk has a post today at how the New York Times is in the tank for Obama, because of the abundance of clues that lead, unerringly to his last name. Wilk notes that "OBAMA" has "appeared regularly as an answer in New York Times crossword puzzles," frequently to clues such as "Senator who wrote 'Dreams From My Father,'" "Presidential candidate born in Hawaii," and "Presidential candidate that Elizabeth Bumiller wants to HUG and KISS every night before falling asleep in his arms." It is TOTALLY media bias, of course!
But what about MCCAIN? Shockingly, not once has MCCAIN been an answer in a crossword in the New York Times, The Washington Post or the Los Angeles Times. No MCCAIN, no JOHNMCCAIN, no SENATORMCCAIN, not even his most recent sobriquet, the presidential-sounding JOHNSMCCAINIII.
Times spokeswoman Diane McNulty told Wilk that there is an "obvious" explanation. "It is because 'Obama' is a five-letter name that alternates vowels and consonants. It's got three vowels out of five letters, starting and ending in vowels. So it is much more crossword-friendly than 'McCain,' which is a harder word to put in a crossword." But how is it that "John McCain" has never found it's way into a Times puzzle even once? "McCain" looks right at home inside tiny boxes! Fred Thompson tells me McCain spent five and a half years in a tiny box!
The answer, of course, is that the New York Times crossword puzzle is made by the Decemberists, who should be fired so that the paper can go back to being in the tank for the "Epee/Oleo" ticket.