NYT McCain Editorial Rejected

On July 21, 2008, the Drudge Report announced that an editorial written by John McCain was rejected by the New York Times. The report comes less than a week after the New York Times published an editorial from Barack Obama entitled "My Plan for Iraq."

Fast Facts

1. Report broken by the Drudge Report
2. Rejection announced on July 21, 2008
3. Rejection came from David Shipley¹
4. Shipley is the Op-ed editor for the New York Times
5. Editorial intended to be a rebuttal to a recent piece from Barack Obama¹
6. Obama's editorial entitled "My Plan for Iraq"²
7. Many have claimed the rejection is an example of media bias¹
8. The New York Times has published seven articles by McCain since 1996³
9. The New York Times endorsed McCain as the 2008 Republican presidential candidate³

Why the Piece was Rejected

David Shipley, the Op-ed editor for the New York Times, commented that, to be acceptable for publication, the piece would need to focus on Senator McCain's concrete plans for victory in Iraq, as well as his definitions of victory.³

Shipley commented that, in its present form, the essay was too concerned with criticizing the proposals of Barack Obama. Shipley also added that The Times would "look forward to publishing Senator McCain's views in our paper just as they have in the past."³

Quotes

"It would be terrific to have an article from Senator McCain that mirrors Senator Obama's piece...[but] I'm not going to be able to accept this piece as currently written."¹—David Shipley, Op-ed editor for the New York Times

"I am also dismayed that he never talks about winning the war; only of ending it. But if we don't win the war, our enemies will. A triumph for the terrorists would be a disaster for us. That is something I will not allow to happen as president. Instead I will continue implementing a proven counterinsurgency strategy not only in Iraq but also in Afghanistan with the goal of creating stable, secure, self-sustaining democratic allies."¹—John McCain

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