The American Spectator

Howard Kurtz channels the Thompson line that the national media is out to get him but local media is more positive and "gets" Thompson. I think this is gibberish. The local press has been very tough-- just couple of Iowa examples here and here ( "The former U.S. Senator and movie actor formally announced his long-awaited candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination at the Des Moines Convention Complex. It wasn't very impressive. The crowd of a few hundred didn't seem enthused. Thompson's oratory didn't soar but was somewhat rambling.") The gaffes from Florida were widely remarked upon negatively in the Florida press and, of course, the NH Union Ledger excoriated him for missing the debates there. There might be an argument that the entire press corps doesn't get him but holding up the local press as defenders of Thompson is just spin.