For the fail:

Famine for media’s big names became a small feast for the likes of local newspapers such as the Black Hills Pioneer, which recently offered an uncritical account of McCain’s appearance at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, the giant annual event in South Dakota.

In the weekly paper’s story, McCain’s bus was “famed” and his support of veterans benefits went unchallenged (though the story did mention opponents’ rally on the issue).

In Philadelphia, an account by Fox 29 News offered McCain an even friendlier platform. Its reporter recounted the candidate’s stop in the suburbs and assured viewers there was “every indication” the Republican would be a “regular visitor” to the area.

The reporter’s biggest favor, however, came when he set up a months-old clip of Obama saying that “bitter” rural Pennsylvania voters sometimes turned to guns and religion for solace. Then the reporter asked McCain to tee off.

The Republican wasted no time, surprise, assuring viewers he understood that Americans who supported churches and the 2nd Amendment were not cynical but “decent, good, honest, wonderful people who love their country and cherish the Constitution of the United States.”

Standards, I tell you. Standards and journalistic safeguards that bloggers lack. I’m inspired. TO START DRINKING.

For the win:

The Springfield News-Leader statehouse reporter heard McCain tout his plan for a gas tax holiday, then concede afterward, in another one of those short interviews, that the proposal had very little chance of making it through Congress.

“He was promising it up on the stage, but behind the scenes he was admitting it wouldn’t go anywhere,” the 25-year-old reporter said.

So Livengood let his readers know about the discrepancy. And his story described how some economists doubted the tax cut would make a significant difference.

Sometimes campaigns dial for dummies and end up reaching sharpies.

Nothing about it that’s all that hard. Do your jobs, kids. That’s all anybody asks.

Via Romenesko.

A.