However, some influential political journals are now questioning whether McCain's backing of Digital and High-Definition TV will come back to haunt him.
In an article by Timothy Noah, Slate Magazine yesterday openly suggested that the 71-year-old McCain will not fare well under the unforgiving lens of high-def.
In addition to the normal wrinkles and aging signs for a 70-plus person, McCain had to undergo facial surgery to remove some cancerous growths from the left side of his face. After watching McCain in high-def on Saturday Night Live over the weekend, Noah said he was reconsidering his review of McCain's candidacy, particularly the age factor.
"As someone who'd pooh-poohed the age issue, I found myself gasping at McCain's mug as transmitted in glorious HDTV. Wrinkles, blotches, liver spots, scarry tissue—none of these were hidden by McCain's makeup," Noah wrote.
Noah commented that voters may conclude that McCain's age is disqualifying if they see him in high-def.
Will high-def be John McCain's undoing?
Noah's comments were echoed by The Politico in another recent piece on HD and the presidential campaign by media writer Michael Calderone.
"John McCain may joke on the campaign trail about having 'more scars than Frankenstein,' but does the senator (or viewers, for that matter) want them broadcast in high-definition?" Calderone asked.
Slate's Noah wondered whether Sen. Barack Obama, McCain's likely Democratic opponent in the general election, will have an advantage because of his youth (45) and good looks. This fall's presidential debates will undoubtedly be broadcast in high-def, as were many of the primary debates.
TVPredictions.com has frequently written here about the effect of high-def on celebrities and politicians, but Slate and Politico are widely read in the political world. The articles by Noah and Calderone could have a ripple effect, causing more people to wonder if McCain will be a victim of the 'First HDTV Election." (The Atlantic Magazine also recently commented on McCain's appearance in high-def.)
"Had HDTV been available (in 1968), I'm not sure Nixon could have won the Republican nomination, let alone the presidency," Noah says.
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