On GMA, Sawyer allowed McCain to tout his "positive" New Hampshire campaign

Summary: ABC's Diane Sawyer did not challenge Sen. John McCain's claim that he "ran a positive campaign" in New Hampshire. In fact, McCain ran a negative TV ad in the state and negative Web ads about one of his opponents, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

In an interview with Sen. John McCain (AZ) about his January 8 win in the New Hampshire Republican primary, during the January 9 edition of ABC's Good Morning America, co-anchor Diane Sawyer did not challenge McCain's claim that he "ran a positive campaign" in New Hampshire. In fact, McCain ran a negative TV ad in the state and, in the days leading up to the primary, his campaign posted three negative Web ads about one of his opponents, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R).

Explaining why he felt he had won the New Hampshire primary, McCain told Sawyer "I came back to tell them the truth and have lots of town hall meetings. We had over our 101st yesterday. Day before yesterday. And we ran a positive campaign." When Sawyer asked if "Governor Romney [is] authentic or not," McCain responded:

McCAIN: Well, I think it's clear that Governor Romney has changed positions on a lot of issues, but I think he's a very fine person. And works very hard. I think he's very sincere. But also I think that has to do with the fact that we ran a positive campaign, and obviously, there was a slew of negative ads. And, so, I think that contributed to the positives that we had going into the election yesterday.

In neither instance did Sawyer challenge McCain's claim that he "ran a positive campaign." In fact, as Media Matters for America documented, in a December 28 press release, McCain's campaign announced the release of its TV ad "Consider," which quotes a Concord Monitor editorial asserting, "If a candidate is a phony ... we'll know it. Mitt Romney is such a candidate." Time magazine senior political analyst Mark Halperin reported on his Time.com blog The Page that the ad was the "first negative ad by any candidate besides Romney." In a December 28 post on ABC News' blog Political Radar, Matt Stuart reported that Romney responded to the ad, saying: "It's an attack ad. It attacks me personally. It's nasty. It's mean spirited. Frankly, it tells you more about Sen. McCain than it does about me that he would run an ad like that." McCain's campaign has also posted three negative Web ads against Romney in January.

Additionally, the Nashua, New Hampshire, Telegraph reported on December 18 that McCain "launched an attack -- a direct mail campaign labeling New Hampshire primary front-runner Mitt Romney as a serial flip-flopper that 'voters can't trust.' " The Telegraph added that the "mailing is believed to be the first, campaign-paid flier in New Hampshire by any candidate critical of former Massachusetts Gov. Romney, who holds onto a solid lead in GOP primary polls here."

Media Matters has noted several media outlets, including the Associated Press, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, the Politico, The Washington Post, USA Today, the New Hampshire Union Leader, and CNN, quoted or paraphrased McCain saying that negative campaigns or ads don't work without noting McCain's negative ads against Romney.

From the January 9 edition of ABC's Good Morning America:

SAWYER: Good morning to you, Senator McCain. So "comeback kid," huh? How old do you feel this morning?

McCAIN: Well, I'm going to say the noun "kid" doesn't fit very well. So "Mac is back" is our -- is our phrase. Feeling very good, very grateful to the people of New Hampshire, and now, as you know, we're on to another state. I came back to tell them the truth and have lots of townhall meetings. We had over our 101st yesterday -- day before yesterday. And we ran a positive campaign.

SAWYER: Let me ask you about the exit polls and some of the things they seem to be showing. They show that among voters who say that they're voting for a candidate who says what he believes, you defeated Governor Romney, 53-13. That's massive. This is the question. Is Governor Romney authentic or not?

McCAIN: Well, I think it's clear that Governor Romney has changed positions on a lot of issues, but I think he's a very fine person. And works very hard. I think he's very sincere. But also I think that has to do with the fact that we ran a positive campaign, and obviously, there was a slew of negative ads. And, so, I think that contributed to the positives that we had going into the election yesterday.

SAWYER: You have stuck with the surge and stuck with your position on the surge in Iraq from the beginning, and as you probably know, one of the most viewed videos now on YouTube is the video of you saying -- interjecting when someone talks about being in Iraq for 50 years, and you say, "Could be 100 years." Explain that.

—K.H.