Don’t know about you, but I can go long periods of time not thinking about Matt Drudge. I don’t go to his site, don’t buy his hype, and even small things about him–the stupid retro-reporter look with the hat, which I believe he pioneered–annoy me. But Chris Cillizza says Drudge is still money in driving conservative and even some mainstream media, and there’s no question that in 2012 his thinly-disguised flacking throughout the cycle was an asset for Mitt Romney, especially during the primaries. So it probably matters who he favors this time around; I don’t think he’s capable of neutrality.
Cillizza tells us Drudge is showing major signs of falling in love with Scott Walker, and definitely dislikes Jeb Bush. This latter prejudice is the one that may matter:
Drudge is an ideal landing place for hard-hitting opposition research on one of your political opponents. He’s more likely to simply take it and post it rather than looking for where the holes are — as a more mainstream site would do. And, because of Drudge’s traffic, which isn’t just big but also influential (think reporters, cable TV bookers and other campaigns), everyone you want or need to see it will see it. When you have 20+ people running for the Republican nod, there’s going to be lots of dirt to drop.
Incoming, Jebbie!
