The key is that he comes with “with a populist economic message.”
I.e., he’ll spend other people’s money the way we like.
Also, the media is pragmatic. If you want Rudy to win the nomination, you need to split the social conservative vote in as many ways as possible. If Rudy tops out around 30-35%, and McCain can draw on 10-15% as a war hero, then the remaining 50-60% of the vote needs a 3 way split - Mitt, Fred & the Huckster. If that 50-60% starts to solidify around one candidate, Rudy is toast.
It also is worth remembering the Media is predominately New York - and New Yorkers would probably be content as long as someone from New York won. You just can’t trust an outsider...
That's right. Who knows? They might be honest and where would that leave them? Without anyone THEY could trust to do their bidding. Imagine what a disaster that would be. /s