WASHINGTON — It is a tradition at many kitchen tables to yell at the newspaper. At John McCain's kitchen table, it is becoming a tradition to yell at the New York Times.

The latest dust-up between the Republican presidential candidate and the "all the news that's fit to print" newspaper centered on the editorial board's back-to-back criticisms of McCain, one dispatch accusing him of taking the low road and another contending he is playing politics with race.

The second editorial, which appeared on The Times' Web site, said McCain's ads conjured up loaded racial images and raised the specter of O.J. Simpson.

"The presumptive Republican nominee has embarked on a bare-knuckled barrage of negative advertising aimed at belittling Mr. Obama," the editorial board wrote.

The response from the McCain campaign was equally cutting.

"If the shareholders of The New York Times ever wonder why the paper's ad revenue is plummeting and its share price tanking, they need look no further than the hysterical reaction of the paper's editors to any slight, real or imagined, against their preferred candidate," said McCain campaign spokesman Michael Goldfarb.

Goldfarb compared the editors to a blogger "sitting at home in his mother's basement and ranting into the ether between games of Dungeons & Dragons."

Times spokeswoman Catherine Mathis declined to comment Friday.

The relationship between McCain — a frequent reader of the newspaper — and The Times has been rocky. Yet such a grudge could pay political dividends for him, as criticizing the liberal media often improves a candidate's standing with Republican Party conservatives. That's critical for McCain, who has never been their favorite.

Back in January, The Times endorsed McCain's candidacy for the Republican nomination, saying, "Sen. John McCain of Arizona is the only Republican who promises to end the George Bush style of governing from and on behalf of a small, angry fringe."

Since then, it's been McCain v. New York Times.

In February, the newspaper reported that unnamed McCain associates years ago had become concerned that his relationship with a woman lobbyist might have become romantic. Both McCain and the lobbyist have unequivocally denied that it was, and the newspaper's editor said he was surprised at the reaction to the story.

Last month, Republicans complained that the paper rejected an op-ed piece by McCain about the Iraq war after one by Obama was printed. The paper said it had only tried to get McCain to rewrite the piece to be more specific about his plan.

Beyond any personal pique there may be, there is a strategy to attacking the Times. That newspaper is a bogeyman to conservatives, so assailing it could endear McCain to his talk radio skeptics and their followers.

So, they go after the newspaper often — and send the message: McCain stands with you.

Mike Paul, a former aide to New York Republicans and now a consultant, said he thinks the McCain campaign's criticisms of the paper may look good to some but won't work in the long run.

"You might get that base, but you won't win the election," he said. "It goes back to the old saying, 'Don't throw rocks at people who own ink barrels' ... and people have gotten sick and tired of the excuse that all media is liberal."