You’re right: he was physically present, but too old to vote. Still, every account of the conclave casts Murphy-O’Connor as the kingmaker. McCarrick might very well have supported Bergoglio, but Bergoglio went into the conclave with a substantial support base (he placed second to Benedict in 2005), so that’s not surprising. In any case, my point is that McCarrick wasn’t Bergoglio’s most influential supporter, or even his most influential American supporter.
Also, I don’t know if you’re American, but I’m not, and I didn’t see McCarrick on the news. I saw mostly Canadian cardinals (that’s where I’m from), and also lots of Dolan and O’Malley. This isn’t definitive proof of anything, but it’s not surprising that the American media chose to follow the American cardinals around.
Thanks for the correction!