McCain's Paris Hilton-Britney Spears Ad (VIDEO)

There's a fine line between smart and clever, and a similar border between clever and stupid, and John McCain's campaign ads keep on standing on all the wrong sides. In their desperate attempts to undo the success of the overseas trip that would probably have never happened if the McCain campaign hadn't dared the Obama team to take it in the first place, McCain's ad people have decided to attempt to try to play Obama's popularity as a bad thing - comparing the candidate to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. (Which is of real benefit to Spears and Hilton!)

But even beyond the numb-nutted concept behind this ad, look at all the things that are tactically wrong with it. First, it just reinforces Obama's brand as one with worldwide appeal. Second, it's, like, McCain's FOURTH ad that announces that Obama supports a sensible stance against offshore drilling - which isn't popular in states McCain needs to win, like Florida, and which McCain himself even admits would only have a "psychological" impact on the economy. Third, you don't even know it's a McCain ad until he shows up, approving it at the end!

And let's get a count on how many McCain ideas and policies this ad advances! Uhm...zero. Actually, this might be the most honest feature of this advertisement! Anyway, we have to say, the RNC's Hasselhoff ad was much better, and that's sad.

[WATCH.]

RELATED: Sam Stein: McCain Ad Links Paris Hilton, Britney Spears To Obama

Seth Colter Walls: Ex-Bush Speechwriter, McCain Strategist Fear Ad Hurts McCain's Stature

Seth Colter Walls: Britney Camp Bristles At McCain Ad

Sam Stein: Video: Do Britney And McCain Share Talking Points?

Ben Mishin: Reporters Question McCain Camp About Politics Of Paris Hilton

Comments

[Sseb]

01:13 PM on 07/31/2008

What is amazing to me is that so many people cannot see McCain's BS ads for what they are. Either he has a platform for running the US, or he doesn't. Candidates who don't have the goods use attack ads. That so many of our fellow Americans cannot see that is or choose to reward bad behavior is astounding.

[fireW]

10:24 AM on 07/31/2008

Just because McCain and his campaign staff can't tell the difference between Britney, Paris, and Obama doesn't mean that no one else does. This passes as leadership for the GOP. What a joke!

[classicalmusicman]

09:13 AM on 07/31/2008

Get rid of the "staged" ads!! As I posted elsewhere, Obama is a great speaker and he should that asset. Do what FDR did. Talk to the American people. By himself. No props. No images. No goofy music (my God, those changes in tempo and mood are painful). Just talk. Say who he is what he plans to do. Buy more time to do it. You pay for it with the money you save after you fire all the juvenile ad people. Send them back to selling bad beer.

[hchriste]

08:37 AM on 07/31/2008

It is a dumb ad, however it is the Karl Rove handprint. This ad is aimed at the racist elements in America and is sickning. A Black man with white blond ladies in the background. Makes me angry that McCain would stoop this low. Britney and Paris should sue the RNC because their image cannot be used for commercial purposes with out their permission and payment to do so. I think $10 million each and $100K every time the ad is played would be fair. An apology from McCain is in line.

[JJK]

11:40 AM on 07/31/2008

Do you think for a minute that Spears and Hilton are going to complain that they're in a clip that had 800,000 hits on YouTube by 11AM EDT this morning?

Do you think for a minute that Rove et al didn't anticipate the possibility of they're complaining and decided that it plays into their hands if they do complain? "Oh, here's Britney , drugged out mom losing it dozens of times in public, and Paris, star of her own sex video with millions of copies floating around the internet, complaining that we've used their images. So, sue us."

Then think it out one step further, Hilton or Spears actually come out and endorse Obama as a way of complaining about the video? How does that play? "Oh, here's Ludacris and his friends endorsing Obama. You decide."

[olivia]

03:03 AM on 07/31/2008

I realize I'm not exactly impartial, but this strikes me as a really poor ad. It underestimates even the dumbest Americans.

The comment "is he ready to lead" just after people have seen image after image of Obama with thousands of people eagerly following is just painful.

[LA2000]

03:03 AM on 07/31/2008

I love that they are paying to put it on the air! Please, McCain media buyers, run this ad 24/7 on MTV. It'll be good for a laugh. The idea of McCain spending money to broadcast images of 200,000 foreigners waving the American flag and loving Obama is just priceless. Because everyone knows it's a really bad thing for your allies to like you during a war.

While he's at it, McCain should also put an Obama yard sign in front of his house in Arizona. That'll show'em.

[scampy123]

01:42 AM on 07/31/2008

Let's hear it from Mc Cains fellow POWs at the Hanoi hilton is this guy really the hero he says he is?
Will some of you guys be doing a swift boat type attack on him as the GOP did on the much more decent john kerry?

[CaptainVideo]

12:56 AM on 07/31/2008

What virtually nobody seems to be noticing (with the exception of Keith Olberman) is that the ad introduces the trick they used against Harold Ford of justapositioning a black man with two blond white women. This is definitely a subtle racist appeal, which those people subject to racial prejudices against black are going to notice, even though virtually nobody else seems to notice it.

In other words this includes a clever use of a dog whistle appeal.

[StarkRavingNakedEmperor]

01:40 AM on 07/31/2008

Amen! You nailed it!

[classicalmusicman]

09:13 AM on 07/31/2008

I didn't notice it. That said, anyone so affected is going to vote for McCain anyway, if he/she votes at all. Mostly likely the person also lives in a Red State. I'm not saying this type of garbage can cause no harm, but the harm is mimimal nationally--though not in Tennessee, obviously.

[Xenopus]

12:05 AM on 07/31/2008

McCain has ideas and new policies? Who knew? But then why bring up Britney Spears and Paris Hilton? This ad just sounds sophomoric ........You know, I don't think McCain has anything new or positive to add. A high school election would have come up with something a lot better than this piece of dribble. Poor McCain, still running on his 40 year old POW status......that's just not going to solve today's problems so what we get are these sorry negative ads which really are quite pathetic.

[triplbee]

12:01 AM on 07/31/2008

Aside from the fact that it is bad form to deride two young women who are young enough to be his granddaughters, and have not involved themselves in either campaign, the commercial simply makes no sense. John McCain is handing this election to Obama.

[elizaW]

11:04 PM on 07/30/2008

The ad is not as stupid as you would like to think. Many people find Obama's choice to go the rock star route to be a case of all style no substance. The Obama campaign obviously is counting on young people's tendency to identify with an image and not question the policy - to the degree Obama has one. And if you think dependency on foreign oil and higher taxes doesn't hit a nerve with people who really are concerned about the issues then, come November, you may be in for a big surprise.

[StarkRavingNakedEmperor]

02:07 AM on 07/31/2008

Eliza, honey! You are really shooting blanks tonight. Why dont you read Mr Linkins piece (above), roll it around in your head for awhile and then get back to us? You wouldnt want to make a fool of yourself, would ya, sweetheart?

[elizaW]

12:59 PM on 07/31/2008

If being a fool means I question Obama's track record (accomplished nothing as a senator) his economic policy (higher taxes) his narcissism ( enough with the rock star presentations) his flipflopping on at least a dozen key issues and the fact that he really is an unknown factor and has yet to articulate a specific agenda on Iraq even though his entire campaign has been about getting us out of that war? Then yes, please, by all means, refer to me as a fool. I don't mind at all.

[ComicBookGuy]

10:43 PM on 07/30/2008

John McCain has at least two things in common with Britney Spears and Paris Hilton: All three of them have all hosted Saturday Night Live; None of them have drawn crowds of 200,000 people.

[jeanrenoir]

12:53 AM on 07/31/2008

And all three are dolts.

[TheAlchemist]

10:21 PM on 07/30/2008

Johnny's getting to be known for his BigMacAttacks.

[LRonHubbard]

08:55 PM on 07/30/2008

I watched the ad; it includes the assertion that Obama is the number one male celebrity in the world. Whether or not it's true, that's quite a compliment to be paying your opponent.

McCain is cornering the market on bitter, misogynistic white boys. Apart from that, his campaign is a shambles.

[reliant1]

09:53 PM on 07/30/2008

I just heard Spears does not want to be associated with the ad...I'll bet they forgot to get a release to use her image. And they'll probably have to pay her.

McDoodle is beyond an embarrassment...

[elizaW]

11:14 PM on 07/30/2008

McCain is simply telling the truth. Obama's is a celebrity. History has shown us that the cult of celebrity rarely ends well. I think this country is better off with a non-celebrity. If McCain was a fame chaser he could have turned himself into the All-American hero a long time ago.

[CaptainVideo]

12:59 AM on 07/31/2008

Ronald Reagan and John Kennedy were also celebrities. For a politician, being a celebrity is a big plus.

McCain and his campaign are just jealous that McCain cannot draw a crowd even close to this either abroad or at home.

[insanityfollows]

08:55 PM on 07/30/2008

Dear Huffpo,
How come it is so hard to go back and see my comments without fishing so hard? And why do some of them take so long to post? I don't use profanity and am not subversive, so what gives???

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

09:01 PM on 07/30/2008

Amen, new system sucks. Profiles hard to readily research.

[TheAlchemist]

10:18 PM on 07/30/2008

There's more than one post on this ad. Try the SteinPost.