Britney Spears-McCain Saga Continues: Pop Star And Candidate Share Talking Points?

The surest sign yet that this presidential campaign -- not even in August -- has already gone on way too long: Britney Spears is the nexis of a political debate.

On Wednesday morning, John McCain's campaign put out an attack ad painting Barack Obama as a self-indulgent celebrity along the lines of the pop icon. The Obama campaign responded in due course, saying of McCain's propensity to go negative: "'Oops! He did it again.'"

Now Progressive Accountability, producing some of the hardest opposition research on McCain this cycle, has unearthed this nugget showing the presumptive Republican nominee and the troubled pop star to be far more similar (in their mutual trust and confidence in George W. Bush) than Spears and Obama.

"Both John McCain & Britney are a slave 4 George Bush's policies in Iraq," said Progressive Accountability's Communications Director Eddie Vale.

Meanwhile, Seth Colter Walls has a response from Spears' representatives stating the obvious: "Why would we want to get Britney involved in presidential politics?"

All of which calls to mind a famous phrase from YouTube lore that, perhaps, the presidential campaigns should heed: "Leave Britney Alone!"

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Jason Linkins: McCain's Paris-Britney Ad

Comments

[rshrink]

Yes, we have to get this celebrity thing sorted out. It is the most important issue of our time. It is way ahead of healthcare, jobs, the economy, the environment and the housing disaster. I have got to know who has more celebrity status and soon or I am going to feel very threatened! (Sarcasm, just in case you couldn't tell)

[neesy08]

pitiful, pitiful! he is still jealous of O's popularity!

[MeanGreenMachine]

Chris is hot. I WANT HIM.

[ZimboChick]

They should just use Chris Crocker but I doubt he will be biting

[mawrm]

When you're reduced to using the images of Britney and Paris to win votes, you're officially a loser.

[ShanniC]

Agreed.

[cunuck]

I figured that when they brought up to Hitler reference........

[pupbayer]

It wasn't that deep an ad. I'm surprised you missed the point. The point wasn't to get votes using Britney and Paris...it was to emphasize O's popularity in relation to 2 rather shallow celebrities...a kind of "guilty" by comparison thing.

[JaneEyrez]

How about that they are despised celebrities by the very demographic that the McCain campaigns is trying to attract.

[Evelyn]

So let's see....what do Brittany, Paris, and Barack have in common? They're all more popular than McCain.

[progressivelady]

The Republican brand Is getting desperate, only yahoos like brit & paris will fall for this

[nicholasclaxton]

I think we've all lost today - just seeing these 2 in a political ad is sad enough - the fact it's getting this much attention is further proof this NATION should seriously think about how much attention they give 'celebs' these days. It's really out of hand to say the least. And Mc's jealousy that he can't even fill a room much less a stadium isn't enough to win votes!

[MatanP]

We all know the kinds of hoices the Brit Brit has made;in the past; her supporting Bushies and McBushies is no big surprise. She left every child behind, so did the Bushies, etc.

[tlhwraith]

We really must be the laughing stock of the rest of the world. Actually, they are probably scrared to death that we represent the most powerful nation-state on the planet (for now).

[11907281]

Laughing stock, ya. Scared, no. If Dr. Strangelove gets elected and starts splitting atoms then Russia and China I think will step up, hopefully along with the EU ... and everyone gets a long winter. But as far as world domination .... you can't even dominate Iraq let alone another western country. Like UBL planned all along, you will bleed your self dry like the USSR.

[booksnmore4you]

Universidad Bíblica Latinoamericana?

United Bank Limited?

Universal Business Language?

Help us out here!

[billkarwin]

So this juxtaposition is meant to imply that only an emotionally fragile, self-destructive person would support the policies of the Bush administration. Got it.

This is really disappointing that Progressive Accountability stoops to the same level of ad hominem attack that they accuse McCain of using.

I guess George Lakoff is right, it doesn't work to argue candidates and policies rationally. People would rather make decisions subconsciously, using emotional reactions instead of intellectual reasoning.

Fortunately for us, Obama is vastly more charismatic than McCain, as well as being a better choice for America.

[jfh]

billkarwin re your comment;
"This is really disappointing that Progressive Accountability stoops to the same level of ad hominem attack that they accuse McCain of using."

The last presidental election clearly demonstrated that the Democrats have to hit back, hit hard and hit in a way to make the Repug party look like the "East side of a horse facing West" that they are, in order to nip these kinds of attacks in the bud.

[brendanm]

So when an independent left-leaning group stoops to the level of a major party candidate's campaign, one that pledged it'd be clean and positive, it is disappointing? You're not disappointed that the McCain campaign is using the childish, dishonest, and disgusting personal attacks that are typically left for independent groups as they're seen to beneath a respectable candidate's dignity?

[billkarwin]

You are reading things into my comment that I didn't say. I'm a Democrat and a supporter of Barack Obama, by the way.

Of course it's disgusting to see McCain's campaign employ the save Rovian tactics that we've seen before. I would certainly hope that Americans deserve better. I'm shocked that Republican voters don't demand more integrity from their party leaders.

But I'd like to hold progressive groups to a higher standard. I _do_ demand that the party I support behave with stronger ethics than Karl Rove would use (and I demand it of independent progressive groups too).

We can respond against dishonest attacks without stooping to the same level.

[Auspicious8]

Mc Cain Campaign = DESPERATION

[getoffmedz]

Correction: Mc Cain Campaign = Pre-dementia.

[Makesense]

lol. Leave Britney alone

[mediamarv]

McCain has added new meaning to the term "desperate measures."

Time for the RNC to pull him out of the race. He is making the Republican party even more of a laughing stock than they deserve.

[nicholasclaxton]

they have plenty of others to help with that....plenty

[jdizl]

WE SHOULD USE THIS (YOU TUBE #2) AT GUANTANAMO!
WATCHING THAT...NOW THAT WAS TORTURE...