Attack Ad Redux: McCain Hits Obama On Celebrity, Taxes

Not dissuaded by Paris Hilton's humorous rebuke of his first attack ad, John McCain returned to the celebrity theme on Wednesday when he released a spot attacking Obama on taxes and spending.

The advertisement, titled "Family," begins with the same Berlin footage as the "Celeb" ad. Only this time it adds a question: "Is the biggest celebrity in the world ready to help your family?"

Unlike the last incarnation, the spot actually mentions McCain by name. But the talk will likely surround the quickly-growing-tired celebrity meme.

No word how much money is behind the spot. But the McCain camp says that it will air in Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Northern Virginia and Wisconsin, which suggests a significant purchase.

UPDATE: The Obama campaign responds:

"Is the biggest proponent of George Bush's tired, failed policies ready to bring about change? Another day brings another dishonest attack from John McCain. While Senator McCain knows that Senator Obama has proposed cutting taxes for 95% of American families, what he's not telling us is that he wants to give $4 billion in tax breaks to the oil companies, continue giving tax breaks to corporations that ship our job overseas, and provide no direct tax relief for more than 100 million middle-class families. It's time to retire these old policies and bring new energy to America," said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton.

Comments

[chiefeditor]

We just posted ringtone-ready audio from this ad over at Entertonement: http://entertonement.com/collections/1658/Biggest-Celebrity

[nyc4obama123]

The sad thing about this add is that some people actually look at this add and believe the stuff in it. One thing the Obama campaing needs to realize is that trowing lightweight punches won't cut it in a heavy weight fight and he needs to start attacking more because the republicans won't be going soft on him and these smear tactics and al these things that make obama look like an idiotic candidate actually works with certain people.

[brooklynite77]

When will the Obama campaign stop issuing press releases and start putting out ads fighting back? Who reads press releases? Who remembers them when ads have been blasting them twenty times a day? I'm glad Obama doesn't want to go negative, but he still can fight back!!!

[MoMan]

right on..
Obama must start pounding on these slime..
he's taking too much s&*t, without giving it back..
time to get mean.

[Pyrrhus]

Okay Mc Cain. So how does this advertisement convey your commitment to America or to solve our energy problems or our housing crisis?

Hello?

Does anybody GAS anymore about what's going on in this country?

Johnny, I don't wanna see your wife's fun bags, I want to know how you're gonna fix our country!

That's what I thought. Oh well, if you can't beat 'em:

Mc Cain was abducted by aliens while in prison camp and forced to provide oral services to Lawrence Welk while singing the Japanese national anthem in Swedish.

There. Let's see THAT on primetime.

[Faith101]

This ad just don't connect for me. It is too mixed up. No coherent message. Maybe it is some subtext message that I am missing.

[timmycoffee]

Obama celebrity- another McCain code. for black minstrel- Obama the dancing monkey. McCain is truly pathetic!

[JimR]

Ah yes, and I suppose McCain IS ready to help your family. We need a... a FAMILY SURGE!

[Harleyquin37]

I am getting seriously tired of this crap.

[Hillrick]

McCain looks like a clueless CEO being led around and being told what his company does.

[bygollymissmolly]

I have to say that I have never been a Paris Hilton fan, but I loved the ad she shot. I know that O'bama needs to stay above the fray and I am glad for that. But, it would be so much fun running ads that mock Mc'Cain for his "family values", his idea of what's funny (rape by ape), his disparaging remarks about his wife, his military record of being fifth from the last in his class and crashing 5 airplanes.

But, Mc'Cain can continue to run ads disparaging O'bama. All they are doing is making him look like a petty, vindictive fool. When Paris Hilton can get the best on you, you're really in trouble.

[bygollymissmolly]

I think the Democrats should run an add starting with "Family" and then show pictures of John Mc'Cain's first wife and children and then pictures of John and Cindy getting married three months after his divorce. Then say "This is how Mc'Cain honors family".

[jupitor]

heck no! Show Cindy Mccain as the Buffalo Chips (sh@t) Queen,and than as first Lady and say you can be a toppless Buffalo manure queen and first Lady to, and still manage your family and the white house and the Beer belly,pot smokeing bike rideing chick if you want!

[passthesewords]

Amber Alert!!!
Where is Vicki Isset?
Where is Vicki Isset?

[CTmom13]

I think McBush is seriously JEALOUS...­..He is really really jealous of Obama, it's sad and not very presidential

[SDindependent]

McCain has a fixation on celebrity.­.....remem­ber his hero worship is not toward our warriors. He claims to be a foot soldier of the celebrity president Ronald Regan. Remember him, they guy that thought ketchup was enough vegetables on the lunch plates of school kids in the inner city.

[BARRY08]

The McCain camp knows that the only way they can win the election is to turn it into a carnival sideshow. So what's next for John McCain? If this is where they have taken the political discourse in early August, what have they got for us come October? Here is a preview -- our best guess -- of what the McCain has in store for us.

[BARRY08]

Who ever thought this election wasn't going to be about the issues?

Of course, it's not exactly a surprise that the Republican election machine would resort to trying to make the entire election into an issueless sideshow. I mean, what else do they have?

But it is still a sad spectacle to see John McCain going along with it with such glib eagerness. The man who once pledged to run a "respectful campaign" and who said that Obama "would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign" has made it clear that he'd rather lose everything he has stood for than lose the White House.

As somebody said "we now have an inkling of just how deep in the mud McCain and his people are willing to wallow in order to win in November: right up to their Republican eyeballs."

The problem is, we're right down there with him. That's because all it takes is one of the two candidates to decide to yank the discourse into the ditch and the media -- and as a result, the public -- follow.

Instead of the media calling the McCain campaign on its pathetic trivialization of the presidential race, they have been engaging in meaningless horse-race analysis of "did the ad work?" The conventional wisdom appears to be that it did.