Obama's Celeb Ad Adopts McCain Line Of Attack

For good or for ill, the "celebrity" meme is here to stay in the presidential race.

After John McCain's campaign attacked Barack Obama on the grounds that he's too popular for his own good -- and compared his celebrity to that of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears -- Barack Obama's ad-makers have responded in kind. They had plenty of material to work with. As the Internet Movie Database shows, John McCain has guest-starred or lent cameos to four dozen different television programs, and not just those of the news variety: Saturday Night Live, WWF Raw and Entertainment Tonight have featured the Arizona Republican, as have all the major late-night comedians.

Thus, there existed a plentiful amount of celebrity b-roll for an Obama counter-attack, titled "Embrace":

With Barack Obama on vacation this week, perhaps it was the perfect time for Obama's campaign to release an attack ad that makes no mention of their candidate (a rarity, thus far). After all, he won't have to answer any process questions about the "tone" of the race. Or perhaps, just as former Sen. Tom Daschle said last week, Obama's advisers believe McCain's Paris Hilton ad did real damage.

Either way, the celebrity line of attack has become rather popular.

Comments

[aflyinyoursoup]

03:53 AM on 08/15/2008

You Go "O". Don't let these clowns ditreact you from your appointed rounds! Keep the faith!

[Oldtt]

04:26 PM on 08/14/2008

This is such a classy, issues-oriented ad from the Obama camp that it will undoubtedly put all lesser politicians to shame. Accusing McCain of being a Washington insider will really resonate with everyone who was already planning to vote for Obama anyway. The rest of America will have to chose between Obama the strutting celebrity (McCain's ad) and McCain the old Washington hand (Obama's ad). Brilliant!

[Calybos]

03:36 PM on 08/14/2008

Sick of all the negative campaigning?

John McCain has just released a POSITIVE ad, addressed directly to his base of supporters!

http://tinyurl.com/55tutk

[peterdangit]

11:31 AM on 08/14/2008

All the trolls are out patrolling... You can feel and see the nerves this video has touched; delicious...

[protagonia]

01:51 PM on 08/14/2008

They are like little mice, stealing what they can now. Scamper and scurry. Breed and eat.

But in the end, they are just mice.

[The 13 Colonies]

05:48 PM on 08/14/2008

I agree with Paris Hilton, why would anyone Vote for the OLD WHITE HAIRED DUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I don't often agree with this didsty blonde..............................

[DeadCivilian]

11:21 AM on 08/14/2008

The real reason behind the Britney/Paris ad?

Call me paranoid, but it is completely deliberate, and has very little to do with either of those women, or any legitimate discussion of policy. Go to youTube, and in the search box type the words "Obama" and "anti-christ". Look at the homemade videos and hundreds of thousands of page views and comments from the whackjobs who believe in an 'endtimes' scenario. Hundreds of thousands of people believe that nonsense.

The ad is a Rovian calculation; a coded warning to the fundamentalist so-called Christian base that twice voted for Bush - those Jesus Camp myopics who are frightened to death of not only black people, but this absurd idea that Obama is 'The Great Beast' as allegedly foretold in Revelations.

The first words in the ad are "He's the biggest celebrity in world..."

THAT is the purpose of that ad. Guaranteed.

[Oldtt]

02:49 PM on 08/14/2008

Conservatives have made a habit of denigrating Hollywood celebrities forever on the basis that they are self-absorbed and ill-informed. This ad was a logical attempt to build on that theme by painting Obama as more celebrity than statesman. Obama helped them by touring Europe as the presumptive new President even before being nominated. The ad was effective.

[benman]

07:38 AM on 08/15/2008

> The real reason behind the Britney/Paris ad?

Call *me* paranoid, but my first reaction to that ad was that it reminded me of the infamous racial attack ad against Harold Ford in Tennessee. In the McCain ad, it was much more subtle, but the imagery was the same -- a montage of images of a (scary, not-one-of-us) Black man and (attractive young) White women. That works with some voters on a lot of warped subconscious levels.

[112985]

09:13 AM on 08/14/2008

THATS WHY I CANNOT VOTE FOR OBAMA - HE TAKE WHAT MCCAIN, HILLARY SAYS AND THEN HE USES THE SAME - H E CANNOT DO ANYTHING ON HIS OWN. JUST LIKE IN THE SENATE HE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH NERVE TO VOTE YES OR NO HE VOTE PRESENT - SO I CANNOT SEE WHY EVERYONE IS ON HIS TRAIN - HE IS FULL OF IT.

[protagonia]

01:51 PM on 08/14/2008

112985

That is in NO WAY the reason you cannot vote for Obama. You cannot vote for him because you are instructed not to, and the reasons you give are insufficient.

Your attempt to deflect us was clumsy and obvious. You failed out of the gate.

NEXT!

[The 13 Colonies]

05:47 PM on 08/14/2008

You have that backwards. It's McCain that is following George W..........................................................

[Questinia]

07:59 PM on 08/13/2008

Just read in NY Times Jerome Corsi's smear book "The Obama Nation" is going to enter as number one on the NYT's best seller list this Sunday. Corsi of the "Unfit for Command" book of lies on Kerry.

Will sleaze reading have similar effect now as in 2004?

[ilovemydoggy]

03:02 PM on 08/13/2008

Campaigns for elections are a type of "dog & pony" show, aren't they?
And celebrities are fun. I don't take it too seriously. Any candidate or President will eventually be bought off by corporate interests anyway. As the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius said, "The masses must have their Circuses!" Be your own leader....

Alternative to heating oil, Biochar:
http://www.Vaboomer.com

[SensibleAmerican]

04:19 PM on 08/13/2008

I had made this claim at the beginning of the primaries that Obama is the Paris Hilton of politics. Ofcourse, the far left loons went berserk. But then, indeed Obama IS all talk, all hot air, no experience, no track record, no substance, no stands/stance on any issue ... but? Yes he can! Just like Paris Hilton is "so totally hot"!!! LOL

[daddydamon]

05:04 PM on 08/13/2008

you: no brains

[protagonia]

01:53 PM on 08/14/2008

180 reverse of the truth. A devilish lie, just like your childish handle.

"Gee, his handle says he is sensible. Maybe I should listen to his advice."

Remain this pathetic forever.

LIAR.

[WintersCrow]

01:23 PM on 08/13/2008

It's an attack on McCain's media-maverick status: he's being portrayed as a same-old-same-old politician. Of course, it's also hammering on the McBush theme. On the whole, I don't want him to spend too much money broadcasting this thing, but it's a good thing to release to the media.

[cageyT]

11:40 AM on 08/13/2008

Obama may want a new politics but it will still be the same old voters.

What really matters to American voters are flag pins, what the hell is arugula and is it un-american to eat it, will Paris Hilton be given a cabinet post, who do you want to have a beer with, Hussein....his middle name is Hussein, is Obama too famous, is Obama a secret Muslim, is Obama a terrorist plant and now that he's black enough - is he too black?

Criticize Obama all you want for the attack that shows McCain's hypocrisy on the "Celebrity" issue but McCain was on to something with it and Obama is right to fire back in the same fashion.

If you want better politicians, get better voters.

[peterdangit]

11:29 AM on 08/14/2008

And how do you propose we get better voters; nuke us all and start over?

[gwhizz]

11:31 AM on 08/13/2008

More passive-agressive boo-hoo politics as usual from o ba ma.

[hermanism]

10:21 AM on 08/13/2008

Obama is practicing the very sort of politics that he loves to rail against. He is no better than the least principled of politicians; just more of a hypocrite.

[CRayD11]

12:22 AM on 08/14/2008

He's still head and shoulders above McSame. Talk about a lack of principles! At least he hasn't cheated on his injured wife and traded her in for a newer, richer model.

[The 13 Colonies]

05:52 PM on 08/14/2008

He erased all records of their marriage, after she waited and did everything she could to get that man released. This is how McCain pays back loyalty............................................

[protagonia]

01:54 PM on 08/14/2008

Only a sociopath cannot tell the difference between Obama and McCain.

Evidently, there are a few of you.

[fshrman07]

07:24 AM on 08/13/2008

I am an Obama supporter and I question the strategy of denying your celebrity/popularity to win an election. Especially when you spend your supporter's contributions to remind everyone that your opponent is very popular, especially with well known and respected celebrities. What makes anyone think this stupid tactic will work on anyone but people who happen to be,,, stupid? Following is the comment I sent to the Obama campaign:
*********
I'm sorry, but the new (08/11) ad depicting JMc as a "celebrity" is not only lame but it is exactly opposite of the way you need to be defining the man. What the heck is bad about being popular and having adoring fans? Is this not exactly the way we want the world to see our candidate? The only connection that really works in a negative way is the W connection. How bad are you hurting him when you show him on SNL or Leno? Hello...... JMc is old, cranky, rude, inarticulate, arrogant and on and on. I believe he could be depicted as a bigger bumbler and more incompetent than GWB. Just show him reading a speech from a teleprompter or responding to a question extemporaneously. Wake up Obama crew, JMc's power and connections are really hard to turn into a negative. What are you thinking?

[meanguy]

06:35 AM on 08/13/2008

well, copying his opponent's ads might work; after all, he copied most of hillary's positions, and deval patrick's speeches, during the primaries, and that turned out pretty well

[idest]

10:07 AM on 08/13/2008

He "copied most of hillary's positions"? Really, so if I support some form of universal healthcare, I'm "copying hillary's positions"? Or maybe I'm just formulating my own positions, which agree with those of Senator Clinton.

You sound really desperate right here.

[gwhizz]

11:33 AM on 08/13/2008

You watch any of the debates? He might have might just as well brought a tape recorder and just kept pushing the PLAY button: "I agree with Hillary". "What Hillary Said".

[protagonia]

01:58 PM on 08/14/2008

The t-rollers are striking in groups of three or more here. This must be an important target for them.

Fortify here.

Clear the skies of them.

Start your engines!

[Pamela1961]

09:14 AM on 08/14/2008

Hahaha, that's so true. I guess it's not really funny though as we need a leader who knows about the issues, policy and can lead and not just someone who shadows others opinions. Still you make a very good point here.

[Superfelo]

06:27 AM on 08/13/2008

Or perhaps, just as former Sen. Tom Daschle said last week, Obama's advisers believe McCain's Paris Hilton ad did real damage."
"Real damage" to whom? McCain? Actually that inane ad stated nothing and showed nothing and proved less.
People that live in ivory towers know little about how the little man sees thing. Paris Hilton's mother made the statement for the little guy: "It was a stupid ad and a waste of money."
Paris Hilton, and Britney Spears do not have the accomplishments that Senator Obama has
in his resume. And guess what? just running for president, in the pressure cooker of presidential politics shows that Obama is not a celebrity without mettle. The people have spoken in the primaries-they chose the best person-Barack Obama; s they will in the general election. Enough said.

[Oldtt]

01:51 PM on 08/14/2008

If that's true of Obama it's also true of John McCain, who is constantly attacked here as a bumbling idiot.