The McCain Campaign Jumps the Shark

There is a popular, but misinterpreted phrase, "Jumping the Shark." It doesn't mean you have disastrous ideas. It's that you have run out of ideas -- and are so desperate you'll try anything, no matter how blatantly wrong for you. It's when you send the iconic 1950s leather-jacketed, street-greaser Fonzie out on waterskis.

The John McCain Straight Talk Express has jumped the shark. Already. And the shark won.

In truth, the campaign has been flailing for weeks with Internet "ads." The now-infamous Britney Spears/Paris Hilton Internet "ad" simply completed their Holy Trinity.

First was the Everybody Loves Barack "ad" -- staggering in showing its desperation. Now, clearly its main audience was the press. But there was SO much wrong with this harebrained strategy.

For starters, the press knows it criticizes Obama. He's taken blasts on Rev. Wright, a fist-bump, falsely being elitist and more. The last thing John McCain should want is the press doing its job -- because they might look into his getting the Surge timeline and Iraq border wrong, gorilla rape jokes and his "c*nt" comment more closely. McCain Being McCain won't look as endearing.

But mainly, any remote benefit is far offset by countless viewers watching a three-minute lovefest of adoring crowds cheering Barack Obama, with praise from experts how wonderful he is, all to the song "My Eyes Adored You." Honestly, when you're reduced to complaining that everyone worships your opponent, you are putting your desperation on display.

Second in the Trinity is the pilloried, He Didn't Visit the Troops "ad." Even Republicans (like Sen. Chuck Hagel) have denounced its inaccuracies. But more noteworthy is that even when falsely-claiming Barack Obama didn't visit the troops -- they show footage of him visiting the troops! While making a difficult three-point basket with them. That's not desperate -- that's bizarre. Forget that Sen. Obama visited soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital only weeks before -- when your campaign shows your opponent looking young and athletic, with cheering troops, on his wildly-successful world tour, during which the Iraq Prime Minister endorsed his withdrawal plan -- all to make a knowingly-false point, you just know you don't have anything else to run on.

Let's be honest now -- if John McCain's campaign was doing well, does anyone truly think he'd be running "ads" that even mention his opponent??? Here's how desperate these ads look: you know that TV commercial, "Never let them see you sweat"? This is John McCain perspiring a tsunami, centerstage.

Which finally brings us to the third "ad" of the triumvirate. The "Jump the Shark" moment. The culmination of their emptiness, lack of ideas, and ultimately desperation.

Once again, we have an Internet "ad" that explains how their opponent is the "Biggest Celebrity in the World." (Really, what are they thinking??) And then -- they try to tie Sen. Obama to...Britney Spears and Paris Hilton.

To begin with, people resent being considered that stupid. Most voters actually understand that Barack Obama is different from Paris Hilton. No, really!

Further, what the McCain campaign totally overlooks to their detriment is that -- Barack Obama won the Democratic nomination against all odds in a hard-run race, and that tactic against him didn't work. When you're desperate, you miss points like that.

But what most shows them sweating are three comments defending the "ad," by the McCain campaign manager and its chief strategist. Now, remember -- these are from the McCain campaign manager and chief strategist. If anything shows the problems of the McCain Express, that is it.

"What we decided to do is find the top three international celebrities in the world," said campaign manager Rick Davis, "and I would say from our indications, Britney and Paris came in second and third."

When your campaign manager thinks Paris Hilton is the Third Most Famous Celebrity in the World - you're campaigning in a different space/time dimension. Moreover, that very day, a news story in the L.A. Times was headlined, "Britney Spears is Gone in a Flash." Hint: when you don't want to show your 72-year-old candidate out of touch, this isn't how.

But it gets worse. Mr. Davis -- the McCain campaign manager, remember? -- also said, "I don't know Paris Hilton and Britney Spears but they are international celebrities, so, you know, apples to apples."

So, wait, the campaign manager for John McCain doesn't know Paris Hilton and Britney Spears??? Yet he says they are the top international celebrities. And despite not knowing them...felt they should be featured in a political ad for John McCain??!!! As my friend Tiffany often says, "What's up with that?"

But then, leave it to McCain chief strategist, Steve Schmidt, to offer the topper.

"It is beyond dispute that he [Obama] has become the biggest celebrity in the world. It is a statement of fact. It is backed up by his tour."

I am quoting the chief strategist for John McCain. That was not Obama Girl. Or Oprah. Or some fanboy on the "I Heart Barack" blog. That was from the John McCain's chief strategist. Boy, howdy, some strategy.

This is a campaign for President of the United States. If you don't see the lack of ideas, the emptiness, the utter desperation, then your eyes are closed and your brain is on emergency shut-down.

John McCain may believe his only hope is to be relentlessly negative, but that's not the John McCain people think they're supposed to like. People have to know he's not going to continue being George Bush. But he has positioned himself as just a crotchety, out-of-touch old man.

That's what happens when you show your desperation. That's what happens when you kiss Straight Talk goodbye. You hug Britney and Paris.

This isn't just Jumping the Shark. At least Fonzie made it over. This is getting devoured by the shark.

Comments

[Cathexis]

John McCain likes to preface every sentence with "My Friends ..."

Now that he has jumped the shark, I guess we can respond, "Senator McCain ... our chum!"

[NHGranite]

If Obama is a celebrity like Paris Hilton (wonder who her parents are going to send contributions to now?) and Britney Spears? Guess that puts McCain on the D-List with Kathy Griffin, except at least her catty jokes are funny,

[NHGranite]

So Obama is a celebrity like Paris Hilton (wonder who her parents will send their contributions to now?) and Britney Spears? Guess that puts McCain on the D-List with Kathy Griffin except her catty jokes are funny.

[ProfessorDuh]

The New York Times says that the race issue is a "genie" that's "out of the bottle." Gosh, that's right. The McCain campaign did not deliberately inject racism into the presidential race. It just appeared there by magic.

[athenasword]

Excellent post. I think McBlame will feel the pain of this out of touch, negative, reeking-of­-desparate set of ads, since people are not stupid and do see right thru this nonsense. Isn't it great how he is giving O alot of good press (I epsecially love the ad where the cheering, adoring crowd in Berlin is greeting him... oh, ya Johnny that makes O look real real bad and scary! Silly old man!)

[amamomofsons]

I am laughing right now. Yesterday when this whole thing with Spears and Hilton.began I told my husband that McCain had jumped the shark. Then I see your post. Right on friend.

[JayInDallas]

Its always gratifying when you hear someone voice the same perception to something you've experienced. Its even more gratifying when its someone with an audience. Mr Elisberg has made my day by doing just that. After reading The Shock Doctrine, I realized what this country has been put through. Now it appears that the nightmare is ending and as we become re-oriented, we are surrounded by things that are surreal to the rational mind. I believe that Barack Obama may be the catalyst for the reawakening of this country's return to its rightful status in the world as a beacon of freedom.

[demfriend]

Just for one whole week I would love to actually see the MSM doing the job it is supposed to do, dig into the things not so clean and the things McCain has done in his past which would paint the whole man for what he is. He might be considered a hero by some still for his time as a POW and there is some respect for him for that but he isn't the hero for the rest of his life. MSM has given him a pass on so mucha s they don't want to be seen as dogging and disrespcting a "hero" but when he got in the senate all "hero" stuff died quickly. Before that he left his first wife who held down the house and was a activist for the POW's sent him mail nearly daily and yet when she nearly died in a car accdent she kept it from him as to not upset him while a POW. Then he went looking for a new "model" who he made sure was a rich pretty one. He has voted againest the vets and troops many times or just didn't show up to vote. He has also done the same to women's issues. Keating 5 etc MSM could do the works!

[CharlesJ]

The reality is that the negative attack adds will help McCain in the polls. It has always helped in the past. But what McCain does not realize is that he is getting all his ugliness out in the front tooooo early and when Obama comes out McCain will be out of bullets and maybe even out of money. McCain is outspending Obama at a rate of almost 3-1 right now and Obama is bankrolling everything he has coming in. What that means is every one get ready for a media blitz starting right after the Denver Convention. McCain will not know what hit him. Now that's just my opinion.

[S1m0n]

"..It has always helped in the past. .."

That's false. Negative ads work every time, except when they don't. And when they bomb, they REALLY don't work.

When negative doesn't work, it's usually because the bombee is more likeable than than the bomber. Obama has huge 'likeable' scores.

[luckynewman13]

What scares me is the poll CNN is conducting on TIME.com. The poll asks if these attacks would help or hurt McCain's campaign. I haven't checked in a few hours but when I voted "no" it told me I was in the minority. According to the pole over 70% of those in poll believe these attacks will help the MCain campaign. Yikes!!!

[CharlesJ]

Dont let that scare you, CNN polls are always twisted in lacking in real data. A person can vote a million times in the CNN Polls, so pay it no mind.

[jfor]

John McCain proved to the American people in 2000 that he is not qualified to be President by LOSING to George W. Bush. Now its is eight years later and once again McCain is proving to not be qualified to be President by stating "I am John McCain and I approve this message". His message as many others have pointed out is petulant, whiny and full of fear and America has had more than enough of that from the current resident of the White House.

[SuiginTou7]

Lol, I love it !!!!!!

[bmora]

I am telling you. Buy a couple of College Republicans some beer and pizza and they could probably do a better job. Scary thing is that it will probably work with out resorting to hiring students.