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Negative Ad Wars Over Obama 'Celeb' Status
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ShareJuly 30, 2008 12:50 PM
ABC News' David Wright reports: The McCain campaign says its new ad comparing Barack Obama with Britney Spears and Paris Hilton is fair and balanced. The Obama campaign and its supporters clearly don't agree.
“It’s beyond dispute that he has become the biggest celebrity in the world,” McCain campaign strategist Steve Schmidt explained to reporters today. "But do the American people really want to elect the biggest celebrity in the world?"
Asked why the campaign chose these particular celebrities to compare with Obama, campaign manager Rick Davis answered matter of factly, as though the comparison were obvious and indisputable: "What we decided to do was find the top three international celebrities in the world. Britney and Paris came in second and third," he said.
But perhaps the Hilton family won't appreciate the irony of the ad? Those political junkies over at TMZ.com discovered that Rick and Kathy Hilton, parents to Paris, are McCain donors.
The Obama campaign initially responded to the ad with a twist on a Britney Spears classic. Said spokesman Tommy Vietor: “On a day when major news organizations across the country are taking Senator McCain to task for a steady stream of false, negative attacks, his campaign has launched yet another. Or, as some might say, ‘Oops! He did it again.’"
And later this afternoon, the Obama campaign fired back with a new ad of its own. See it HERE.
The Obama campaign ad ignored the pop princess comparisons and instead hammered at McCain for his "attacks on Obama" and taking "the low road." Under a photograph of McCain with President George Bush the narrator says: "John McCain. Same old politics. Same failed policies."
McCain campaign officials say they are not worried that voters may perceive the ad as another negative attack from their candidate. Or as sour grapes that their candidate, who has traveled widely, does not seem to draw such large crowds.
“I’d love to think that john McCain was a big international celebrity, but he’s not," Davis said. "We see him more as a global leader than a global celebrity.”
UPDATE: Tit for tat, Obama supporters are firing back at the McCain campaign for comparing their candidate to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton in a new campaign ad -- pointing to McCain's penchant for wearing $520 Ferragamo designer shoes.
"I'm just saying if you want to launch attacks about celebrity and out of touch, maybe you shouldn't do it while wearing $520 shoes," Eddie Vale of the DC-based Progressive Accountability.org emailed reporters.
Vale included an item from the Huffington Post website highlighting the swish new loafers McCain has been sporting on the campaign trail.
For instance, he wore them to his meeting with the Dalai Lama and during his ill-fated visit to a Bethlehem, PA, grocery store when jars of Mott's Applesauce knocked over by a stock clerk went toppling to the floor right next to McCain.
Luckily for the candidate, the applesauce appeared to miss the Italian calfskin loafers.
As Huffington Post points out, McCain's black monk strap "Pregiato Moccasins" feature "tonal topstitching, silvertone hardware, and a Gancini bit and strap over vamp" (whatever that means). They're made by the Italian designer Salvatore Ferragamo and retail at Niemann-Marcus for $520.
"What better way to show his American pride than to tour the country in Italian leather?" chided Huffington Post blogger Isabel Wilkinson.
(Full disclosure: I also happen to be wearing Ferragamo loafers today. But I got them on sale in Milan some years ago. And I certainly didn't spend $520.)
July 30, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan, Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom, Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (811)
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McOldmanCain is getting desperate.
Patetic really because we are still more tha 3 months from the election.
At this rate he will be pulling his hair off by the time we get to the Repug Convention.
Posted by: Steve_NJ | Jul 30, 2008 1:13:17 PM
Is this for real? Who in the world comes up with this stuff?! McCain you had better reign in these morons.
Posted by: LongT | Jul 30, 2008 1:13:23 PM
In case it escaped anyone's attention, here's what's happening: Steve Schmidt, who McCain promoted to run his campaign 3 weeks ago, is a close protege of Karl Rove. It's clear that the new mantra of the McShame campaign is: "by any means necessary." Schmidt is going to run a nasty, in the mud, say whatever you can get away with campaign. John McCain, you have indeed become George Bush, the man you once despised.
Posted by: American Patriot | Jul 30, 2008 1:13:30 PM
Sorry Lindsay,
BKMC is the person who does not make sense.
Posted by: bags | Jul 30, 2008 1:14:06 PM
We all agree! This is ridiculous.
Malcolm, I'm with you....I'd ask for a refund on my donation.
Posted by: TW | Jul 30, 2008 1:14:17 PM
And this guy wants to be the leader of the free world! Give me a break! When they can't find the dirt, they go for character assassination. Do we really want someone who thinks this way running our country? The Democrats shot themselves in the foot last election by choosing John Kerry. This time it's the Republicans. Keep talking McCain, it is the best campaign tactic for the Democrats.
Posted by: Tom | Jul 30, 2008 1:14:36 PM
To "Ya Right" - Bush has humiliated this country for the last eight years with his made up words, poor grammar, and stumbling and grasping during interviews. As unpolished as he may be during an interview, Obama can only be an improvement. Hell, one of the Teletubbies would be an improvement.
Posted by: yomama | Jul 30, 2008 1:14:47 PM
I started out as a Ron Paul supporter who converted to McCain. But as time has gone on, I've just gotten sicker and sicker of McCain always talking negatively. This isn't the Maverick I once revered.
Count me in guys, I'm voting Obama.
I HAVE YET TO HEAR HIM SAY ONE NEGATIVE THING ABOUT MCCAIN despite all the mud that's being slung his way.
That's class if you ask me, and that's just the typ of statesmen we need.
Posted by: Teo | Jul 30, 2008 1:15:20 PM
Finally! McCain is focusing on the issues!
NOW GET OFF MY LAWN, YOU DERN KIDS!
Posted by: RuperttheBear | Jul 30, 2008 1:16:21 PM
To answer Bill's question "Is it a good thing for a country's leader to be respected and loved globally, like Nelson Mandela?"
No. You are the President of the USA. I coudl care less what GErmany, France, England, Italy, etc think. You represent 300 million Americans, you are too look out for our lives, our land, our fortunes. Both parties are to blame, I don't give a rip about some 3rd world country. Did anyone care about us? No, we grew on our own, we had our civil war, we had our problems, and did some other country step in to "fix" it. No. So why are we fixing the world.
Posted by: OverthrowThemAll | Jul 30, 2008 1:16:24 PM
McCain's new lows. The only surge we will be seeing in the polls is the popularity of Obama. The future of the USa is Obama. McCain is history
Posted by: gjkotw01 | Jul 30, 2008 1:17:10 PM
McCain is not only embarrassing but he has nothing...nothing!!! Hello!!! Is anyone home!!!
Posted by: becky | Jul 30, 2008 1:17:12 PM
You guys have your head so far up Obama's butt you can see the backside of his big,fake, blame America first smile. While your down there check his wallet for his NAACP card.
Posted by: jimdog | Jul 30, 2008 1:17:44 PM
It seems like no one has respect anymore. No matter what a person might think of another, respect should be given especially by politicians or anyone who would want respect in return. I've lost respect for McCain and do sincerely hope that Obama will turn the other cheek. People need to learn better manners.
Posted by: miaruss | Jul 30, 2008 1:19:16 PM
Folks, it's just one tv add. Get over it.
Posted by: John McCain | Jul 30, 2008 1:19:47 PM
Little John's Depends are leaking.
Posted by: FilmMD | Jul 30, 2008 1:19:51 PM
This is a disgrace.
Posted by: Kevin | Jul 30, 2008 1:20:24 PM
Do you really think Obama doesn’t try to portray himself to be a celeb? Obama doesn’t visit U.S. Soldiers at a hospital because no one is there to hold a camera to document that he cares, give me a break.
McCain just said what everyone has been thinking. Go McCain!
Posted by: John CT | Jul 30, 2008 1:20:33 PM
This ad may not be John McCain's best piece of work, but it is interesting to see the kind of company Obama's in. Don't be surprised Obama's "artsy" tapes and indiscretions surface. When you start prematurely glorifying yourself the way that this clown has, your past and the snakes in it have a way of coming up and biting you in the....
Posted by: jules | Jul 30, 2008 1:20:39 PM
lol
love the repubs trying to figure out a way to back this one from mccain
yea.. welll... ummm obama has no experience and hes totally egotistical and... a celebrity good commercial mccain
LOL
dont you guys feel stupid, i mean this is probably the silliest most pathetic most cry baby whiney ad i have ever seen...
i mean, what is mccains strategy with this... its just pathetic
Posted by: bhrandon | Jul 30, 2008 1:20:41 PM
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