It’s ironic that the John McCain campaign is using footage from Barack Obama’s world tour and calling him the biggest celebrity in the world, above Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, while questioning whether or not he can lead. Needless to say the negative ad has created controversy and drawn much attention.
John McCain campaign ad “Celeb”
ABC News’ Sunlen Miller reports: Sen. Barack Obama capitalized on Sen. John McCain’s ad today, saying the Arizona Republican’s perceived negative shift is a sign of problems in McCain’s campaign.
“You haven’t heard a positive thing out of that campaign in a month,” Obama said during a picnic in Unity, Mo. “All they do is try to run me down and you know this in your own life — if somebody doesn’t have anything nice to say about anybody, that means they’ve got some problems of their own.”
McCain released a new ad today comparing Obama, the Illinois Democrat, to celebrities Britney Spears and Paris Hilton.
Paris Hilton
“The latest one they’ve got me in an ad with Paris Hilton,” Obama said with a laugh. “I’ve never met the woman.”
The Obama campaign quickly responded with an ad of its own, calling McCain’s attack the “low road.” At a town hall earlier today in Rolla, Mo., Obama said he hasn’t seen an ad yet where McCain talks about his plan for the country.
The McCain campaign defended its ad.
“Pointing out your opponent’s worldwide celebrity is not the ‘low road,’ and neither is pointing out that he opposes oil drilling and supports higher taxes,” McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said in a statement.
Source: Obama Says McCain’s Negative Shift Is a Sign of Problems
Britney Spears
The McCain campaign launched the “Celeb” ad with a conference call. Reporters asked the questions we would have asked.
This was also the first one in weeks to focus on pure politics, the main topic under discussion being whether Barack Obama is merely a global celebrity or a genuine leader who is ready to be president.
CNN’s Dana Bash asked perhaps the most relevant question of the three:
For example…when he went with Sarkozy, Sarkozy basically said, you know, “We look forward to you becoming the president,” and as you mentioned, John McCain met with Sarkozy as well. So how do you square that with this idea that [Obama's] just sort of going and almost like he’s releasing a movie?
NBC News’ Kelly O’Donnell asked:
Can you tell us what polling, focus group work, research you’ve done on the issue of celebrity, presumptuousness, audacity and those kind of words and what it is that’s leading you to believe that that has some traction as you put this messaging together?
ABC News’ David Wright:
Why these particular celebrities for comparison, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears?
The Barack Obama campaign was quick to put up a response ad.
Barack Obama campaign response ad “Low Road” TV ad
Even John McCain’s former campaign manager takes issue with the ad.
John Weaver, for years one of John McCain’s closest friends and confidants, has been in exile since his resignation from McCain’s presidential campaign last year. With the exception of an occasional interview, he has, by his own account, bit his tongue as McCain’s campaign has adopted a strategy that Weaver believes “diminishes John McCain.”
With the release today of a McCain television ad blasting Obama for celebrity preening while gas prices rise, and a memo that accuses Obama of putting his own aggrandizement before the country, Weaver said he’s had “enough.”
The ad’s premise, he said, is “childish.”
“John’s been a celebrity ever since he was shot down,” Weaver said. “Whatever that means. And I recall Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush going overseas and all those waving American flags.”
Source: Weaver, McCain’s Former Strategist, Calls “Celeb” Ad “Childish”
Tommy Christopher: What is it that makes Barack Obama a celebrity and John McCain not a celebrity? Is it just name recognition? Popularity?
Rick Davis: I’d love to think that John McCain is a big international celebrity, but he’s not…We see him more as a global leader than a global celebrity. (By contrast) Barack Obama’s own trip to Europe, the focus on media, the focus on events and activities is much more something you would expect from someone releasing a new movie than running for President. (His strategy is) to create a fan base around the world that allows him to get a lot of media attention, and allows him to avoid the important issues of our times.The problem is, Obama did discuss the issues with world leaders, and he did engage in substantive work on the trip, so when the McCain campaign talks about “focus,” it isn’t Obama’s focus, it’s the media’s.
John McCain has done exactly what Obama has done, but nobody paid attention. This ad, and this conference call, are McCain’s way of holding his breath and stomping his feet.
Source: New McCain Attack: Barack’s Really Popular!
The “Celeb” Barack Obama with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, July 24, 2008 (Photo credit: Getty Images/Europe)
A new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation national poll –helpfully flagged by Post polling director Jon Cohen — shows that McCain may be treading on dangerous ground. Four in ten voters said that McCain had been attacking Obama unfairly while just more than two in ten say that Obama has attacked McCain unfairly.
Those numbers outline the risk inherent in McCain’s new strategy. But, in a political environment as toxic as this one for Republicans, a risky strategy may be the only strategy that could put McCain in the White House.
Source: McCain’s Risky Ad Strategy
Photos: Barack Obama in Berlin, Germany, July 24, 2008, Photo credit: Getty Images Europe
Related posts:
- Video & Photos: Barack Obama in Afghanistan July 19-20, 2008
- Video & Photos: Barack Obama on “Meet the Press” 7-27-08
- Video & Photos: Barack Obama in London, England 7-26-08
- Video & Photos: Barack Obama in Paris, France 7-25-08
- Video & Photos: Barack Obama Berlin Speech 7-24-08
- Video & Photos: Barack Obama in Israel and the West Bank 7-23-08
- Video & Photos: Barack Obama in Iraq 7-21-08
- Video: Barack Obama Larry King Live Interview 7-15-08
- Video & Photos: Barack Obama Speech at 99th NAACP National Convention 7-14-08
- Video & Photos: John McCain Speech at 99th NAACP National Convention 7-16-08
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- Video & Photos: Barack Obama Faith Based Initiatives Speech 7-1-08
- Video & Photos: Barack Obama Patriotism Speech in Independence, MO 6-30-08
- Video: Barack Obama Wins Democratic Nomination – Obama Victory Speech 6-3-08
John McCain “Celeb” Ad Gives Barack Obama Top Billing over Britney Spears, Paris Hilton
12:59 am on August 1st, 2008 1
Anything that is too stupid to be spoken is sung. FrancoisMarieArouetVoltaireFrancois Marie Arouet Voltaire, 1694-1778
7:52 am on August 6th, 2008 2
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[...] John McCain “Celeb” Ad Gives Barack Obama Top Billing over Britney Spears, Paris Hilton [...]
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[...] John McCain “Celeb” Ad Gives Barack Obama Top Billing over Britney Spears, Paris Hilton [...]