BRITNEY, PARIS…OBAMA?
The McCain campaign is out with the latest in a string of sharply negative advertisements, this time mocking Barack Obama as a self-important celebrity along the likes of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton.
In a 30-second spot that focuses absolutely zero attention on McCain himself, the Arizona Republican’s campaign starts with something of a backhanded compliment for their competitor.
“He’s the biggest celebrity in the world,” a narrator says, over chants of “Obama, Obama.” The screen then shifts to shots of the two aforementioned female pop icons amidst paparazzi.
“But, is he ready to lead? With gas prices soaring, Barack Obama says no to offshore drilling. And, says he’ll raise taxes on electricity. Higher taxes, more foreign oil, that’s the real Obama.”
One of the final images is of Obama’s face next to large type stating, “More Foreign Oil.”
The spot reflects what observers and reporters have described as a growing superficial negativity emerging from the McCain camp. Certainly, footage of Obama along side Spears and Hilton is designed to make him seen, at the very least, egomaniacal and, at worst, intellectually hollow.
But the ad says as much about the Arizona Republican as it does the Illinois Democrat. It was not too long ago that McCain’s campaign released a memo saying it was “critical” to “run a respectful campaign focused on the issues,” no matter which the Democratic nominee emerged. Since then, the presumptive Republican nominee has launched attacks on Obama’s patriotism, has blamed his opponent for high gas prices, and has accused him of willfully snubbing the troops.
