The Left Blogosphere Is All A'Twitter

Happy with Paris today. Some of their comments just slay me:

* Gandalf
To pile on Matt's post below, it appears McCain made a major miscalculation with his celebrity attack ad. Hilton's response is now the top story on Google News, and apparently the McCain campaign is receiving so many media requests about it, that they had to post a from response on their website. They have gotten into a spat with Paris Hilton, which there is basically no way to win. Hilton has nothing to lose, and the back and forth just highlights the frivolic idiocy of McCain's recent attacks.

It feels really weird to say it, but Paris Hilton kind of feels like Gandalf returning to Middle Earth, "at the turn of the tide." Her age-based attacks on McCain are even in line with Obama's new ad that opens with a line that could be interpreted as a shot at McCain's age. McCain is going to be on the defensive now, even though he started the attack in the first place. Obama's "proud to be ignorant" line is getting a lot of play, too.

Paris Hilton is playing a not insignificant role in the presidential election. Who'd have thunk it? Man, politics is weird.


* As much as I tend to hate her and her ilk...
....you just don't fuck with Paris Hilton.

What did he think, she would be too busy to respond? Did he think she would just pass up a chance to be in the spotlight? Did he think her family, with its famous name, would just stand by while McCain trashed them?

"Don't hate the media, become the media" -Jello Biafra


* It's more than a little funny that Paris Hilton's response ad could just be the definitive turning point in the campaign. It is just so bad for McCain on so many levels.
"He's the oldest celebrity in the world"? That line alone was enough.

First her mom calls McCain's ad "completely frivolous", and then Paris does this.

Well, poetic justice is about the only kind we've got left these days, but this alone seems to say we've got enough to get by.


* Every time the gray-hairs tangle with pop culture, they lose, because pop culture just doesn't quit.
This is definitive proof that McCain learned nothing from the fall of Communism. He no doubt still thinks it was all Reagan's doing, and had nothing to do with jazz, Levis and rock 'n roll.


* As someone over at dKos put it:
Say what you want about Paris Hilton, she gets paid to go to parties. Try arranging that for yourself sometime.


* Oldest Celebrity in the World
Adding to the poetic justice, this puts his age at the forefront without any way to claim Obama's campaign is somewhat responsible for playing the age card. Paris said everything the campaign couldn't, and leaves McCain in a box, for he can't pin responsibility on Obama (and thus find a way to be portrayed the victim of this series of event) nor can he escalate the debate with Paris (who relishes the media spotlight and has nothing to lose in this debate).

Even sweeter poetic justice still, now it is McCain who is associated with Paris Hilton, giving Sen. Obama the ability to frame the contrast as he did today - "Instead of running ads about Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, they should be talking to energy experts and make a difference" - thus making the choice between more GOP nonsense or common sense.

And now that McCain has responded to the Hilton ad saying Paris agrees with McCain's energy policy, could it not be called the McCain/Paris energy plan? Can Paris now be labeled McCain's energy advisor?

There is enough snark to last for days, and you can bet that John McCain's outrage that his clever ad bite back so hard will compel him to compound the error before it's all said and done.


* Amen to all the above.
The only thing McCain has to be thankful for is that takes some attention away from his pimping out his wife at the Buffalo Chip beauty contest.

Or, come to think of it, does it just encourage whoever won that contest to seek her own 15 minutes of fame?

Once again, Paris Hilton could only win from that development, and McCain could only lose.


* its interesting as hell.
All day long I was thinking that the Obama advertising campaign wasn't interesting enough, and how we needed to bring back the 527's.

Well, this ad is interesting and it didn't come from the Obama campaign.

The one thing no political candidate can survive is ridicule. And McCain has just been roasted.

This may very well be a significant event in the campaign.

1.2 million views as of this writing. And wait until people hear about it on the radio tomorrow morning, and get to the office and check it out....

This is going to be the definition of viral.


* the world of celebrities
has become so important and powerful in our culture, that it's now butting up against the presumably far more powerful world of politics.
Absolutely surreal. The only thing that could possibly top this is if McCain showed up on an episode of American Gladiators to face off with Wolf in the Joust.

I really do want to see a McCain vs. Hilton debate. She would cream him.

(As an aside: why hasn't anyone pointed out that Paris Hilton can't run for president? She's under 35).


* As an aside...
It appears that Obama's response on the tire gauge is having an effect too, as McCain has had to concede that he AGREES with Obama.

Yeah, think they're still going to be passing around those tire gauges with such glee?

How about an ad highlighting all the positions McCain has had to switch to Obama's viewpoint? Ie, Iraq, tire gauge, and now soon (because of Paris Hilton), Obama's energy policy compromise.

The theme? "Obama leads while McCain follows."



* Yeah, I saw that climbdown as well
Total, 100% capitulation. Remarkably stupid stuff from McCain to have started a food fight over that specific point. Now he looks dumb, for having brought it up in the first place, AND leaves a lot of frustrated supporters behind by totally hanging them out to dry.


* Wow great video
Paris delivered that policy section perfectly. She sounds lucid and smart, and seems to have an amazing sense of humor by prefacing it by pretending to be her stereotypical bimbo character. I think she not only just p0wned McCain, but her critics too.

I bet McCain enjoyed being called older than dirt to his face. Awesome. I hope Obama sends her a thank you card, she earned one.


* My Dad Likes To Say
That Paris is stupid like a fox, and while we laugh at her she's laughing all the way to the bank. Looks like he was right; I'll have to tell him about this.


* Not all blondes are stupid...
I've seen Paris Hilton on the late-night talk shows and she's clearly not a dumb blond. That's just male sexism. Although there are exceptions, women don't get to be A-list celebrities without having at least average intelligence.


Though You Probably Still Could Drown Her
By throwing a mirror into the swimming pool.