I'm just hot...

You gotta love this… if you're a bit tired of seeing too much of either candidate there's always the next tier, which happens to be all over the web, and include some funny videos..

So, McCain comes out with a political ad that intones that Obama is a huge rock star, and asks: 'Is the biggest celebrity in the world ready to help your family?'  In the foreground, hoping to add to the idea that rock stars are airheads are Paris Hilton, and Britney Spears.  

The ad comes out, then you had the usual quick response from Obama, and the endless mainstream chatter about would this help or hurt either one…

Forget all that.  Well, except I do wonder about McCain a bit.  Here's the way I see it going down.  McCain's in a room with his political advisors watching live videos of Obama from Germany receiving tumultuous applause from huge audiences wherever he goes.

McCain watches for a bit, and then launches into a jealous tantrum, jumping up and down screaming something about 'Why can't I be popular?'  

The room goes completely silent, no one daring to speak up.  No one wanting to mention the obvious – that Obama's speech about the U.S. becoming part of the world again, was hitting a strong note with the Europeans – who don't generally approve of super powers going around blowing up other countries on whims.

So, what happens?  Some senior marketing maven, wanting to win points, and seeing his boss upset decides he has to do something.  So, he jumps up and says, 'Let's do what we always do guys!'  Let's turn it around; we'll just rebrand popularity as stupid!  Silence continues for a moment, then McCain's eyes flicker, and he stirs.  "Why not?"  This is great, let's do it!  So they produce the video, claiming popularity is evil, which seems dumb to me.  I mean, what are we supposed to do, elect a non-popular guy?  

Jon Stewart wasted no time and commented the next day:

"John McCain’s saying to the Hiltons, “I thank you kindly for your support (they donated to his campaign) Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go take a nationally televised dump on your daughter.”

Kathy Hilton's response?

I’ve been asked again and again for my response to the now infamous McCain celebrity ad. I actually have three responses. It is a complete waste of the money John McCain’s contributors have donated to his campaign. It is a complete waste of the country’s time and attention at the very moment when millions of people are losing their homes and their jobs. And it is a completely frivolous way to choose the next President of the United States.

Anyway forget all that, the fun part?  Paris did her part and actually put out a video of her own, in a bathing suit.  Now, I'm no fan of hers, she reminds me of Zsa Zsa Gabore, (never really did figure out what she did) but I gotta hand it to her on this one.   She refers to McCain as "as that wrinkly white haired guy who used me in his campaign ad."  She then goes on with her rather out of character thoughtful (sort of) response to the energy crisis – which appears to have been good enough to spark discussion on the web of whether it would work.  It's kind of a combination of environmental off shore drilling and tax incentives for green technology.

The thing is, no matter what you think of her response, or if that she stumbles a little delivering it, it's from her heart.  Obama and McCain's energy plans?  They change daily, in response  to presumed voter preferences.  They just don't ring true anymore...

The Candidates reponse to the whole video ad flap?  Obama just dismissed the whole episode.  McCain's troops, showing that they just didn't know when to quit, responded by saying that Paris' video showed that she supported McCain's energy plan.  But, wait a minute.   You guys just told us that we shouldn't listen to celebrities, particularly Paris Hilton.  Now you are telling us to listen to Paris Hilton's energy proposal, because you heard the words 'offshore drilling' in her speech and that must means she supports your candidate (not)?

I'm sure that somewhere, back in that smoky room full of marketing mavens there's a bunch of guys giving high fives to each other for their brilliant response, but I think they just left missed the whole point, as they've been doing for years….