Paris Hilton Campaign Video

Just when you thought Campaign 2008 couldn’t get any dumber, Paris Hilton weighs in with a video:

For those unable to watch the video, ABC News’ Tahman Bradley has the rundown:

Sitting on a lawn chair in a bathing suit, Ms. Hilton says to camera, “Hey America, I’m Paris Hilton and I’m a celebrity too. Only I’m not from the olden days and I’m not promising change like that other guy. I’m just hot.”

She continues, “But then that wrinkly white-haired guy used me in his campaign ad, which I guess means that I’m running for president.”

And so, since Hilton has interpreted the comparison to Sen. Obama, D-Ill., as meaning that she too is qualified to be leader of the free world, Hilton, jokingly, lays out her campaign platform.

The video has some more tough words for the “wrinkly white-haired” Arizona Senator: “He’s the oldest celebrity it the world, like super old. Old enough to remember when dancing was a sin and beer was served in a bucket,” a narrator says, with a picture of Larry King and then Yoda to drive home the age point.

Team McCain isn’t missing a beat:

In the unkindest cut of all, McCain’s spokesperson Tucker Bounds tells TMZ that on the subject of energy, Paris is deeper than Barack. He says, “Sounds like Paris is taking the ‘All of the Above’ energy approach that John McCain has advocated — both alternatives and drilling. Perhaps the reality is that Paris has a more substantive energy plan than Barack Obama.”

Naturally, all of this has resulted in some enlightening discussion on the issues that matter msot to Americans.

AllahPundit: “She’s got a sense of humor, a thoughtful energy policy, and nearly as much federal legislative experience as Barry O. If grotesque overexposure and grandiose ego are now prerequisites for the presidency, then the choice is … actually, the choice still isn’t clear, is it?”

Ace: “Takeaway: Even leftwing comedy writers, hopelessly in the bag for Barack Obama, struggle to find any sense in Obama’s doctrinaire no drilling, no way policy.”

Dan Riehl: “All things considered, while thinking back to the Clinton years and of how Paris secured her infamy … is America really ready for a President who does her best work on the other side of the desk and would be constantly loading it up on to YouTube, as well?”

Dave Price volunteers his services.

Glenn Reynolds observes, “Well, unlike Obama she’s worked in the private sector for years . . . .”  But Obama actually has worked in the private sector (Business International Corporation; Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland law firm; several boards of directors); it’s McCain who’s spent his adult life on the federal payroll (Annapolis, Navy, House, Senate). Not that there’s anything wrong with a lifetime of public service.

The best headline, hands down, goes to YahooNews for “Paris Hilton issues tart rebuttal to McCain ad.” One presumes the pun was intentional.

FILED UNDER: 2008 Election, Popular Culture, The Presidency, US Politics, , , , , , , , , , , ,
James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. rodney dill says:

    An endorsement for drilling… from someone who’s been drilled… many times.

  2. Mithras says:

    Some, you know, actual facts on drilling. Highlights:

    [T]here are significant discovered offshore resources available for drilling that are being leased and aren’t being drilled. In fact, only 10.5 million of the 44 million acres being leased are currently being drilled.

    And:

    Long story short, if they started today, five years from now we would be pumping 1% of our current daily consumption, and that would rise to a maximum of 5% by 2020-2030. This would be a trivial amount of new supply on the global markets, which are sure to be much larger 20 years from now.

    Of course, when have facts ever hindered rightwing talking points?

  3. John Cole says:

    The responses from the usual suspects that you quoted are hysterical- McCain gets openly mocked by a celebrity, called a wrinkly old dude who is old enough to have been around when dancing was a sin, and Ace thinks it was a win for McCain. Not only that, he thinks Paris enunciated the McCain energy plan.

    Creating their own reality.

  4. Bithead says:

    Ace thinks it was a win for McCain.

    The only way it’s not a plus for McCain is if you can successully argue that anyone really respects the ability of Paris Hilton for anything but sex films. Good luck with that.

    Long story short, if they started today, five years from now we would be pumping 1% of our current daily consumption,

    You may not have been around for the arguments about Prudhoe Bay… but trust me, the arguments were similar… and you may recall the reality worked out a bit differently.

    In fact, only 10.5 million of the 44 million acres being leased are currently being drilled.

    Spoken like atrue believer in big government. Just beacuse the government paper-pushers issue a lease, means there’s oil under it.

  5. rodney dill says:

    Long story short, if they started today, five years from now we would be pumping 1% of our current daily consumption, and that would rise to a maximum of 5% by 2020-2030. This would be a trivial amount of new supply on the global markets, which are sure to be much larger 20 years from now.

    So not drilling and having 5% less 2020-2030 makes senses how? Its a good thing that McCain is advocating more drilling AND alternate energy.

    The cnn article quoted below has a pretty good analysis of exploring and drilling current leases versus opening up potentially cheaper fields.

    Rather, years of exploration is required before drilling can even begin. In some cases, no oil is found on leases they hold. In others, drilling the wells and building the pipelines takes years. It is especially hard now that a worldwide boom in oil exploration has pushed up the prices – and timelines – for skilled workers and specialized equipment.

    “No one is sitting on leases these days,” said Rayola Dougher, senior economic advisor for the American Petroleum Institute. “Those making those assertions don’t understand the bidding and leasing process.”
    […]
    Instead, they’re holding out, hoping the government will open areas closer to shore that would be cheaper to work on.

    Of course, when have facts ever hindered leftwing talking points? (wait didn’t someone just say that, Deja vu)

  6. Michael says:

    The only way it’s not a plus for McCain is if you can successully argue that anyone really respects the ability of Paris Hilton for anything but sex films. Good luck with that.

    So, your hypothesis is that if we respect Hilton’s intellect, then we will dismiss her “drilling is okay too” bit and only focus on her “white haired dude” comments. However, if we only respect her for her contribution in sex films, then we will take her energy policy seriously, and discount her personal jabs at McCain.

    I’m curious as to how exactly you came up with that.

  7. DL says:

    No matter who wins this election the nation will be further left than it is now. The left has been masterful at determining the agenda and making the right come their way. After eight years of the GOP doing little but embarassing themselves, with open borders, overspending, corruption, personal immorality problems, and playing “us too” to the climate change hoax, the right now makes an attempt to fight hard, closing the barn door in desperation after the horse is out running freely.

    It has morphed into a principleless group of RINO driven losers, whose only real goal is a silly attempt to hold onto power. Throwing the conservatives under the straight talk bus was the last straw for me.

  8. Xanthippas says:

    The only way it’s not a plus for McCain is if you can successully argue that anyone really respects the ability of Paris Hilton for anything but sex films. Good luck with that.

    Because being criticized by empty-headed celebrities means…you’re ahead?

    Look, I’m not really saying it hurts McCain for Paris Hilton to take a shot at him (though frankly, he brought it on himself) but to think it HELPS him? Seriously?

  9. rodney dill says:

    Australian for Poll Dancer

  10. Bithead says:

    So, your hypothesis is that if we respect Hilton’s intellect, then we will dismiss her “drilling is okay too” bit and only focus on her “white haired dude” comments. However, if we only respect her for her contribution in sex films, then we will take her energy policy seriously, and discount her personal jabs at McCain.

    Not suprisingly, you’re missing it.

    Look, I’m not really saying it hurts McCain for Paris Hilton to take a shot at him (though frankly, he brought it on himself) but to think it HELPS him? Seriously?

    Both of you…Let’s try a reasonably realistic hypothetical:
    If Hugo Chavez dislikes McCain, and says so, it’s a net positive for McCain, because most Americans think Chavez the scum of the earth.

    There are not many Americans who think much of Paris Hilton, in all but one area of expertise. That area is not politics. Thereby a negative statement from her abut anyone can only be a net positive for that person.

  11. Wayne says:

    One more note on current land leases for drilling, some of it, including some oil rich leases can’t be explored because of other government regulation.

    Yes it is a bit of a unfair comparison but to me the Paris ad just reinforces McCain’s previous assertion about Obama being a celebrity spouting off prepared policies speeches. Even a celebrity with Paris fame can do it.

  12. Michael says:

    Not suprisingly, you’re missing it.

    Well heck, I’m intelligent and you’re articulate, why not try explaining the basis for your hypothesis?

    If Hugo Chavez dislikes McCain, and says so, it’s a net positive for McCain, because most Americans think Chavez the scum of the earth.

    And if Hugo Chavez came out and said “Hey, that McCain guy is right about drilling, and he’s old”, would you claim it was a positive for McCain because nobody likes Chavez’s oil policy? And would you simultaneously claim (as you did for Miss Hilton), that people who _do_ like Chavez’s oil policy will see his agreement with McCain as a negative for McCain?

    Again, simple logical deduction fails to bring me around to the basis your hypothesis, so you’ll have to explain it a bit more.

    There are not many Americans who think much of Paris Hilton, in all but one area of expertise. That area is not politics. Thereby a negative statement from her abut anyone can only be a net positive for that person.

    Only she wasn’t making negative statements about McCain’s energy policy, at least no more than she was making them about Obama’s too.

  13. Bithead says:

    And if Hugo Chavez came out and said “Hey, that McCain guy is right about drilling, and he’s old”, would you claim it was a positive for McCain because nobody likes Chavez’s oil policy?

    HAs nothing to do with his policy per se’… this comes down to a judgement of the man himself.

  14. Steven Donegal says:

    The Wrinkly Old Dude. How dare they inject age into this campaign!

  15. deadzone says:

    I forget… Was it McCain that featured Paris Hilton in one of his ads recently? Seems like McCain introduced Paris Hilton to the 08 Presidential Race not the other way around.

    She seems to have accepted the invitation…

  16. Dave Schuler says:

    The best caption I’ve read so far on the story about which James originally posted is: “Paris Hilton issues tart rebuttal”.

  17. Michael says:

    The best caption I’ve read so far on the story about which James originally posted is

    Yeah, that was at the bottom of James’ post, since the post was published, this morning.

  18. sam says:

    Give it up, bitches. You were pwnd.

  19. Bandit says:

    Paris is the perfect spokeswomen for Obama’s vapid response team.

  20. bob in fla says:

    Mc Cain ran a great ad, right?

    Well, when you consider he insulted the entire Hilton family (who were previously heavy donors to his campaign), Paris ran her own ad against him (she previously supported him), Britanny is talking to her lawyer about suing for unauthorised use of her picture (another previous supporter), & Mc Same’s own mother called the ad dumb, while the man himself says he is proud of the ad – I gotta ask: What the hell is so great about it?

    This man is supposed to have enough judgement to run this country? Don’t sound like it to me. At least Paris seems to be able to follow the script…

  21. Bithead says:

    vapid response team.

    Heh. I’ll have to remember that one.

  22. calling all toasters says:

    I love the desperation: “b-b-but Paris’s plan is like McCain’s!”

    Yes, dears, that was the point of the video, not to call McCain old.

  23. Singularity says:

    The idea that the Paris Hilton response ad is any kind of positive is ridiculous. The MsCain team have managed to get themselves into a public policy debate, a very PUBLIC public policy debate, with America’s most famous amateur porn star. Maybe, if he held a townhall debate with a member of the Pussycat Dolls, he could look worse. Maybe.

    McCain is pursuing an interesting campaign strategy this week. He’s publicly offered to have his wife participate in a sleazy topless beauty contest. His campaign accepted large donations from a bunch of low-income non-voters who all happen to work for an oil company that benefited from one of his many changes of position. And now he’s arguing energy policy with the second most famous blowjob artist in the country.

    You know what? It HAS been a good week for McCain.

  24. Michael says:

    His campaign accepted large donations from a bunch of low-income non-voters who all happen to work for an oil company that benefited from one of his many changes of position.

    Sources?