John McCain’s campaign on Wednesday aired and defended a 30-second television ad that likens Democratic rival Barack Obama to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. The ad, the latest McCain effort to gain traction against Obama, notes the Democrat’s opposition to offshore drilling and accuses him of favoring higher taxes on electricity.
But McCain aides acknowledged the ad is as much about image as issues.
Campaign manager Rick Davis said the Spears and Hilton photos were included to “demonstrate that the focus of the Obama campaign has been as much to create that celebrity status of his as it is to discuss the hard issues that the American people are forced to debate during the course of this campaign.”
The Obama campaign was quick to criticize the ad, which is airing in Colorado and 10 other states.
“On a day when major news organizations across the country are taking Sen. McCain to task for a steady stream of false, negative attacks, his campaign has launched yet another. Or, as some might say, ‘Oops! He did it again,’ ” Obama campaign spokesman Tommy Vietor said.
