The election will not be decided based on issues.

Gallup Daily: Obama 45%, McCain 44%
http://www.gallup.com/poll/109177/Gallup-Daily-Obama-45-McCain-44.aspx

I still these as an opportunity for Obama. "I'm talking to you about the things that matter, and John McCain's campaign is talking about Britney Spears and Paris Hilton".

And do we know where that ad is showing, if at all?

That's the one attacking your enthusiasm,

Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooal!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thankfully, Obama's focus on issues seems to be working. Pew, very highly regarded, still has him up by 5:

Obama (D) 47%, McCain (R) 42%
http://people-press.org/report/438/inflation-economy-obama-overseas-trip

This is why I've learned not to freak out if Obama doesn't respond with blog-speed timing.

He lets these issues ripen, lets the pundits jabber and the Republicans run their mouths to the point where they can't spin their words back. He lets the public get well enough acquainted with the issue so his response will not be read as oblique or misunderstood.

Then he responds and comes out on top.

No drama. Obama.

"Celebrity" isn't a dirty word in America.

putting britney in the ad was particularly stupid cause now everyone can refer to "the britney ad" trumpeting its stupidity in a brief catchy phrase.

I hope you are wrong-but are probably right.

Britney Spears is ranked as the eighth best-selling female recording artist in the United States according to the Recording Industry Association of America with 31 million certified albums and one of the world's best-selling music artists having sold an estimated 83 million records worldwide.

Obama, who openly admits to illegal drug use, has Reverend Meeks, Reverend Wright, and Father Phleger as his spiritual leaders, hangs out with terrorist William Ayers, is best bussies and does illegal business with slumlord Tony Rezko, has an American-hating wife who complains constantly about America, makes sexist attacks on the Former First lady, pays his female staff members less than their male counterarts, calls women *sweetie* and offers up kisses for votes, tells reporters that the *vibrating* in his pocket is *just his cell phone*, makes up fake Presidential seals, and play acts that he is already President, removes the American flag from his lapel pin, his airplane, and (which I now believe) doesn’t place his hand over his heart for the National Anthem, cancels trips to visit wounded Iraq vets, because he can’t bring a camera, flip flops on major party policies, and lies to the American people.

Putting her on the Obama Ad is very insulting.
To Britney.

Britney Spears, a Bush supporter, was also under consideration as a speaker or performer at the 2004 GOP Convention.

Also here (from 2004):
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5820977/

I'm happy every time I see the word "desperate" in the responses from the Obama campaign. That's certainly my first reaction to each of these insanely over-the-top attacks.

On any matter of substance, it's clear they've really got nothing. This is where having established a clear message of "changing the atmosphere of Washington" pays off -- rather than getting down in the dirt in response, they can fight back by simply pointing to the ad and asking "do you really want four more years of this?"

I say this ain't so bad. These pathetic ads are providing great fodder for the debates. MSM is collectively shaking their head in disbelief. McCain will regret these videos in September and October when he is repeatedly questioned about them. The debates this cycle will be fascinating and will draw a huge rapt audience.

I say let McCain bring them on. We can't stop it anyway. The stupider the imaging the better. It's July. Let the neo-Rove's have their fun. They will overplay their hand soon enough. Just today... "McCain proud of Britney ad." Really, John? Justify that response please.

Every Obama ad and speech will contrast a message of substance against this mindless imaging. Obama is already doing that effectively today. The Obama campaign needs to stay on message and treat this purile crap as purile crap.

It ain't bad at all - I just went and sent some more money to Obama in response to this same email.

Strange that McCain attacks Obama as a celebrity when McCain idolizes another celebrity politician: Ronald Reagan.

You know what I like about the Britney AD?
It breaks every marketing rule when it comes to an ad. Ergo, it shows Obama looking fantastic and it even shows a crowd of over 100K people cheering for Obama.

That subliminal message is that people LIKE Obama, that people WANT Obama for President and more importantly it shows Obama looking exceptionally Presidential.

McCain is not seen in the ad AT ALL!

Now in marketing that is called selling the competition and spending money to promote your opponent.

Folks who see that ad, will not associate Obama with something bad or negative, in fact, most folks are going to come away thinking....who is this guy that the world respects and adores?

Who is this guy, what is he saying and what have I missed?

Then they will seek out that information and learn why he WILL make a great President.

There is nothing more than the masses like more than being on the winning team.

This ad is going to backfire on McCain big time.

Today I listened to the McCain ad with the Germany speech on NPR. This was in the context of talking about the negative campaign ads. They later played a snippet of the Obama response ad.
So what are the media ethics of playing campaign ads? Should they play them completely and equally? Or do we just get to hear the McCain ads again and again on the NEWS programs?
I do have to say the gentleman that was the pudit for the spot did say that McCain's ad indicated some sense of losing.

...And DOWN GOES GRAMPY MCSAME!!!!

McCain has a strategy. If he loses, he can try out for a leading role in a remake of Grumpy Old Men. He's much grumpier than Lemon or Matthau

A) how soon can we expect a Britney+Paris YouTube video endorsement for Obama? (How good could it be? (Will Paris' grandpa fund it?))

B) what's the demographic on young blond airheads? 12% of the population? Can we expect a Gallup poll showing that 64% now plan to vote for Obama. enough to prove a tipping point in several states?

C) Will the Legally Blonde Reese Witherspoon make her own appeal for Obama based on sound issues-based reasoning, ending with the emotional appeal: What Would Johnny Do?

Obama is not just going to lose, but he is going to lose in a landslide:
That world tour may have impressed the Grey Goose drinkers but it had the opposite effect on the Crown Royal drinkers.
His complete lack of experience, he has done nothing in his time in office but flip flop.
The unchecked and overwhelming support from mainstream media is having a backlash.
His energy policy of inflating tires, getting a tune-up and waiting 20-30 years for his development of alternative energies (see his website) will not only make him lose but he could take Congress with him.
His association with Jeremiah Wright, Rezco, and William Ayers in inexcusable..
Time to dump this turd and throw Superdelagate support to Hillary.

Two thoughts come to mind over this turn of events. The first is that McCain's handlers see him as dangerously behind in internal numbers among certain demographics. The second is that after what Bush did to him in South Carolina in the 2000 presidential cycle, you would think that a principled man would come to the conclusion that he would behave differently if he got a second chance. The second chance is here, and McCain has chosen to behave the way Bush did in '00, not something to be proud of.