One noteworthy nugget in his speech: Obama delves into his biography and directly takes on McCain's "celeb" sneer attack.

Obama runs through the story of his mom, who raised him and his sister and once needed to turn to food stamps; his work organizing on the South Side of Chicago on behalf of laid off steel plant workers; and his grandmother, who made tough economic choices and "taught me about hard work."

Then Obama hits the celeb line...

I don't know what kind of lives John McCain thinks that celebrities lead, but this has been mine. These are my heroes. Theirs are the stories that shaped me. And it is on their behalf that I intend to win this election and keep our promise alive as President of the United States.

It must be said that that's artful. It's mocking, rather than defensive. Rather than saying, "No, I'm not a celebrity, as McCain says," he's saying, "McCain's silly buffoonish celeb attack shows that he's the one who's out of touch with what ordinary people want from a president right now."

The speech pads this out with an extensive populist attack on McCain, and a detailed explanation of what Obama will do differently from McCain on the economy.

Good.

Yesterday I noted that Joe Klein had sat in on a focus group of 21 undecided voters and had discovered that character questions were way more important than issues in determining their presidential pick.

It turns out the focus group also tested responses to the "celeb" ad. I emailed Klein to ask him for details on what it showed, and he got back to me with a really interesting response.

For these voters, at least, it was unclear whether the comparison to Paris and Britney was working -- but the focus group did show that the "celeb" hit is effective in setting up the negative message that followed.

"it was fascinating and really depressing," Klein emailed. "The images of Paris and Britney came up too quickly for people to really respond on their dials, but the rally in Berlin set them rolling and it prepped them for the negative message in the last 10 seconds of the ad -- I think it was about drilling."

"So the `celebrity' ad wasn't about the celebrities, it was about the Berlin rally and gas prices," Klein says.

Interestingly, Obama's chief response ad didn't test anywhere near as well as the "celeb" ad itself, Klein says: "Since the focus groupers hadn't really picked up on Paris/Britney, they had no idea what Obama was actually responding to."

So for this handful of voters, at least, in the ads the "celeb" sneer is functioning as a softening up mechanism for the punch that follows. That's probably how the McCain team views the race more broadly, too: The celeb campaign is all about a long-term softening of Obama in advance of the ratcheted-up negative campaign that's coming this fall.

I have no idea whether it will work, but this strikes me as an interesting way of thinking about the McCain team's primary attack line.

If John McCain's number-of-houses gaffe made his efforts to paint Obama as an out-of-touch elitist all the more ridiculous, the McCain campaign apparently hasn't gotten the memo yet.

McCain is up with yet another "celeb" sneer spot, and absurdly, this one makes the direct suggestion that Obama is rich. "Celebrities don't have to worry about family budgets," the spot says. "But we sure do."

One thing this is a reminder of is the audacity of the Roveian up-is-downism the McCain team is now resorting to. McCain is the grandson of admirals, married a wealthy heiress and has eight to 11 homes, while Obama was raised by a single mother, went to school on scholarships and worked his way up to his current station? Doesn't matter. We'll just say that Obama's the out-of-touch elitist -- that up is down -- over and over again as often as it takes to change reality.

The ad is running on national cable and in "key states," the McCain campaign says. Full script after the jump.

Read more »

It's instructive to compare the two ads that the campaigns unleashed today attacking each other on taxes.

McCain is up with a new radio spot that keeps up the attack line that Obama is a "celebrity" who would hike your taxes, to boot.

"Celebrities like to spend their millions," McCain's ad says. "Barack Obama is no different. Only it's your money he wants to spend." It's unclear where the ad is running.

Meanwhile, Barack Obama is up with a new spot attacking John McCain on taxes:

"Can we really afford more of the same?" the ad asks. It runs through the familiar charges that McCain would give tax breaks for huge corporations and oil companies, and concludes that Obama's plan "cuts taxes for middle class families three times as much as John McCain would."

Both ads try to weave the tax attacks into the campaigns' larger themes: McCain's with yet another repetition of the "celeb" sneer; Obama's with the "more of the same" line.

Obama's ad has the virtue of being, you know, true, while McCain's is false -- Obama is actually calling for a middle-class tax cut. But only one of the ads also launches a character attack on the opponent. There may be good reasons for this. But it's worth keeping in mind.

The McCain campaign keeps the "celeb" sneer attack ad campaign going with this new Spanish-language radio ad that tweaks the main theme a bit: "Fame must be grand for Barack Obama. But is he ready to lead in tough economic times?"

The ad also lays it on thick with the "grand" crack, adding that Obama has a "grand history of raising taxes." As in, dahling, you're so grand.

The ad, which translates "grand" as "fabulosa," is running in Colorado, Florida, Nevada and New Mexico. Full script after the jump.

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The McCain campaign outdoes itself, releasing two "celeb" sneer ads in one day, the latest being this new spot that's going up in Ohio.

It offers a creative new twist on the "celeb" theme, with a narrator opining that "maybe the applause has gone to his head"...

McCain's ad is a response to the Obama campaign's criticism of the DHL merger, which FactCheck.org says is misleading.

Separately, it's sobering to think that the "celeb" sneer, with those shots of crowds chanting Obama's name as he supposedly basks in his own adulation, could conceivably appear in just about every single McCain attack ad between now and election day.

The McCain camp clearly thinks this slow-burn defining of Obama is working. Either that, or maybe all the applause for Obama has gotten to McCain's head...

Here's the response from Obama spokesperson Hari Sevugan to McCain's ad from this morning calling Obama a "celebrity" and the "taxman":

"This ad is just more of the same old false and discredited attacks that Senator McCain knows aren't true. Senator McCain will say or do anything to hide the truth: while Obama will cut taxes for the middle class, McCain will give a billion dollars in new tax breaks to America's eight largest corporations, while his plan provides no direct relief for more than 100 million American Families.

"And despite his rhetoric, he's refusing to support the bipartisan Senate proposal to expand production and invest in renewable energy because he wants to protect tax breaks for oil companies. We've seen what happens when we put the oil companies and their lobbyists ahead of working families, and that's exactly what Americans want to change in this election."

Tough stuff. But what happened to the word "lie"? That had been popping up a lot in Obama campaign responses, much to this blog's delight. Bring back "lie"!

Also, it still seems like the "celeb" sneer needs to be engaged directly. Something along these lines, perhaps.

Late Update: Lots of folks think the Obama team doesn't wanna hit McCain on his wealth because they don't wanna get hit with the old "class warfare" club. One other possibility: Drop the words "Washington celebrity" (from Obama's previous response ad) into these responses. Of course, that risks looking like tit for tat.

This, just blasted to reporters by the McCain campaign, has to be one of the oddest attacks ever:

You know you may just be a global celebrity when you get this headline in Reuters, "Obama Takes Shirt Off Again, Goes Body Surfing In Hawaii."

Hard to know what's more bizarre: The fact that this is indeed the Reuters headline, or the fact that the McCain campaign is flogging it.

Talk about a slow news day...

The McCain camp is out with yet another "celeb" sneer ad, this one drawing a shap contrast between Obama's allegedly vacuous popularity and the possession of real leadership qualities: "Celebrity? Yes. Ready to lead? No."

The ad somehow figures out a way of pinning higher gas prices on Obama's forthcoming tax hikes (in fact, he's calling for a middle-class tax cut), without explaining how it is that we now have soaring gas prices, even though Obama's phantom tax hikes haven't been implemented yet.

The spot is running in "key states," according to the McCain campaign. Script after the jump.

Read more »

The new Pew poll finds that the presidential race is continuing to narrow, with Barack Obama's lead still holding but much less than it used to be.

The numbers: Obama 46%, McCain 43%, with a ±2.5% margin of error. Last month Obama was ahead 47%-42%, and two months ago it was 48%-40%.

Despite Obama's recent efforts to burnish his credentials on foreign policy, the poll shows McCain continuing to beat Obama on leadership qualities: McCain is seen as more qualified by a 54%-27% margin, and having better judgment in a crisis by a 51%-36% margin.

On the other hand, McCain's "Celeb" ads may not be having their desired effect of painting Obama as culturally out of touch with ordinary people: It finds that Obama leads on the question of who "shares my values" by a 47%-39% margin.

The latest McCain Web ad takes the "Celeb" tag to a whole new low -- it proclaims that "Hot chicks dig Obama":

"We know he doesn't have much experience, and isn't ready to lead, but that doesn't mean he isn't dreamy," says the announcer, followed by footage of two women at rallies -- both of whom are white, mind you -- complimenting Obama's looks.

How long until "Barack, call me" ends up in a McCain paid TV ad?

I'd been wondering when Camp Obama would do this: Campaign manager David Plouffe is now trying to raise money off McCain's "celeb" sneer ads, ratcheting up the counterattack on the spots by painting them as an assault on ordinary voters who see Obama as more than just a cheap pop culture phenom.

From Plouffe's latest email to supporters:

John McCain and the Republican National Committee are trying to convince you that you've been swept up and tricked into wanting change...

While supporters like you are out knocking on doors, registering new voters, and organizing in your local communities, our opponents are not even trying to match your efforts. Instead, they're spending millions to spread the smear that Barack is just a "celebrity" and that our grassroots movement is just a bunch of mindless fans.

So who is John McCain really attacking? Real people like Brandon, a carpenter from McCall, ID. Stephanie, a registered nurse from Phoenix, AZ. And Pamela, a retired teacher from Franklin, WV.

These are actual people who have made donations to our campaign this week.

The "tricked" and "mindless fans" lines are exactly right. The "celeb" spots are all about getting people to doubt their own responses to his candidacy, to portray them as something cheap and inauthentic, something that has nothing to do with Obama's policy aspirations or even their own genuine political yearnings.

Plouffe's letter asks folks to register their objections to the ad by donating all of five bucks apiece. It would be interesting indeed to track how much McCain's "celeb" sneers bring into Obama's coffers.

New Obama Ad: McCain Has "Been Washington's Biggest Celebrity"
The Obama campaign has a new national cable ad firing back at the McCain campaign's "celebrity line," pointing out that McCain has "been Washington's biggest celebrity" and has regularly appeared on shows like Jay Leno and Saturday Night Live. The ad is certainly entertaining, but it could also be a sign that the Obama camp sees McCain's efforts as effective and thus requiring a rebuttal:

McCain In Pennsylvania Today
John McCain is touring the swing state of Pennsylvania, seeking to maximize the benefit he can get from Barack Obama's vacation by having a must-win state for Dems to himself. McCain is scheduled to make a statement from Erie at 9 a.m. ET on the Georgia crisis, and will hold a town hall tomorrow in York.

McCain Meets With Tom Ridge
John McCain had dinner last night in Pennsylvania with Tom Ridge, the former two-term Pennsylvania governor and original secretary of homeland security. Expect quite a bit of VP speculation around Ridge as the two tour Pennsylvania over the next two days, but it still remains unlikely -- Ridge is pro-choice, a position that would alienate much of the GOP's base.

AFL-CIO Takes Up Obama Camp's Charge Against McCain On Ohio DHL Deal
The AFL-CIO has a new mailer in Ohio blasting John McCain and campaign manager Rick Davis for their role in the DHL deal, which the mailer says has now led to "8,000 Ohio Jobs Lost," an issue that the Obama campaign has vowed to hammer in this big swing state. The mailer then adds forcefully: "Don't Let McCain Get Away With It."

Obama Camp: VP Announcement Will Be Texted To Supporters
The Obama campaign is offering their supporters the chance to be the first to know who the vice-presidential candidate will be, with a Web page where supporters can sign up to receive the announcement by e-mail and/or text message. The big question: Will this list really be the first to know, or will somebody leak it to a media outlet first?

Dem Chances Improve For Open House Seat In New Jersey
CQ is changing its rating on New Jersey's Third Congressional District from "Leans Republican" to "No Clear Favorite," a sign of increasing Democratic chances for this open GOP-held seat. The district is currently occupied by retiring GOPer Jim Saxton, and Democratic nominee John Adler is mounting a very well-financed bid against Republican Chris Myers.

Third-Party Group Plans Pro-Obama Blitz -- But Can They Succeed?
Yet another third-party group is planning a major push for Barack Obama, with California-based PowerPAC announcing that they will launch a voter registration drive targeting black voters in the South and Hispanic voters in the West. The group intends to spend $10 million, but will face the same challenge as other third-party groups that want to help Obama: He has explicitly told his supporters not to fund such efforts.

The McCain campaign has unveiled a new message today, amplifying their theme about Obama's life being "grand": When Obama talks about job losses, he's just exploiting the working class -- and they've rolled out a working-class supporter to make that very case.

On a conference call just now with reporters, held in response to an Obama radio ad in Ohio tying McCain and Rick Davis to local job losses, an area resident who supports McCain lambasted Obama for running the ad.

"Shame, shame on Barack Obama for making us and putting us in this sort of position to look like the sad little Wilmington people," said Mary Houghtaling, a local McCain supporter. Houghtaling later added, "He should be helping us, not harming us. He makes us look foolish, it's not right."

Obama, however, is and has been actually trying to do something to help those trapped in this situation. A little over a week ago, he called for the Bush Administration to take action against the deal in question.

Meanwhile, the McCain people have another radio ad out, set to air in "key states," essentially a radio version of their "grand" TV ad.

Late Update: Here's the audio of the McCain campaign's conference call:

Click To Play

Looks like McCain's efforts to paint Obama as a "celebrity" have now gone bilingual! Here's the new Spanish-language McCain radio spot that dubs Obama a "celebridad":

"No hay duda que Barack Obama es alguien popular, una celebridad que dice lo indicado," the announcer says. "Pero hara lo correcto?"

Wow -- this makes two McCain ads in one day pushing the "celeb" smear. The ad will run in "key states," according to the McCain campaign's press release.

And here's the new Obama ad that will run during the Olympics, written to project the same sort of optimism about America that any patriotic sports fan should feel while watching the main program:

Here's the response to McCain's latest "celeb" ad from Obama spokesperson Hari Sevugan:

"This ad is a lie, and it's part of the old, tired politics of a party in Washington that has run out of ideas and run out of steam. Even though a host of independent, nonpartisan organizations have said this attack isn't true, Senator McCain continues to lie about Senator Obama's plan to give 95% of all families a tax cut of $1,000, and not raise taxes for those making under $250,000 a single dime. The reason so many families are hurting today is because we've had eight years of failed Bush policies that Senator McCain wants to continue for another four, and that's what Barack Obama will change as President."

It's really good to see the word "lie" not once but twice, and the "run out of steam" dig is a good one. But it still seems like the "celeb" sneer needs to be confronted head-on. Something along these lines, perhaps?

Take a look at this screen cap of McCain's latest "celeb" ad...

As TPM Reader ES notes, the mag covers appear to have been stacked to create the name "Mao." And as he says, this comes just when we're all watching the Olympics and seeing all of those bic pics of him, and it's the only cover stacked in that manner.

Hmmm. We're not sure about this one. After all, the two "Obama" names are end to end, so you can read each one.

But heck, we're posting this anyway, because with so many other McCain ad theories going around on other sites, we were starting to feel left out.

The McCain campaign triples-down on its "celeb" sneer, releasing a third ad on the topic that hits the theme even harder than the last two...

"Life in the spotlight must be grand," the spot says, "but for the rest of us, times are tough." The ad will cycle into the McCain campaign's ongoing buy in 11 battleground states.

Love the use of the word "grand." As in, "you're so grand, dahling."

It's yet another effort to cheapen the Obama movement by painting it as an empty pop culture phenom and to get people to question whether their own temptation to support him is rooted in his celeb appeal and not in a genuine appreciation of his positions on the issues or of the sort of president he might make.

Clearly, the McCain camp thinks this is working, and they're going to keep hammering away at it for weeks, if not months.

What will Obama's response be?

Late Update: Camp Obama's response is here.

Did McCain Web Ad Paint Obama As The Antichrist?
The Wall St. Journal reports this morning that the new McCain Web ad likening Obama to a messianic figure could have a hidden message: Obama is the Antichrist! "There are way too many things to just be coincidence," said Dem consultant Eric Sapp, pointing to common imagery between the ad and the popular Left Behind novels.

Obama On Vacation
Barack Obama is taking time off the trail for a week-long vacation in Hawaii with his family, starting today. "During the middle of a campaign you are always worried about taking some time off - that's the nature of the job," Obama told reporters this week. "But you know I have been going pretty much straight for 18 months now."

Hillary Campaigning On Obama's Behalf Today
Hillary Clinton is hitting the campaign trail today on behalf of the absent Obama, and you can bet her performance will be scrutinized for any hint of insufficient enthusiasm as she rallies her own supporters to his cause. Hillary will be holding a rally in Las Vegas, scheduled to begin at 3:15 p.m. ET.

McCain In Iowa And Arkansas Today, Will Speak With Media
John McCain is making a stop today at the Iowa State Fair, courting voters in a perennial swing state that went narrowly for George W. Bush in 2004 but where polls currently have Barack Obama ahead. Later on he'll be in Rogers, Arkansas, where he'll hold a media availability scheduled for 5:20 p.m. ET.

Clinton Delegates' Role At Convention Still Being Mulled
Democrats are still sorting through what accommodations will be made at the convention for Hillary Clinton and her delegates. One Hillary supporter told the Washington Post that a full roll call to symbolically allow Hillary to receive votes is still seen as an important goal: "Moving beyond the convention, if they were not allowed to vote there would be a lot of resentment."

Freshman GOP Congressman Defeated In Primary
Freshman Republican Congressman David Davis of Tennessee, who won his primary in 2006 with only 22% in a very crowded field, lost his fight for a second term last night in a two-way race. With 100% of precincts reporting for this safe seat, local mayor and 2006 candidate Phil Roe has won by a margin of 500 votes out of about 51,000 cast.

Obama spokesperson Bill Burton responds to McCain's latest "celeb" sneer ad...

"Is the biggest proponent of George Bush's tired, failed policies ready to bring about change? Another day brings another dishonest attack from John McCain. While Senator McCain knows that Senator Obama has proposed cutting taxes for 95% of American families, what he's not telling us is that he wants to give $4 billion in tax breaks to the oil companies, continue giving tax breaks to corporations that ship our job overseas, and provide no direct tax relief for more than 100 million middle-class families. It's time to retire these old policies and bring new energy to America."

I really wonder whether the Obama camp should be confronting the "celeb" thing a bit more directly, though I confess I'm not sure how one would do that.

Whoa. The McCain campaign is sticking with the "celebrity" sneer, releasing a new ad that again refers to Obama as the "biggest celebrity in the world" and develops the contrast a bit more by asking whether this big celebrity is really going to "help your family."...

Interestingly, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton don't make cameos in this latest spot, which will run in "key states," according to the McCain camp.

As I reported here the other day, the McCain team was devoting a third of its ad budget to the first celeb ad. That, combined with the fact that they're sticking with the "celeb" theme, suggests that internal polling shows it may be working.

The "celeb" epithet is all about cheapening the mass political support for Obama and redefining the Obama movement as one that's less about politics and issues and more about cult of personality. By asking whether this "celebrity" is prepared to help your family, the McCain team is trying to get people to see whatever temptation they may have to support Obama as somehow fundamentally misguided and not rooted in what's really important.

Late Update: The ad will be cycled into the McCain camp's buy in CO, IA, MI, MO, NV, NH, NM, OH, PA, VA (NoVA) and WI.

Late Late Update: The Obama campaign responds.

New Obama Ad Uses McCain's Own Words About Supporting Bush
The Obama campaign has a new TV ad in response to John McCain's "Original Maverick" ad, rerunning a video from 2003 of McCain himself boasting that he's voted with President Bush more than 90% of the time:

Obama Campaigning With Evan Bayh In Indiana Today
Barack Obama is holding a town hall event today in Elkhart, Indiana, with the focus on energy issues. Accompanying him at the event is Senator Evan Bayh, whose name is enjoying a lot of media attention as a potential vice president -- indeed, this very event has been the cause of some speculation that he would be announced as the running mate.

McCain Visiting West Virginia And Ohio
John McCain has no announced public events for today. (Late Update: McCain is spending the day in West Virginia and Ohio.)

McCain Camp: Paris Hilton Supports Us On Energy!
The McCain campaign has responded to Paris Hilton's Web video from last night: "It sounds like Paris Hilton supports John McCain's 'all of the above' approach to America's energy crisis - including both alternatives and drilling. Paris Hilton might not be as big a celebrity as Barack Obama, but she obviously has a better energy plan."

Obama Camp Targeting Florida Voters Right At The Gas Pumps
Talk about targeting an ad: The Obama campaign will be running this ad, which was first rolled out yesterday, on a network of TVs that are placed on gas pumps throughout Florida. The ad tells viewers that John McCain isn't to be trusted on energy issues, because he's been around for 26 years and hasn't gotten anything done:

McCain: I Don't Disagree With Obama On Tire Pressure
John McCain is apparently backing down from his campaign's mockery of Barack Obama's call for Americans to keep their tires inflated. "I don't disagree with that. The American Automobile Association strongly recommends it," McCain said last night -- though he added that it's still not enough.

Michigan Congresswoman Kilpatrick Narrowly Survives Primary
Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, mother of the scandal-plagued Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, narrowly won her re-election battle in last night's Democratic primary. Kilpatrick won 39% of the vote over her closest challenger's 36%, with the fact that the opposition was split with another candidate almost certainly making the difference.

Poll: Dem Ahead For GOP-Held Seat In Ohio
A new SurveyUSA poll shows the Democrat narrowly ahead for the open GOP-held 15th Congressional District in Ohio: County commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy (D) 47%, state Sen. Steve Stivers (R) 44%. Kilroy previously ran in 2006 and just barely lost to incumbent Congresswoman Deborah Pryce, who announced her retirement last year.

Paris Hilton has posted this Web video, responding to John McCain's "Celeb" ad: