I dunno. I suspect it's not the single most demeaning ad ever put out by a major party presidential campaign, and I'm prepared to believe it's not the most stupid (although I wonder), but is this new McCain (web only) ad Fan Club the most simultaneously demeaning and stupid ad ever put out by a major party Presidential candidate?
Could be.
TPM says Having found most pundits to be incorrigible morons on racial/sexual messaging, McCain decides to push a bit further … (the key point, supposedly, is Hot [white] chicks dig Obama but to my untrained eye, this one is just simply moronic and an insult to the Republic).
I think “Anonymous Liberal” at Crooks & Liars got it just right when he wrote what he'd have Obama say in response to all this rot,
My opponent has taken to calling me a “celebrity” in all of his commercials. The suggestion, I can only assume, is that all of you (gesturing to the crowd) show up at events like this and donate your time and your money to this campaign because you’re all adoring groupies who are obsessed with me. Now, that would certainly be flattering if it were true, but I’m not going to delude myself. The reality is I can’t act, I can’t sing, and my personal life is incredibly boring.
The truth is that no one would be paying any attention to me at all if I wasn’t talking about things that really matter to a lot of people. You’re not here tonight–and you’re not watching at home–because you want to be entertained. Lord knows there are plenty of things that you could be doing with your time right now that would be far more entertaining than listening to me. No, you’re here tonight because you love your country and you’re concerned about the direction it’s been heading over the last eight years.
You’re not here tonight to see what kind of outfit I’m wearing or to hear my latest hit single–and if you are, I think you’re probably going to be disappointed. No, you’re here because you want change, you want a government that fights for people like you and not on behalf of powerful special interests; you want a government that keeps you safe by pursuing a rationale foreign policy abroad and keeps your family secure by creating jobs, ensuring access to affordable health care, and fighting for energy independence.
That’s why you’re here. That’s why you’re volunteering your time at record levels. That’s why you’re contributing your hard-earned money in record amounts.
So remember, when John McCain and his surrogates call me a “celebrity,” they’re not insulting me; they’re insulting you. They’re insinuating that you are a mindless groupie rather than a concerned citizen, a fan rather than a voter.
But it’s not going to work. You know why you’re here, you know why you’re watching, and you’re much smarter than they give you credit for.
Perfect.
Update (6pm): As Larry notes, they took down that copy of the video. So try this one. Or if that fails, search for “Fan Club” site:youtube.com at Google
Interesting that this was “not longer available” when I clicked on it at 3:30pm. Did they have an attack of good taste?
I believe this ad was not an actual Mccain ad, but rather a mccain fan’s mccain ad. Did he pay for the use of the Strange Brew scene at the end? I doubt it.
My understanding is (now) as follows: 1. It’s a real ad. 2. They didn’t have permission to use the Mike Meyers clip at the end, he objected, and that is what caused the takedown. 3. They put up a revised version without that silly bit at the end.