After weeks of mocking Barack Obama as a famous man and that's all, the McCain campaign now has its own celebrity to promote: Sarah Palin, the sudden sensation.
Mad love from the public is always welcome, in politics and entertainment, but the McCain campaign seems to have come to this notion slowly. With the hordes gravitating to Obama in record numbers, Rick Davis, John McCain's campaign manager, penned a memo on July 30 that said: "Barack Obama is the biggest celebrity in the world, comparable to Tom Cruise, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton."
The memo took aim at his gym habits, and the protein bars he eats, and the organic tea he drinks, and went on to say his celebrity status had "fueled a certain arrogance." Concerned that Obama was out of reach, flying at an altitude of 50,000 feet or something, the McCain campaign was determined to bring him down closer to where they could battle him. The campaign ran an ad trying to tie him to Britney and Paris, first-name celebrities known for getting in mindless trouble or doing nothing. The ad's kicker: "But is he ready to lead?"
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Brooke Ramos, 18, being home-schooled by her mother, the first year she can vote, just happened to be at the spot where the Straight Talk stopped. After shaking Palin's hand, she just stood shaking, shrieking, dancing in place. She couldn't believe she had touched Sarah Palin. It was as if she had touched a real celebrity, someone like Christian pop-rock star Rebecca St. James, and out burst that time-tested declaration of mad love:
"I'm not going to wash this hand!"
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/10/AR2008091003928.html