Britney, Paris, Barack

By Patrick Appel

McCain keeps attacking (and Obama's attempts to hit back are less than inspired):

Ben Smith's thoughts:

Celebrity is, indeed, a key axis of this campaign. Both men are bona fide celebrities, but Obama's wattage offers both an opportunity -- see the cover of People -- and a risk. The question is whether he can keep finding ways (notably, access) to keep the celebrity press in the business of making people feel closer to him, in the Bonnie Fuller model, or whether he becomes  -- as this ad portrays him -- a distant, hard to identify with, figure.

Mockery didn't work very well for Clinton. We'll see if McCain fares better.