Do you remember the controversial John McCain presidential campaign television spot targeted against then-Senator Barack Obama in the middle of the heated 2008 election?
A video of the spot appears after the break. Here’s the script:
Announcer: He’s the biggest celebrity in the world.
But, is he ready to lead?
With gas prices soaring, Barack Obama says no to offshore drilling.
And, says he’ll raise taxes on electricity.
Higher taxes, more foreign oil, that’s the real Obama.
This ad caused the mainstream media (MSM), who were in the midst of their “slobbering love affair” with Senator Obama, to pause briefly for self-examination.
The gravity of the ad’s message forced them to acknowledge that they built the altar upon which the “biggest celebrity in the world” was now standing — while continuing to lead the world’s worship of him.
Here is a sentence from the New York Times report on the TV spot dated July 30, 2008:
This ad’s imagery highlights the McCain view that Mr. Obama offers more sizzle than substance, a theme that the Republican candidate has been trying to underscore on the campaign trail.
“More sizzle than substance.” That nicely summed up Senator Obama in July of 2008. But of course the NYT piece did not delve into the possibility that the statement was true. Nor did the MSM investigate or honestly ask themselves the question posed in the ad: “Is he ready to lead?”
Now fast forward to 2013.
Our president, who has proven to be “more sizzle than substance,” not only pleads ignorance about the details of the numerous scandals engulfing his administration but uses ignorance as both a defense and a badge of honor. It appears that “ignorance” has joined “blame” as the most useful tools in Obama’s leadership kit.
So looking back, how has the “biggest celebrity in the world” handled his celebrity?
The answer appears to be: “like an addiction.”
An addiction might explain President Obama’s non-stop campaigning and the obvious affirmation he garners from appearing before adoring crowds — no matter how poorly he is performing in Washington. His addiction to celebrity could also explain why Obama consistently surrounds himself with A-listers who worship him, thus causing their fan base to worship them even more. Let’s call this a celebrity circle of love.
As the second term of President Obama continues to unravel, those of us who were never sucked in by “the sizzle” will be watching with fascination how the show finally ends for “the biggest celebrity in the world.”
It might even be a tragic ending now that his once adoring acolytes in the MSM have finally begun to widely criticize his performance.
