The 'Paris Hilton Factor' In Campaign 2008

August 10, 2008

Blame it on Paris.

Even before Paris Hilton came up with her spoof campaign ad against that "wrinkly white-haired guy," this was the year that viral videos arrived as a significant factor in presidential politics. But Hilton's video this past week raised the power and the art form of freelance politics to a new level on the Internet. Sen. Barack Obama's campaign strategists might not have known quite how to counter Sen. John McCain's attempt to compare the Illinois Democrat's celebrity to Hilton and Britney Spears. Hilton, however, knew exactly what to do.

She mocked back with an online "Paris for president" ad that questioned whether a candidate who was old enough to remember when "dancing was a sin" was ready to lead. Her response from a lounge chair was quick, self-deprecating, witty - and effective in turning the tables on McCain. The ad rocketed into e-mail in-boxes throughout the land.

If only John Kerry's advisers had been as swift in responding to 2004 questions about the veracity and valor of his service in the Vietnam War. Or, more to the point, if only his supporters who were bristling at his campaign's passive response had the tools that are available to the Karl Rove and James Carville wannabes of 2008.

"Now every American has the chance to one-up Paris Hilton," said Alan Silberberg, CEO of You2Gov.com, which just announced a contest for the best amateur political ads for Barack Obama and John McCain. The winner for each candidate gets a $1,000 prize, but even more valuable for the true believers would be the exposure on You2Gov - and the possibility that a commercial might go viral in the way of the devastatingly powerful and mysteriously sourced "Hillary 1984" Web-sensation video that evoked a famous Apple commercial from the 1984 Super Bowl. YouTube is stocked with videos for and against candidates. "Obama Girl" Amber Lee Ettinger seized her 15 minutes of fame even before her preferred candidate was being castigated as a too-cool celebrity.

For all the seriousness of purpose in Silberberg's Web site - empowering "everyday Americans to form groups, share ideas, mobilize and act on the issues they care about" - there is reason to wonder whether democracy is being advanced or cheapened by the nurturing of viral campaigning. An amateur video that influences a campaign through unfair or smarmy tactics carries the same downside as one of those "independent expenditure" TV spots that are bankrolled by special interests: By virtue of being independent of any campaign, they are void of accountability.

Silberberg, who earned his wonkish stripes as an intern for Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and junior staffer for President Bill Clinton before working on legislative issues for Paramount Pictures, is aware of the perils. Silberberg, now a high-tech entrepreneur, said he hoped and expected the campaign ads on You2Gov.com to be "way more thoughtful" than the Paris Hilton production. The site will screen out those that are pornographic or blatantly inaccurate.

"Maybe this will force some of these ad agencies to think about how they market politicians to us," he said in a phone interview.

Maybe. But I keep having flashbacks to the video of the melting snowman asking Democratic candidates about global warming in that CNN/YouTube debate. Perhaps by the time this election is over, we just might grow to appreciate the discretion, restraint - and accountability - of the campaign professionals.

From-http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/09/IN4K125G5D.DTL&type=politics