Hilton Hit

August 08, 2008

Here's how trivial this year's presidential campaign has become: Celebrity Paris Hilton has a sensible energy policy that embarrasses both presidential candidates.

Like fools in the plays of Shakespeare, the Hilton heiress, who is famous for being shallow, speaks truths that reveal the flaws of the mighty.

Like all good satire, her video puts politicians in their place while still being funny. However, when Hilton talks about energy, she's dishing out serious stuff. Here's what she had to say:

"Okay, so here's my energy policy. Barack wants to focus on new technologies to cut foreign oil dependency. And McCain wants offshore drilling. Well, why don't we do a hybrid of both candidates' ideas? We can do limited offshore drilling with strict environmental oversight while creating tax incentives to get Detroit making hybrid and electric cars. That way, the offshore drilling carries us until the new technologies kick in, which will then create new jobs and energy independence. Energy crisis solved!"

Tongue-in-cheekish or not, Hilton's suggestions make more sense than the bankrupt ideological and political arguments that have deadlocked Washington.

The Hilton video is by far the best political satire of the year. Like the work of Comedy Central's Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and Lewis Black, it's funny and insightful.

Let's hope they keep up the good work.