In a media environment consumed by celebrity feuds, gossip blogs and scandalous magazines, it is almost inevitable that this aspect of popular culure gets intertwined in the national political scene. That is especially true this year, with the presence of a major party presidential candidate as iconic and glamorous as the Democrats’ Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, who has achieved rock star status among young Americans. In recent weeks, Obama’s Republican opponent, Arizona senator John McCain, has attempted to turn Obama’s star power against him, launching a barrage of advertisements comparing him to some of the country’s more maligned celebrities.

The most famous of the McCain ads juxtaposed Obama with tabloid regulars Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. With the intention of depicting Obama as nothing more than a celebutante, McCain’s camp released an ad featuring images of Hilton and Spears flashed over footage of the vast rally held for Obama in Germany. Voiced over the aforementioned images, a narrator posed the question: “He’s the biggest celebrity in the world. But is he ready to lead?” The ad then quickly attacked Obama’s energy policy, focusing on his opposition to offshore drilling. However, the major thrust of the ad was an attack on Obama’s visibility and the exciting, hip nature of his campaign.

I doubt the American people are really gullible enough to consider this ridiculous ad a logical argument. I don’t know a single person who has been persuaded that Obama, a graduate of Harvard Law School, is on the same intellectual level as any airhead socialite. However, the McCain camp has found other ways to make this absurd ad benefit the Republicans’ chances.

In addition to being aired on national cable channels, the ad has had over two million hits on YouTube, political commentators are inviting members of the McCain camp on their shows to defend the ad, and many are considering the message that Obama’s campaign is long on hype and short on substance. Essentially, at a time when the political climate strongly favors the Democrats, and Obama should be setting the agenda, the McCain camp has successfully thrown him off message by forcing him to prove that he is not a policy lightweight with a golden tongue. This advertising campaign, while unsavory in nature, has helped McCain pull nearly level in the polls going into the convention.

Obama must continue to advertise the message of his campaign by letting the American people, especially those who did not vote in the last election, know what he can do for them. Obama’s visibility need not be a negative for him, but a chance to demonstrate that he is a relatable public figure with the ability to bring people together. He should use his star power and oratorical gifts to prove to Americans that he has the necessary skills to face the challenges of our time. Obama best helps himself by showing that he’s serious, not by sinking into the gutter with McCain and utilizing the tactics of tabloids and celebrity feuds.