Definition of celebrity, from Wikipedia:
A celebrity is a widely-recognized or famous person who commands a high degree of public and media attention. The word stems from the Latin verb “celebrere” but they may not become a celebrity unless public and mass media interest is piqued. For example Virgin Director Richard Branson was famous as a CEO, but he did not become a global celebrity until he attempted to circumnavigate the globe in a hot air balloon.
The money words in that definition are:
…but they may not become a celebrity unless public and mass media interest is piqued.
So let’s look at two key things about Senator Barack Obama:
He is the first black person to win the nomination of a major political party and the first viable black candidate for the Office of the Presidency. Two gargantuan firsts. Because of that, public and mass media interest are piqued. Thus he is a celebrity. Now to be even more obvious, if Senator Obama would have been the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc legitimate black candidate for the Presidency, he would not be a celebrity. He would have just been well-known. Plain and simple.
So the McCain campaign is right. Senator Obama is a celebrity. Their problem is that they equated Obama with Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Instead they should have equated him with someone like Virgin Director Richard Branson or even Tiger Woods. People with some intellect, skills, and are credible today in a positive manner. But as this is politics, you state the obvious while rolling the obvious in muck to make a point.
Look, McCain campaign! Your guy is a decorated pilot. Give him a snazzy private plane and let him fly to an airport in all 50 states. Give him the cool aviator look. This is America! Home of THE IMAGE. Look at Obama in the picture (above). Sporting the “Secret Service Guy on Vacation” look. Fight back Senator McCain! You would look damn cool with the “Aging Top-Gun Pilot Still Going Strong” look. You got to use what you got. Obama is the FIRST BLACK GUY. McCain can be the COOL PILOT GUY!
Don’t player hate! Player PARTICIPATE!
I’m not complex. Don’t have time for all that. And all that complex stuff bad for the stomach. Just color me simple and plain with a twist.