McCain's attacks could make him look angry, petulant

WASHINGTON -- John McCain's stepped-up aggression raises the question: Will Americans vote for a scold?

A new ad launched Wednesday suggests Democratic rival Barack Obama is nothing more than a lightweight celebrity akin to a Britney Spears or a Paris Hilton. McCain has suggested Obama would rather lose a war than an election and ridicules him for the ''audacity of hopelessness'' in his Iraq policies.

''He's the biggest celebrity in the world,'' his latest ad says. ''But, is he ready to lead?''

Some Republicans welcomed McCain's confrontational strategy. New Hampshire GOP Chairman Fergus Cullen said Republicans in his state ''like to see the McCain campaign on offense.''

But in striking an aggressive pose, McCain is in danger of of letting the caricature of an angry, petulant candidate take seed, and angry candidates don't win elections.

McCain wants the campaign to be about Obama -- that's why he talks about him so much. His campaign has worked on a specific story line -- that Obama is not tested, not ready to lead and too out of touch with the public.

Obama accuses McCain of engaging in ''old politics'' -- a loaded phrase given that McCain turns 72 this month.

Responding to the new ad Thursday, Obama said: ''So far all we've been hearing about is Paris Hilton. I do have to ask my opponent: Is that the best you can do? Is that what this election is really all about?''

AP