Jason,

McCain is doing well at using that controversy factor, and Hilton has shot back in a funny way.

I'm sure it happen well before this, but my first memory was watching one of Lyndon Johnson's ads against Barry Goldwater in 1964. That was the one with the little girl picking off pedals of a daisy?? while the announcer did a countdown (what would be the countdown to a nuclear bomb). That was powerful.

I agree with all you mentioned except one thing: Paris isn't a marketing genius. I don't think that girl could even spell the word marketing. She is what she is because of her name and wealth. The paparazzi made her what she is and she doesn't have to do a whole lot to market anything. She IS successful in anything she does via sex tape or TV show or political satire because she's a Hilton.

It doesn't come that easy for the majority of marketers. We truly must earn it. I guess you can call it celebrity marketing (those that get a lot of free help because of their name or occupation), and then there's the rest of us.

Now, that being said, I or anyone else would be foolish to turn down the publicity (free marketing) if it were given to us. I just don't consider Paris a genius in anything.

Rick