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Top 5 Worst (or Awesomely Bad) Political Ads of 2008

Paris Hilton. Dog droppings. A hippie. An evil corporate giant. A lame dance party.

What do they all have in common?

Each was featured in an election ad this past campaign season.

The Watch This Now team now proudly presents the Top 5 Worst (or Awesomely Bad) Political Ads of the Year. And with each clip, we will answer the question: Did the candidate win?


5. No mention of Angelina Jolie?

John McCain caused a stir with his "Celebrity" ad comparing Barack Obama to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Paris Hilton then responded with a biting video clip that ended up getting more media attention than McCain's commercial.

It's not a good sign when you are running for president and Paris Hilton upstages you.

Here's the original ad:

And here's Hilton's response:

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die


So did McCain win? You know the answer.


4. Arrogant hippie

Sen. Mitchell McConnell (R-Ky.) had an ad attempting to link Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford to New York Sen. Chuck Schumer.

The narrator sounds like he's been playing the horses all day at a New York racetrack. But my favorite part is the hippie. He has such a smug look on his face.

So did McConnell win? Yes, he beat Lunsford by 6 percent.

3. How about a political ad prominently featuring dog poop?

For some reason, Diane Benson, a congressional candidate in Alaska, thought it was a good idea.

So did Benson win?: Ummmm...no. Maybe she could use the ad if she ever runs for county dog catcher.

2. The lamest dance party ever.

Incumbent Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) went after Democratic challenger Kay Barnes by claiming she had "San Francisco-style values." When I heard the phrase "San Francisco-style values," I immediately thought, "She likes Rice-a-Roni?"

I would be mad if I was Kay Barnes. She was supposed to get a ritzy California shindig and the only people who showed up were three unenthusiastic dancers.



So did Graves win?
Yup, he crushed Barnes.

1. This ad is just wrong. In his bid for a Kansas senatorial seat, Democrat Jim Slattery's team came up with the grossest political ad of the year.

It features an evil corporate giant who appears to be relieving himself on little people.

I can't believe I just wrote that sentence.


So did Slattery win: Nope. Incumbent Pat Roberts kept his job.

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The Internet has spawned a universe of renegade video: an outpouring of parody, celebrity, sci-fi, bloopers, undiscovered talent and weirdness that defies category. We're in an age where homemade clips flare into worldwide phenomena.

We like this stuff. We think about it. And we show you our favorites.

JON BURSTEIN
Burstein watches anything on television and spends too much time looking for stupid viral videos, according to his wife... < More >
KATHY BUSHOUSE
Someday, if she's lucky, Bushouse will get to appear on VH1's "The World Series of Pop Culture" and finally use her ability... < More >
BRIAN HAAS
A crime reporter at the Sun Sentinel, he’s a dork among dorks with interests in video games, Lost, Heroes and science... < More >
JUSTIN L. ABROTSKY
The self-proclaimed "World's Greatest Online News Producer," he watched far too much television in the 1990s... < More >
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