The Appeal of "Yuck"

Carol Platt Liebau | February 29, 2008 3:41 PM

As many people know -- and as many more will find out -- Barack Obama's political views are far left.

But from time to time, he goes out of his way to tack traditionalist on a cultural issue of the day. Most recently, he has announced that his daughters think

anything having to do with Britney or Paris is "yuck."

They may really think so -- and I couldn't agree more (see this if you're interested in exploring just how pernicious the Spears/Hilton influence is). But it's noteworthy that Barack offers these kinds of pronouncements. Not only are they pefectly designed to enhance his appeal to (and allay the suspicions of) those who might otherwise be opposed to his lefty policies, it also opens the door for starry-eyed commentators to tout his candidacy as a harbinger of the culture wars' conclusion. And who can disagree, or take offense, at the notion that Paris and Britney aren't optimal role models for his 6- and 9-year-old girls?