Just How Low Will They Go?

The candidates calculate that the exposure is worth any loss of dignity they might suffer among the high-minded for going tabloid. And the risks of coming off badly are low. Shows like "ET" and "Extra" generally aren't going to try to catch them in contradictions—or otherwise give them a rough time the way political reporters often do. For the most part, says Chon, "the interviews are positive." (So are reviews from staffers who handle the candidates. "We've worked with far more demanding C-list stars," says Us editor Janice Min.)

Rob Silverstein, executive producer for "Access," says people misunderstand his show's approach to politics: "It's not a matter of softball [questions]; that's absurd. Brian Williams isn't going to ask about their hair coloring. We will, because that's what our audience is interested in." Silverstein says there's value in getting politicians to open up about something other than politics. "If we can get them talking about themselves and being self-deprecating," he says, "you're seeing a different side of these people that you don't normally see."

That's what happened when Clinton appeared on "The Tyra Banks Show" in January and was surprisingly candid about her husband's affair with Monica Lewinsky. "I really had to dig down deep and think hard about what was right for me, what was right for my family," she said. "I never doubted Bill's love for me, ever … You're mad, you're really upset, you're disappointed."

Compared with Obama and Clinton, McCain has logged less time on the tabloid circuit, perhaps because he wrapped up the nomination early and hasn't had to pander as hard. His one appearance with DeGeneres, which the campaign hoped would be light and funny, turned uncomfortable when the host, who is gay, grilled him about his opposition to gay marriage.

Yet McCain seems to relish the absurdity of some of the stunts he's required to perform. In April, Obama and Clinton were a bit stiff reciting their lines on videos for World Wrestling Entertainment fans in South Carolina: "Hi, I'm Hillary Clinton. But tonight, in honor of the WWE, you can call me Hillrod." Obama gamely attempted to riff off The Rock's signature line: "Do you smell what Barack is cooking?" But McCain seemed positively delighted to be there. "Whatcha gonna do when John McCain and all his McCainiacs run wild on ya?" he asked. He even snuck in a bit of policy talk: "I'm gonna introduce Osama bin Laden to the Undertaker."

For better or worse, it's moments like these that get many people to tune in to the campaign. "I do think people feel badly that they can't tell you more about the economy, foreign policy, Iraq, who their representatives are," says Harvey Levin, executive producer of TMZ.com, a celeb-obsession Web site that is covering the candidates the same way it does movie stars. "They probably wish they could … but it's just so damn boring for them." Levin says sites like TMZ—which reported that Obama left an $18 tip on a $2 Pabst Blue Ribbon—demystify politicians and, ultimately, politics. "It's baby steps," he says. "If you can get people interested in the players, it's a step toward getting them interested in what the players do."

With Ramin Setoodeh, Holly Bailey, Jessica Ramirez, Richard Wolffe and Daniel Stone

© 2008