Politicizing Bristol Palin's Wedding

From the Times of London:

In an election campaign notable for its surprises, Sarah Palin, the Republican vice- presidential candidate, may be about to spring a new one -- the wedding of her pregnant teenage daughter to her ice-hockey-playing fiancé before the November 4 election.

Inside John McCain's campaign the expectation is growing that there will be a popularity boosting pre-election wedding in Alaska between Bristol Palin, 17, and Levi Johnston, 18, her schoolmate and father of her baby. "It would be fantastic," said a McCain insider. "You would have every TV camera there. The entire country would be watching. It would shut down the race for a week."

That report is making the rounds all over liberal blogs today. I think the McCain campaign should go for it. They should book Joe Rogan to coordinate the guest menu, Fear Factor style, complete with earthworms, hissing cockroaches, beetles and maggots, to name just a few. They should ask Jerry Springer to do a live broadcast from the wedding, attended by actual Wasilla residents (especially the meth addicts). I mean, if you're going to politicize something so personal as a young girl's wedding, why not sell out family values altogether and invite TMZ, Us Weekly and Entertainment Weekly. It would go over especially well if Bristol wore a custom wedding dress designed as a halter top and Daisy Dukes. Speaking of which, Bristol should definitely get her own ring finger tattoo to match Levi Johnston's. Think about it, Sarah could write their vows for them, and they could get Muthee to perform the ceremony, including sacrificing a chicken on the podium. It would be awesome!

Here are some other takes on this blessed event:
Crooks and Liars' Nicole Belle:

Yes, that is a tattoo of Bristol’s name on Baby Daddy Levi Johnston’s ring finger. Anyone else picturing Todd Palin brandishing a shotgun at the tattoo parlor? And just because this campaign can’t get surreal enough [cue Times story]
[...]
If this actually sways a single voter, I weep for my country.

Political Animal's Steve Benen:

THE LAST HAIL MARY PASS?.... We talked the other day about what kind of wacky stunt the McCain campaign will come up with next. John Dickerson argued that it's only a matter of time before McCain's reckless, erratic behavior produces the need for "another adrenaline injection," and Slate explored some possibilities, including the notion that McCain might challenge Obama to suspend both campaigns "so they both can go and personally drill for oil offshore."

In considering the Hail Mary options, we may have overlooked an obvious one [cue Times story]
[...]
In general, it's wise to be very skeptical about how the British press reports on U.S. political strategies, especially within a presidential campaign. And if you're thinking this falls somewhere in the "too good to check" category, we're on the same page.

TPM's Josh Marshall:

I take everything I read about American politics in the British papers with a grain of salt. But giving what we've seen so far, I can't say I'd be surprised if the moral jalopy that is the McCain-Palin Straight Talk Express sunk us even further into farce with something like this.

TalkLeft's Big Tent Democrat: The strange thing is it very well may be McCain's best bet.

No, McCain's best bet would be to invent a time machine, go back to the Annapolis and actually study. He would have risen through the ranks more quickly, and would have had a distinguished career in the navy without getting shot down over Vietnam. It's likely McCain could have become a lawmaker based on his merits rather than his POW celebrity. By 2000 he would have blown George Bush out of the water for the Republican nomination.

What? It could work. It's no crazier than thinking Bristol's wedding will put him in the White House. Hell, if something like that will help he should just join the Ice Capades and win over America with his figure skating brilliance.

This whole thing is a joke, right? I treated it as such, just in case. I wouldn't want to take something like this too seriously. Surely the McCain campaign has too much integrity to try to pull of something like this...