your own answer proves my point...you say "he could have parlayed this into real celebrity" by which you mean if he acted the way the palin camp wanted you to think he was going to act (i.e...upstanding man, doing the 'right thing' etc...) that would have been ok...well guess what, he didn't he act that way instead he acted like the kid he probably is so you gotta take the bad with the good...and to deny that he was not put on stage to 'fill a gap' is ludicrous...he was put there as some kind of bizzaro world symbol of the good side of teen pregnancy and got a standing 'o' for it from the very same crowd that decries the decline of civilization as exemplified by teen preganancy...and your righy photo ops happen all the time in politics and the obamas brought their children on stage the difference being however that the obama children haven't exhibited the type of behavior that Levi has...if they do then have at, but until they do its not the same...btw i don't revel in Levi's antics and i can't imagine who that commercial would appeal to

the answer to your question is yes the repubs are the reason....had his "new family" not forced him to go on stage in front of the entire world he would not have become a (fake) celebrity...the palins could have said 'this is a private situation and we will not make a public spectacle by putting him on display'...so yes you created him....unfortunately he's not the phony symbol you wanted him to be, rather he is acting like a teenager, which is all he ever was...

interesting how quickly you right wingers cast off your conservitards....why was it not exploitation to parade the unmarried teenage couple bearing children at the republican national convention as heroes ...you made him famous now you don't like the results...so sad for you