Regards, Ivan
Posted on 07/25/2004 11:57:45 AM PDT by MadIvan
The American election scene, as always, requires the candidates to pay homage to certain symbols of American life. Both President Bush and John Kerry must be seen to be healthy, rugged and outdoorsy: President Bush expresses this by working on his ranch in Texas cutting mesquite brush with a chainsaw. John Kerry goes to farms in the Midwest to milk cows and at other times, goes hunting. Both men must display the common touch: President Bush expresses this in the folksy way he speaks, John Kerry does it by getting John Edwards to speak for him. In addition, both are trying to present an image of being clean, scrubbed, decent and proper – all Mom and apple pie with a touch of the amber waves of grain thrown in.
Thus any community with different tastes and fashions, such as the Goths, are apparently left high and dry by the political process. While perhaps it is beneficial to be forced to examine the candidates solely on the basis of the merits of their policies, it is sad that no one appears to represent a different strand of culture, or even come close to representing it. Rather, politicians are apparently forced to stick to the bland homilies to which Americans have become accustomed and the voters are forced to digest it all.
Or so it would seem. While this is little remarked about, out of the presidential and vice presidential candidates, one sticks out as being atypical in terms of style, presentation and even modernity: Dick Cheney. Indeed, it can be argued he’s the most different out of the lot of them.
Begin by considering the image of the modern Presidential candidate. A candidate is supposed to be physically fit, have a full head of hair, and be just as comfortable in shirtsleeves as in a business suit. The smile is supposed to be optimistic and winning. In spite of his best efforts, Kerry is failing at putting this image together. Edwards has been more successful; but there is something false about a multimillionaire trial lawyer trying to be “down home with the folks”.
It is to President Bush’s credit that the requisite geniality and demeanour is not an image: in his case, but the real man. However, Vice President Cheney has apparently eschewed all pretences: rather, he is satisfied with his appearance as-is, balding, wearing glasses and no contact lenses, often wearing dark suits, rarely pictured in shirtsleeves. The smile is not toothy, but knowing, as if he is gathering enjoyment from holding superior knowledge, which he probably is. The voice is not booming or overly cheerful, but rather, he expresses himself in a soft, dark Wyoming twang. "Keeping up appearances" is not all to Cheney, and what he appears is more sombre and more honest than the passing sunshine of his Democrat counterpart.
This grave demeanour finds an echo in the media portrayals of the Vice President. In terms of the Bush Administration, he is seen as a sinister figure, whether it is in his role as an “attack dog” or his supposedly shadowy links to Halliburton or his supposed role in the release of Valerie Plame’s identity as a CIA agent to the press or even being seen as the prime instigator of the war in Iraq. However, the darkest portrayals of Cheney came on the heels of his brutally frank discussion with Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, in which Cheney informed him that he should “go forth and multiply” with himself. Why? Leahy had dared to suggest that Cheney was a war profiteer. Under normal circumstances, profanity is not permitted on the Senate floor, but the Vice President was not reprimanded for it as the remark did not occur while the Senate was in session. Either way, he apparently didn’t care.
(Excerpt) Read more at rightgoths.com ...
Regards, Ivan
Ping!
C'mon, "Ivan the Terrible"?
(Good article, anyway.)
I can think of Saviour Machine (British, I assume, by the spelling) -- technically proficient musicians, as I recall (though it's been years since I misplaced my S.M. album), albeit a bit too apocalyptic in the lyrical focus. Unfortunately, I can't think of any others.
Thanks for the ping!
I suggest all Freepers, who like your posts take a trip to your home page, where you have out youself as Ivan _______.
Sorry, Freepers, you must go to MadIvan's home page to see whom or is it who, Mad Ivan really is!
pingerothic
Regards, Ivan
Exactly right. And if you call them on it you're likely to get a bunch of anger and defensiveness for your trouble.
Great article, btw. Cheney's the man.
Past Goth babe of the week "scarlet diva."
Who says? I vote on the man, not his hair.
John the bottom feeding trial lawyer will be bald within the next five years, so why vote for his hair?
That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Only a Democrat would vote for a guys appearance.
GET CHENEY SOME BLACK EYELINER!
Great site. Is that you at the bottom? I love the hand gesture. I use the exact same one all the time - usually when I think I'm on the verge of some great discovery - its my "mad scientist" look.
No, that's Uncle Bob. ;)
Regards, Ivan
"bump" for later consideration..."Cheney as the Goth candidate" would certainly seem on the surface to have some excellent possibilities...LOL!
Let's not get carried away here.
Regards, Ivan
Just a piss-take. ;^)
That would be some PsyOp. Unleashing fanged neo-goths on Al Quaeda led by Dick Cheney in white face and a black leather cape. Could we put him in the air like Mothman?
Big Richard Is Watching You.
Regards, Ivan
I have a slightly different vision - remember when Janeane Garofalo said that she was moved by the vision of gay rights protestors burning an American flag? I have a vision of a bunch of goths looking at the scene of leftists wackos and dissing them as being tools and puppets of the leftist establishment while listening to the Cure.
Regards, Ivan
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