Jewish Groups Irked by Cross on Republican Podium
It is not possible that the central visual element of a political advertisement, in this day in age, is an accident. It is big and bright white in an composition that is muted and dark colored. It shines like a beacon. It is simply beyond belief that this was not intentional or that nobody noticed before the ad went out. It insults the intelligence of us all that he would ask us to believe such a thing.
The use of the cross is a masterful bit of manipulation. As the scene slowly turns, the cross, which some find uncomfortable, is slowly eclipsed by the warm and smiling face of Mike Huckabee flanked by everbody's favorite semi-secular symbol, the Christmas Tree. To the Christian, Huckabee is overtly placing himself on the Cross of Christ, upstaging Christ. To a non-Christian or a person uncomfortable with Christian symbols, his face is relieving their discomfort like a soothing balm. It really is beautifully done.
But it is also cynical manipulation of Christian symbology, and Huckabee should not have done it. He should not compound his error now by denying it.
The use of the cross is a masterful bit of manipulation. As the scene slowly turns, the cross, which some find uncomfortable, is slowly eclipsed by the warm and smiling face of Mike Huckabee flanked by everbody's favorite semi-secular symbol, the Christmas Tree. To the Christian, Huckabee is overtly placing himself on the Cross of Christ, upstaging Christ. To a non-Christian or a person uncomfortable with Christian symbols, his face is relieving their discomfort like a soothing balm. It really is beautifully done.
But it is also cynical manipulation of Christian symbology, and Huckabee should not have done it. He should not compound his error now by denying it.
That is a brilliant summary and spot on. The only technical detail I would ad is that to get the cross moving effect, the camera was mounted on a moving track. This is calculated for one purpose only, to move the cross from "sunrise" to "sunset" right behind the Huckster's head.
This had to be tried over and over, with stand-ins sitting in the Huckster's place, until it was just perfet in its timing to match his words.
To pretend it's an accident is very stupid, because it's such a patently obvious trick.
He is betting that most people are VERY STUPID, and won't figure it out.
A true Elmer Gantry for our times.
Excellent analysis and conclusions.