Obama is American Idol, Coca-Cola, MTV, and Madison Avenue all wrapped up into one. When a human being has his own logo it is more than likely people will follow it in greater numbers. People trust name brands and Obama became a name brand. The GOP needs to literally reformat from now until 2010...the old guard has to step aside and the new guard has to be given the chance to run with the message.
I was no fan of McCain but the man is a true hero, this was his shot, and his stamina was incredible to the very end. However, his refusal to run media against Rev.Wright, to call out Barney Frank, Dodd, Pelosi every speech, and to keep hammering away at the zero experience of Obama just might be the very nails that cost him this thing.
I am not saying it is over...I haven’t voted for McCain yet...will do so in 8 hours with my wife and 15 other family members that I know that are turning up for him. But, we need to recognize that America is filled with foolishness and short memories. No way this guy in 2004 ever stood a chance in the middle of the war on terror with the name of Barack Hussein Obama.
I actually had an 18 yr old tell me the other day that 9-11 was an event...just like WW2, Korean War, Vietnam, the space shuttles blowing up etc...these things happen and people move on and that Republicans have been living off of 9-11 for far too long and it was time to move on.
Of course this punk was in 6th grade when 9-11 happened and could only tell me how great it was when America came together and everyone liked eachother and that Obama is going to make that feeling happen every day now.
Yes...this is what these idiots think.
Traditionally, the campaigns have been about the candidate and his ideas. Thoughtful discourse, e.g. debates, speeches, pundit analysis characterized these campaigns. At the present, that is still my notion of a political campaign.
What you are saying is this quadrennial election thingy has become in essence a race between competing ad campaigns marketing a brand, which happens to include a candidate and its ideas, but with copious amouts of fluff rhymes with Plouffe.
Fat on style, lean on substance this new age of the campaign.
My question concerns whether the very ideas being marked are themselves more or less amenable to fitting to such a framework. Did it work (win or lose, it was effective) for Democrats because of the postmodern, nihilistic "anything goes, there is no ultimate purpose" ideology? The same that seems to drive the entertainment industry?
This could become a very interesting and enlightening topic moving forward.
Your punk will excuse me if I'm not going to be liking "everybody" for some time and will be taking a loaded revolver with me everytime I answer the door - thanks to the shady fellow who popped up out of nowhere and frauded himself all the way to Pennsylvania Ave. An Obama Presidency would breed distrust, as red-blooded patriots fight to preserve the America they love and grew up in. Facts are facts, and many people do not take kindly to imposed change.
You’re absolutely right. I don’t know if you ever saw a movie called “Idiocracy” (rather vulgar in places) but its message was that we are becoming a very stupid people and “branding” and mottos have replaced critical thinking and articulate communication. The people in the film communicated through buzz phrases found in advertising. “Hope” and “Change” are very close to the movie’s premise. I was chilled to see an Obama bumper sticker with “Hope” imposed over a color-blocked picture of Obama that greatly resembled a 1970’s poster of “Che”. Rush’s parody on “Hope” and “Change” and these kids talking about the future is so close to reality.
I did vote. I was #237 at 8 AM, having waited in line since 6:20 AM. I am usually #74 at 2 PM. The turnout was unbelievable (and slow) and I saw really strange looking people I can’t imagine living in my district muchless my neighborhood. No Republicans monitoring it. No McCain signs but a couple of Obama poll-watchers, which made it feel like visiting a Communist country.
It’s ironic that the legislation that McCain crafted may have created the limitations which will undermine his election. The “officer and gentleman” handling of Rev. Wright, etc. only can work if the other person is also a gentleman, which Obama has proven he is not.