Merchandising Ad Absurdum September 2, 2008
Don’t get me wrong — I fully support and intend to vote for Obama. I loved his speech, I feel the same feeling of inspiration and hope at his words as millions of Americans. I have advocated his campaign in any forum in which I have been given voice. I am blue through and through, a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat for life.
But even I am beginning to think that this election has gone too far with the merchandising.
In every other presidential campaign, most Americans were content to wear a T-shirt showing which candidate they support. Perhaps a button or two. Maybe a baseball cap for die-hard campaign supporters or campaign workers. The 2008 election has taken this to an entirely new level.
This is far past Obama T-shirts and “gear”, now we have Obama earrings and necklaces. Obama greeting cards and stationery, throw pillows, and coasters. Obama wall clocks, Air Force One sneakers, and Obama socks to match. Plush “Obamakins” dolls and talking Obama action figures.
Kids are getting Obama tattoos, this season saw Obama-inspired Versace men’s fashion lines, now there’s Obama perfume for women (”has an appealing freshness and youthful energy, it is complimented by a strong dose of determination”, comes with 1oz. “Veep Biden frangrance”) and Obama license plate frames. And you can track it all on your Obama wristwatch.
Obama condoms, anyone?
I understand that this is a result of Obama’s appeal with the creative class but there’s got to be a limit. I wonder how many people wearing Obama sneakers know about Obama’s plan to reduce foreign oil dependency, or if Obama perfume wafts around women who know about Obama’s plans for veterans or seniors. I fear that this election is just going to be drowned in consumerism and that election day will become the newest hyper-commercialized holiday.
I guess, at the end of the day, if it brings change to the White House, whatever gets people out of their houses to vote in November is a good thing. But I would hope that Obama’s voters, if asked on the way to vote as to why they were voting for Barack, would have some sort of issue-based reason, and not just break out into song:
I love this song. But it’s not why I’m voting for Obama. And it, or the clothes, the gear, the home decor, the pet apparel, or the condoms shouldn’t be why anyone else does either.
Yitz -
Welcome back to the US. I have been following the campaign since it started, and despite all his grand speeches and the media love, I am still not feeling Obama/Biden. If he had picked another young, relative outsider for VP, I could have at least state that he believed his own message. But picking someone who is older than McCain (Biden is 73), has been caught plagiarizing speeches from the British Labour Party and is about as “insider” as they come…. has made me give up on Obama.
However, McCain picked a young outsider, with more experience than Obama, a history of fighting her own party and reforming government. Add the fact that she is not a hypocrite (she did not have an abortion, even when she knew her youngest would have downs syndrome) and the fact that her daughter is going to have the child and marry the father (Alaska’s age of consent with parental permission is 16) speaks to me of one who will not compromise on her beliefs.
Now you know I don’t like McCain. I think he is nothing more than a conservative Democrat, who has made some really bad choices in his political career (McCain-Feingold anyone? McCain-Kennedy? The S&L scandal?). However, the new crop of Republicans are giving me and other conservatives hope. People like Jindal, Palin and others are going back to the roots of Goldwater and Reagan. They cut the size of their government, cut personal perks and streamline their governments, all while increasing education standards, jobs and raising living standards.
I support Obama getting his message out any way he wants. Capitalism and all that good stuff. I just hope that if he wins, he listens to reason and logic, and is not ruled by gut reaction and the Moveon.org/DailyKos wackos.
personal insurance…
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7 card poker stud variation…
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Argonne whisking?mediations,…
Living outside the US I dont get to see this stuff which is fine by me. A month or so ago I went to the open base day down Yokosuka Naval Base and saw that about 90% of the young black men there were wearing obama jerseys but the portrait was that style usually reserved for Malcolm, Martin & Marcus. Super Creepy.
Anyway even if people are spending their paychecks on this foolishness, whether they know a thing about the issues or not, maybe they will remember to vote?